The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-12
GOOD ROADS WILL AID DEVELOPMENT IN MARION COUNTY Hamilton Citizens Especial ly Are Awake To Their
 Needs MAKING BIDS FOR
 .COCHRANE'S ROAD With New Railroad and Good High ways the County Will Soon
 Begin To Develop Its
 Resources
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

| Having shaken the spell of listlessness which made them content without the luxuries of life, the people of Marion county, thoroughly imbued with enthus1- asm, are planning methods which will result in the development of the resources with which they have been so bounte- l ously blessed.
 | This spark of vitality was kindled in Hamilton and if kept alive will radiate irresistibly from the center to every other section of the big county. The people are determined to do something, and as inti- mated in previous articles, good roads will follow, a railroad will be acquired, industries will be established, the min erals will be mined, and the country round will be flooded with incandescent | lights.
 | Hamilton will grow into city of 5000 people, and Guin and Winfield to the south, and Hackleburg, Bexar and Bear Creek to the north will blossom into thriving communities. of many times their present population.
 Commercial Club Organized Hamilton believes that if John T. Cochrane, Jr., will extend the Alabama, Tennessee and Northern railroad along the banks of the Buttahatchee through it's own city limits into Wayne county. Tennessee, its most radiant dreams will be realized.
 In order that a concerted action to- wards bringing this railroad to Hamilton might be exerted, commercial club was organized some days ago, its membership including practically every resident of this city. Of this commercial club, which is the only one homed in town of no more than 300 people in the United States, it is probable, D. D. Wright is presi- dent, and D. N. Arnold secretary. At recent meeting, a committee was ap- pointed, consisting of R. W. Quinn, the county solicitor, and J. A. Mays, the postmaster, to confer with President Cochrane and other officials of the Ala hama, Tennessee and Northern concern ing the feasibility of extending the line through the territory of Hamilton. This conference has taken place, and the con- mittee received encouragement.
 After Cochrane's Railroad
 Hamilton has previously had dreams of a railroad crashing through It's limits, and is proceeding very carefully in the hope that nothing will occur to upset it's present plans.
 In 1887, when the Frisco was planning to extend its main line from Mississippi into the coal fields of Jefferson county, 1t was the purpose of the officials of that company to lay it's rails through Fulton, Miss. through. Hamilton, and into Bir- mingham. But, according to the story related in Hamilton. Fulton made such demands on the Frisco that that railroad bent itself southward from the original ar,6 inc nf m through the heart of Marion county touches the southern extremity at Guin and Winfield. Later. the Illinois Central surveyed line through Hamilton, but the plan was abandoned.
 Hamilton is offering flattering induce ments to Cochrane. and it would surprise very little were that president to fol- low the Buttahatchee into the county seat of Marion. It is pointed out that the abundant gravel of the county would serve an excellent purpose in preparing the road bed, and that the county is rich enough in building stone. agricul- tural products and minerals to guaran- tee large annual tonnage. Hamilton promises that the cross ties in Marion will cost the railroad absolutely nothing, and that a right of way will be guaran- teed without expense to the company. Other offers include certain timber ter ritory which is of positive value.
 Building Fine Pike
 The county is interested at the present time, too, in the question of good roads. As written in a previous article. pike of 16 miles of not more than a 5 per cent grade, stretching from Guin to Hamilton, will be begun within a very short space of time. As a matter of fact, it is the intention of the county commissioners to- award the contract for the road Novem- Der 15. and it is thought that within a short time following, it will have been completed.
 Towards the construction of the road the state will contribute 5000. Marion having been one of the first five coun- ties to take advantage of the legisla- ture's gratuity. The pike, 1t Is thought, in addition to the 5000 mentioned above, will cost the county practically s20,000. This entire sum, 1t is stated, can be raised by the county treasurer without resorting to bond issue.
 Commissioner Cashion states that fol- lowing the completion of the Hamilton Guin pike, another will be constructed from Hamilton to Hackleburg, a distance of about r miles, provided the people will vote favorably on bond issue which will be proposed.
 Spirit of Optimism
 No people, 1t Is said, are wholly lost when they begin to build good roads. And when it is remembered that Marion county. after having done very little with the wealth which lies concealed in its hills, is not only building good roads, but is stretching out for locomotives and Pullman cars, there seems to be just reason for the optimistic prediction that this old county is about to accomplish much.
 The Age-Herald correspondent has spent several days in the county and has been made aware of it's possibilities. There are churches and schools and water here, and the people are healthy. There is a soil here which can produce bale of cotton to the acre and 100 bush els of corn. There are seams of coal hardly touched in the hills, and traces of other minerals which doubtless do exist
 And the people now are turning their attention to good roads. and are actively fighting for that greatest of all develop ers-the railroad train. As long as their enthusiasm continues, their possibilities seem practically unlimited.