The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-04
IS|GNS OF GROWTH 1 HERE "A YEARS AGO
Old File Shows Some Interest
 ing Items
HAD NEARLY 5000 PEOPLE
A New Place Called Bessemer Was Reached By9rakipg q Train 10 Wards and Walking Few
 Miles More or Less
BY WALTER HARPER

From our preesnt proud position amont the populous and financially stronl cities of the country, let us look back fol | moment along the road the town has | travelled. Twenty-four years in the history of g city is not long time, yet Birmingham has done wonders in that time. Twenty-four years ago this morning The Birmingham Age. an eightpage paper set by hand and with the ear marks of pot metal and dead filters" was full of boost and overflowlng pride for the great young city in Jones valley.
 The census that had just been taken gave the city population of Sos6 The people were boosting and pulling for 5000. It would be a proud day in the history of Birmingham when it could boast popu- lstion of 5000 people Some of the more optimistic were already claiming this pop ulation for the town. It was indeed grow ing very rapidly.
 The population of Jefferson county was only 23.272 at the recent count, less than one-fourth of the present population of the city of Birmingham alone. Twenty four years ago this morning the Birmingham Age has an account of trip made by ''the reporter to East Lake in a buggy with B. M- Allen, who seemed to be man fin authority in those days. They stopped on the way to the lake, where some men were making some inn provements on a country road, and MT. Allen approved some plans of the man in charge of the work.
 Work was in progress on the artificial lake. which was to be one of the biggest of its kind in the United States. A race track and fair grounds were also being planned. to be located just south of the lake.
 The same issue gave out the inside in- formation that preliminary surveys for a dummy line to East Lake had been made, and it was believed that work would be- gin at once.
 The finishing touches were being put on the Union Passenger station, lone of the most magnificent passenger stations in the country
 There were only two brick business houses on Twentieth street south of the railroad. =
 The brick house that was being built on the opposite side of the railroad tracks was for the use of the Alabama Great Southern railroad according to the Age Part of the building was to be two stories high,
 It was announced that about s3000 would be spent on improvements and new fix lures in the First National bank. Cherry eolored desks and fixtures were among the items of improvement.
 The brick worl, on the new Jewish syn agogue had just been completed.
 Attention was called to Birmingham s youngest sister, Bessemer, which was just springing up in the lower end of Jones valley, near the line of the Alabama Great Southern railroad. Prospective vis- itors were informed that they could get to Bessemer by taking the Mineral Belt line, get off at Wards and walk a few miles. Henry DeBardeleben was build ing furnace at Bessemer and the level country was most admirably situated for the building of thriving town.
 The reporter on the Age complained that one could hardly get along Second avenue for the dry goods boxes piled on the sidewalks and in the street
 A dummy backing on Third avenue frightened horse and he ran away, creating a great sensation in Birming- ham.
 Attention was called to the activity of the mules employed by the dummy line company The afternoon before negro had tried to ride one of these mules and was thrown three times in three min utes, and "the mule was not excited, either"
 The real estate men were very active and property seemed to be changing hands rapidly and at profitable figures. Lots seemed to be selling over and over at rapidly advancing figures The same spirit of advancement seemed to have hold of the people that is now building here one of the greatest cities of the United States.
 But those enterprising pioneers of Bir- mingham could not realize that in 2( years their young city would rank witt, the leading cities of the south and would attract the substantial attention of the world.
 Birmingham in those days thought Il was cutting a big swathe-and 1t was. Those hardy, optimistic pioneers were blazing the way and laying the massive foundations for the Birmingham of today. Long live their memories