The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-05

the continent. PROFESSIONALLY the
advent of the United States Steel
Corporation in the Birmingham dis
trict has crysta1lized, solidified and
made real all the ideas, plans and
beliefs in the future of this district.
The United States Steel Corpora
ton has already made an invest
ment of something like $50, 900 900
in the district, and in addition to
the expenditure of $1,000, 900. made
within the last two years in prac-
tically rebuilding rs iron and steel.
plants, it is now in process of ex-
pending some SO 100000 more for
the steel and wire plant, the by
product plant, the impounding dim
and other improvements.
All these activities behr a close
relation to other great develops.
ments which have occurred here
within the past few years. With
out attempting anything like a gem
eral review of the present condi-
lions in Birmingham, it may be
noted that everywhere in the dis.
trict there is a degree of activity
hardly paralleled anywhere in the
south There have been numerous
new buildings conslructed within
the last year, such as the magnifls
cent new h0ne of the Chamber of
Commerce and the ideally artistic
Empire office building. The mag
nificent Brown-Marx building,
which has just been added to with
in the past few months, is also an
other splendid illustration of the de-
velopmeT/ Birmingham is seeing
today. In addition to these struc-
lures there is long list of other
expenditures to be made in the i'm
mediate future, including million
dollar railroad shops for the Louis
vile and Nashville railroad; an ex-
penditure of about 100000 to
bring the Atlanta. Birmingham and
Atlantic Railroad into Birmingham
and provide terminal therefor; the
construction of the viaducts by the
city, and several stores, business
and residence houses, the entire
expenditure on improvements under
way and contemplated footing up
more than $21 100000.
1.-THE population of Greater Bir-
mingham today is put at 125,000.
John w. Gates told me three years
ago that Birmingham would have
100000 people in 1925. There are
plenty of people-not enthusiastic
residents of the city, either-who
believe that this is very conserv-
alive prophecy. With the discov-
cry OF natural gas in large guam
titles within Easy piping distance
OF Birmingham a new factor in the
possible development of the place
has been introduced. Natural gas
would make all of Birmingham a
most charming place of residences
by eliminating the smoke and SCOT
which seem to be inseparable from
the industrial operations here. Also
it would likely make possible the
upbuilding of diversified industries
here in a much shorter time than
is probable otherwise.
Where the Empire building now
stands, that lot, with Nyo others,
sold in the early eighties for $500.
The Empire Construction Co. paid
for the site of the building not very
long ago 100000. There are prob
ably not numerous examples of sim
liar increase in values, although
while advances may not be identi-
cal in amount, something of the
same sort of marvellous advance in
real estate values is typical of the
entire real estate movement in Bir-
mingham And these are facts
which confirm Birmingham men in
the belief that here is to, be seen
within the next decade develop
ment with hardly parallel in Amer
lea. A degree of development and
is predicted for Birming-
ham during the next Is years great
er than Pittsburg experienced in
her entire history up to Is years
ago, and the ratio of increase of
is expected to exceed
that Of Pittsburg. which city is
taken as an illustration from the
fact that Birmingham has for some
time considered herself the Pitts
burg of the South.
ALBERT PHENIS."
I ~