The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-07
bORGNE CANAL DEAL. A MASTER STROKE Hoadley Makes Real a Cher
 ished Dream SKETCH OF HIS WORK Man Who Will Make Possible the Navigation Line to Tidewater
 Real Captain of
 Industry
SKETCH OF HIS WORK
Fly ETHEL ARMIES Author of s'The Story of Coal and Iron
 in Alabama"


 in Alabama"
 The purchase of the Lake Borgne a quiet point for the coaling of steam which was consummated during the past week, is an event of decided in- terest and significance in the industrial history of the south. It is one of those far-rea ching strokes termed "epoch- making" the sort that. in the old pio- neer days of the Birmingham district, engineered by Aldrich. DeBardeleben and Ensley. would have "set the town on fire"
 Shipment of coal, coke, iron and steel direct from Birmingham to ude- water and thence to ports of all the world has ever been the dream of the old leaders.
 dream that would never come true, it seemed.
 But at least through President Hoad- ley of the Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron company, this dream Is real ized.
 "This purchase of the Lake Borgne canal insures the esta blishment of the navigation line from Tuscaloosa to tidewater," said Vice President H. S.. Matthews.
 .The route of the line will be from Tuscaloosa down the Black Warrior river to the Tombigbee at Demopolis, down the Tombigbee to the Mobile river, and thence into Mobile bay. The route then lies through Mobile bay to the lower western end. At this point barges will turn through Huron or Grants Pass into Mississippi Sound. a quiet point for the coaling of steam CTS from the barges on account of the numerous islands which lock the sound. Across the sound barges will enter Lake Borgne, east of New Orleans, and then through the Lake Borgne canal to the Mississippi river a few miles below the city proper, near the United States naval station al Algiers.
 The route will give intercostal trade to Birmingham barges from Mobile bay into New Orleans. and means that there will be S,Ooo,ooo tons of Bir- mingham coal to follow this route to market The canal itself is about seven miles long.
 Saving Made
 "The payment of the heavy toll ex- acted by the general route will be
  cerned in the Lake Borgne company. All unnecessary delays and annoyances encountered by not controlling a right of way on both railroad and barge lines will be done away with.
 The Connecting Lines
 "The railroad line will run from Gadsden, through the Birmingham dis trlct, to the Warrior river. and there connect with the barge line. Yes, of course. all is conceived with the view ahead of the Panama canal business. This is not a project of the Ala bama Consolidated company. It Is a distinct ly separate and independent organiza- ton. Certainly 1t will serve this com pany but also other companies. It Is one of Mir. Hoadley's great plans for the future development of the Bir- mingham district. For years he has had this idea and other great ideas In view. He has spent millions here in Alabama and will spend millions more What other man has in recent years enlisted so much capital and influence in this district? Who else has ever brought down at his own personal ex pense so large a number of influential men as MT. Hoadley has and taken the means to distribute far and wide news of the advantages of Birmingham as an investment field?'
 For a matter of fact precise details concerning Joseph H. Hoadley's work in this and other communities are more or less vague in local circles. He has stupendous ideas of development, and he has engineered some of the great est manufacturing and operating con cerns in the world No man on Wall street. perhaps, has had so remarkable career.
 George F. Randolph, vice president of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. said of him not long since: "Hoadley Is to-