Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-13
CHEAPER ROUTE TO MOBILE
Proposed to Utilized the Waterways
of the State.
MINERAL WEALTH 0FALABAMA
Neglect to Develop the Vast Re-
sources Of the Richest Dis
trict on the Globe.

By WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
BIRMINGHAM. Ala. April 10, 1909.
The Birmingham and Gulf Railway and
Navigation Company. with a capital of
SIC, 100000. has been organized by James
H. Morris Of Morris Bros. Philadelphia,
to build an electric railway. from Bir-
mingham to the. various large towns in
the vicinity. Morris Bros. own the city
systems and electric power plants
at Portland. Ore, and other Cities and
have associated with them a group of in
fluential capitalists of Philadelphia and
Baltimore. They propose to create an
interurban system of electric railways
similar to those in the northern states,
covering the Birmingham district. and in
Guiding Bessemer, Ensley and other thriv-
ing towns In the neighborhood, but the
particular object of the enterprise is to
furnish another transportation line to con-
meet the coal and iron mines and the man
ufacturing establishments of the Birming-
ham district with water navigation at
Tuscaloosa. which is sixty miles south
west of Birmingham upon the Warrior
river.
Tuscaloosa is at present at the head of
river navigation. and the construction Of
seven more locks in the Black Warrior
river will push back the head Of naviga-
tion on that stream to a point directly
west from Birmingham and Ensley. and
little northwest of Bessemer. The dis
lance from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa is
sixty miles by rail. The distance to the
two miles. and by following what is
known as Valley creek canal, could be
constructed between the two places. TAX
ing Ensley and Bessemer on the way, at
q cost of 100000 or $6,O00COO.
1t is not necessary to say that both
Ensley and BesSemer are very important
towns. the most important manufacturing
centers in the state of Alabama, except
Birmingham and Admission. Water navi-
cation to the sea would be to the advan-
tage of the business interests of all those
places If anybody would utilize 1t.
Believes the People Will Wake Up.
You remember the old lady who said
that religion was a good thing if it was
lived up to. and my friend Maj. Craig
head of the Mobile Register, than
whom there is no better, either editor or
man. takes an optimistic view of the
future. He believes that his fellow citi-
zens will sooner or later wake up to the
that belong to them, and util-
lie the splendid resources that lie I'M
der their feet and the natural water
ways, upon which the government has
expended millions of dollars in order that
the people of Alabama may bring those
resources where they can be turned into
money.
ut is possible" said Col. Craighead,
discussing this question the other day,
that the whole affair may be visionary,
but 1t Is too soon to say that the money
is wasted that has been expended by
provements Of the rivers of Alabama.
Last years traffic. which was quoted in
your letter the other day. should not be
taken as showing the value of the Inn
provements. A profitable traffic may take
some years to create. What you. have
Mississippi traffic is generally conceded
as tftle and Is confirmed by statements
madel at a meeting OF the New Orleans
Board. of Trade held on Wednesday last
The Alabama and Tombigbee river trafhc
has held up much better, however, and
is good during the season when there
is water enough for the boats to run.
The river Is utilized to. great value by
our merchants AS to the prospects
from the up-river improvements. we think
they are better than you describe. At
any rate. the matter should not be yet
passed upon definitely for the reason that
only this season have the improvements
reached the point permitting through
tTAMC OetWeeH the HiHCS anu llUcWdlcT
for a portion Of the year. A company
is In operation to use this new route;
and another company is forming for the
same purpose. and to carry coal by barges
to New Orleans via Mobile"
All that Maj. Craighead said is true,
and no one should object to the improve
ments of the rivers of Alabama. provided
they are needed for transportation pur-
poses. But at present the value Of the
traffic upon them is usually less than the
cost OF the improvements, and the people
Of Alabama do not show any enterprise
In taking advantage Of the navigation
routes that the federal government has
provided for them at an enormous ex
pense. 1t remains for a northern COM
pany, a group of Philadelphia capitalists.
to come in and make survey, and buy
right OF way and prepare for the invest
ment of twenty millions of dollars, to de-
velop the resources of Alabama, while
millions OF money is lying idle in the
Alabama banks. At Mobile the other day
people boasted of the wealth of their city.
but they do not invest that wealth in
public improvements.
Plan Of the Morris Brothers.
Mirros Brothers have secured a right Of
way from the beautiful new Union rail-
way station In Birmingham to point be-
low the locks on the Warrior river. at