The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-22

 Der grooming with marooned wealth. Be- yond the river in Sumter county he saw wide stretches of beautiful and fertile alfalfa lands.
 His prophetic eye reached on to where the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico washed the shell stretches along the coast. He perhaps dreamed then of a trunk line connecting this district with that great avenue of commerce. Perhaps, too, he perceived the canal that would some day connect the traffic of the two great oceans.
 So at Reform he began his great enter prise in his small way. It may be that the people of the quiet little town smiAd at the boy who without money had planned so largely. John Cochrane built a railroad-a real railroad. The people laughed as they gathered about the small group of men engaged in throwing up the first grade.
 But Reform has reformed. The people laugh at John Cochrane no more. They are banking on him. He will soon have his road completed through to the Gulf. Then they are expecting him to come back to Reform and extend the north end of the road into the coal fields of the Birmingham district. They are not gness- ing that he will do it. They know that he can and will do 1t.
 This will give Reform two very impor- tant railroads They will cross right in the town close to the hotel and the ware houses, and the main street, where more than a score of merchants are selling goods and getting rich
 When the road is completed to Birming- ham these merchants expect to become richer. Isn't it funny how success wins respect?
 Reform was down and doing business before the first maps were drawn. It was here as an Indian rendezvous, when the white man came, but it did not grow much until about the time Johnnie Coch- rane began to build his playhouse rail- road"
 Since then Reform has grown by leaps and bounds. It claims that 1t has shown the largest percentage of gain Of any town in the United States during the past ten years.
 The large lumber trade that has been developed by the building of the Mobile and Ohio and Cochrane's railroads has done a great deal to build up the town. The extensive agricultural interests cov- ering a large area is another important factor in the towns prosperity.
 The county high school, located at Re- form is one of the handsomest and best in the state. The building is of concrete blocks made in the town and the design is very attractive. The attendance at the present term is large. Prof. J. j.. Hale is principal and Miss Goidie Miller is assistant. The building cost $12,000. 1, ba SnDnOrtS of the best public schools in this section of tbe state. Mrs George Lyle is principal and Miss Mollie Locke is assistant. The town officials are now planning for the erection of new and more substantial | building for this school.
 I p. Steele, mayor of the town, is one l of the most progressive citizens. He is | a young man of good education and com | mendable civic pride He has just begun | his second term as mayor He rules the town sby day and manipulates lightning l for the Mobile and Ohio railroad by night. | It is said that he never sleeps | The new members of the council are | pr w l.. Dodson, pr. G. D. Windley, J. " Hollingsworth, F. N. Stringfellow,
 and | J. Langley. ]. V Davis is mar : shal The marshal wears a regulation ' uniform and club just like Birming-
 ham policeman.
 ! Cement sidewalks have been completed : m one side of the main street and the 1 ,ther side is being paved now. The
 walks are wide and ample for the accom- modation of the usual Saturday after
 noon" crowds.
 i The State Bank of Reform is an insti- tuition of which the town is justly proud.
 It occupies handsome new brick and , cement building w. J. Graham is pres-
 dent and R. M Pooley Is cashier.
 Reform buys about 5000 bales of cotton
 cry year
 ]. M LYNCH Diamond Mer-