The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-11
ACTIVITY ALONG COCHRANE LINES Regular Service Between
 Reform and York NEW TOWNS BUILT eAliceville, Cochrane, Dancey, Panola
 and Geiger Are All Towns of
 Exceptional Promise-The Alfalfa Belt
By WALTER HARPER


 and Northern railroad with an air line, The last spike completing the laying of track and rails to York was driven last Saturday and the first work train passed over. Regular freight and passenger ser vice will be inaugurated between Reform and York in less than 30 days The distance from Reform to York is P miles,
 Men and mules have passed over and are grading the line on south to connect with the southern end of MT. Cochrane' S system at Silas. The distance to be built from York to Silas is 45 miles, This link will be ready for operation by the end of this year. The line from Silas to Mobile is 62 miles.
 When this gap is completed the system will be 179 miles in length. It is thought that MT. Cochrane expects to extend the line into Pensacola at the south and It has already been announced that 1t Is his intention to build the north end on into the Birmingham district.
 Orders have been placed for new en- zines and passenger cars for the service between Reform and York This new equipment is expected to be delivered within 30 days, in time for the opening of traffic to York Passenger trains are now operated from Reform to Geiger. about 30 miles north of York. Freight trains are operated to Panola, eight miles north of Geiger. The track between these two latter places is still new and must be strengthened and ballasted before heavy trains can be oper- ated to Geiger, and on down to York.
 rode over this strip of road on a heavy engine with Superintendent A. R. Grad dock. We dumped the engineer and con- ductor with their train at Panola and with the game superintendent at the throttle we fairly swan over the serpen- tine rails supported by uncertain sand and creeping alfalfa soil.
 It was an experience worth while. l have not yet attempted the airship. or even the roller coaster, but 1 have dared the bowels of the earth on empty coal cars and sat In the halls of filibustering legislatures. I have also gone Joy riding with Chief of the Birmingham Fire De- pertinent A. V. Bennett.
 But was not entirely prepared for this trip with Superintendent Craddock on the back of a coal-eating mastodon of Iron and steel over a track that had not yet been nailed down.
 MT. Craddock Is a giant in stature with muscles of steel. His spirit is that of a lion for courage though gentle and re- fined. He is known intimately and loved by every employe of the road He has the full confidence of his employer and is the man for the place he fills.
 When I saw him and stood behind him at the throttle on the Iron horse not much more powerful than he, I knew that John Cochrane would build his road as far south and north as he cares to go.
 But MT. Craddock tells me that he baked on riding one locomotive. It was on the Alabama Great Southern. He was coming to Birmingham from York, and the engineer asked him to ride in the cab. Tine engineer was pulling the Pan American.
 Craddock stayed on to the next station because 1t was not convenient to get off, He said he really felt safer back in tho Pullman, though he made as good prog ress toward Birmingham.
 This road that John Cochrane is driv- ing so energetically and so successfully toward the Gulf of Mexico is the same little road that he started from Reform to Carrolton II years ago with little more than a couple of strings, barlow ;x, h&-
 Slowly but surely he has driven along whistling to himself until he got in the class of first rate financiers and com manded the respect of all people It is said that Wall street bows reverently when he passes that way.
 This road is bringing about most wonderful development in what is con- sidered one of the richest agricultural and timber sections of the state. The timber interests that have been developed through Pickens county run into the mil- lions of dollars.
 Progressive towns are springing up all along the line. Some of them are destined to become great
 Aliceville, the second terminus of the
 
 Carrollton, is one of the best business towns in west Alabama. Across the Tom bgbee river, the next stop is Cochrane. It is less than three years old and Is thriving. 1t was built on the edge of Dr. T. H. G. Cocks farm on the site of what was then the negro quarters. The negro cabins have been replaced with hand some homes and substantial business houses, a number of them of brick.
 Next is Dancey. a live little town with good promise. and then comes Panola, where are located the railroad shops Here is clean little town with excep- tional promise and some mighty good people,
 Eight miles further on in the midst of the black alfalfa lands Is Geiger. town tious proportions has been laid out here and more than 700 town lots and adja- cent small farm tracts have been sold during the past two months. Already number of substantial business houses and handsome homes have been erected.
 On down the line to York number of other clusters of people and businesses are forming. Besides these there Is a most encouraging development of farm ing interests that. taken altogether, mean great prosperity for the future.
 Open Tuberculosis Exhibit
 Columbus, Miss, March 10.--(Special.)- J. Announcement Is made through the state board of health that the second