The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-19
IF GRAND
 JURY |S EXPECTED New County Jail Will Proba-
 bly, Be Recommended PLAN 50-THOUsAND CLUB Gadsden Expects to Boom Her Inter- ests-Blooming MiII Put in Opera
 tion--Sand Mountain Farmers Planting Potatoes
PLAN 5O-THoUsAND CLUB

 for the past two weeks will probably conclude it's labors and make a report tomorrow. A great many witnesses have
 been examined in the alleged viola tions of the liquor laws and 1t Is like ly that a number of indictments will. he returned An examination of the county jail is being made today and
 there is little doubt that the present jury, as those of the past few years,
 will condemn the prison and recom-
 mend that steps be taken to provide new one.
 Gadsden may have a 50,000 club. movement looking to this end has been started and if there is sufficient re- sponse on the part of the progressives it will no doubt materialize within the next few months. The raising of the $150,000 for the location of the rod, wire and nail mill of the Southern Iron and Steel company brought the people
 of the city closer together than they
 had ever been before and now that
 the ball has been started rolling and
 the people are beginning to realize the benefits that are to be secured from CO., operative effort there will likely be
 much more enthusiasm for organization land work for the proper advertising and
 such a club as Is now proposed could
 do much to further the interests of
 the city in this way.
 The threatened epidemic of smallpox that seemed imminent few weeks ago has entirely passed and there seems
 to be no further danger of spread of the disease. All cases are fully un- der control and the single one that 1t was feared would prove fatal, that Of
 a negro who was taken to the county
 pesthouse, has entirely recovered. The first two blocks of brick of the new streets have now been laid and work Is being started on Fourth street today. The two blocks that have been
 laid are having the filler put on and the
 street will be open for traffic within few days. At the rate of progress
 that is now being made the paving will be all completed within the next six
 weeks. It Is quite probab ble, however, that before the contractors leave prop | erty owners on other streets than those included in the present contract will
 decide to ask for paving and that a
 number of blocks will be paved before
 the machinery is moved from the city. The blooming mill of the Southern Iron and Steel company was started last night. This puts all parts of the old plant in commission and steel bill lets are being turned out for use In the rod, wire and nail mill. As 1t will yet
 require several weeks to get the new portion of the big plant ready to rtin
 a good amount of material will be in readiness for 1t by the time operations are begun. There are now upwards of
 aC00 men employed at the works and when the whole plant is in full swIng
 this number will be practically doubled
 The farmers on Sand Mountain are busy these days planting potatoes. Tine crop on the mountain last year was not as great success as was hoped and a few are discouraged, yet there will be several hundred acres planted in the tubers this year. Two years ago the acreage was not so large, but the crop was good and good prices were received. Some of the farmers made as much as 300 bushels per acre and as these are marketed early, when the price is high. 1t is easy to understand that they proved remunerative crop S. w. Rid de IS one of the heaviest planters and VIII nave good acreage this year.