The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-30
CLAY COUNTY IS
 GROWING RAPIDLY Railroads Give New Im-
 petus to Industry TOWNS ARE THRIVING The Handsome and We'll Attended Churches and Schools at Ashland
 Speak We'll for Character of the People
BY FRANK Y. EVANS

Ashland, September -(SpeciaD. This
 county of Clay is also a county of other l innumerable resources. To its wealth of
 soil, salubrity or climate. beauty of
 scenery must be added and observed in
 sizing it up it's deposits of valuable min
 eral non pyrites. graphite mica and gold,
 and forests of heavy timber, all of which
 have been touched by the hand of n-
 dustry and made to attract attention and | to renumerate effort.
 And yet today development in Clay
 county is but in it's infant stage
 For years Clay was considered one of
 the minor or less important counties Of
 Alabama. Only few years ago the steel
 rails and sound of locomotives awakened
 the dormant wealth of the county, attract
 ing brains, muscle and mnoey. l Not only within the last few years did
 the native agricultuIalists here learn of
 the value of their lands. Not until mod
 ern, scientific and intensive systems of
 farming were applied here did the farm
 CTS know that they could make two
 blades of grass grow where one grew be- fore," which applies alike to the produc-
 ton of cotton, corn and other grain, ana
 not until this very year did the owners of
 these lands begin to realize that values
 thereof increase proportionately with their productive qualities and that their wealth was greater than they thought or realized | They are just at this time being apprized
 of this increase by the tax gatherers who
 are showing them that they are richer than in former years by two-fold
 The railroads-Central of Georgia on the west and the Atlanta, Birmingham
 and Atlantic on the north side of the county have proven marvellous deyel- opers of Clay and have been most
 potent agencies in bringing the county to it's own. Ohservant- Alabamians con cur in the view that Clay is one of
 the coming counties of the state and verify it is growing by leaps and
 bounds in wealth and population. This pretty little town of Ashland is one of the most charming of the smaller cities of Alabama. Located beautifully upon high ground, sur rounded by hills and valleys attractive to the eye, famed by delightful breezes
 and peopled by an intelligent, home | loving, church going and school sus- l taining people, hospitable always and generous in their welcome to the | stranger within their gates, no one can 1 fall to pronounce Ashland attractive. And Ashland will continue to grow, because Ashland is sustained by natural | environments that weigh well for sus-
 tenance and support. The population
 of 1160 gives Ashland by the last fed eral census is promised an increase
 of immense proportions before the end | of another decade.
 | Six miles east of Ashland, directly | on the main line of the Atlanta. Bir- l Ir,1ir1 1ob tio la fs vigorous and strong is Clays next most | important town and, singular to relate, next to Ashland in population by only | nine human souls, according to census | report. There is friendly and generous | rivalry between the two towns which should prove a stimulus to effort and activity toward higher achievement | Clay county's courthouse, located on an l eninence iii the very center of Ashland, | was erected six years ago. It is large l and imposing structure, modern in archi- tectural dwesign, commodious, and when | furnished, heated and watered as it's plan contemplates, will be one of the best arranged and equipped courthouses in the state.
 Baptist, Methodist and Congregationalist- all with unusually large memberships | for a community, of this size. The new | Methodist church here is one of the real pretty churches of the state, modern | in construction and adornment and pre- senting the very acme of comfort. It | is of pressed brick, tile roof and hard | wood furnishings within, typical pie | ture of a real house of worship reflecting credit upon the community as a dedi-
 catory thank offering in response to nat
 ural or providential gifts bestowed upon | this people.
 | Ashland enjoys unusual educational ad- vantages for the young. In addition to a
 splendid graded school with an efficient faculty and well sustained by public
 funds, this town enjoys the distinction of
 being the home of the Clay County High
 school a large brick edifice imposing to view and exceedingly attractive to the visitor. Under the superintendence of Professor Sutton the Clay County High
 school has taken prominent rank among | the educational instructions of the state. 1 These bright eyed boys and girls of | Ashland, and these buoyant and hopeful
 youths who daily sip from these foun-
 tains of knowledge, present themselves
 a beautiful picture of the future Ash
 land and Clay county, because mental | and moral education constitute the bull
 varlk of community progress, community
 wealth. community grandeur and com
 munity safety. .. f.f