The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-28

Burnett, is one of the best informed men on river commerce in the state of Ala bama. He has made a special study of conditions on the Coosa and at one time did some special work for the govern ment under Captain Ferguson of the United States army in making surveys or the CooSa.
 the question of river commerce and its possibilities as pertaining to the Coosa.
 Back in the early 40's Tracys great grandfather, John Lay, settled near the river and built flat boats during the sum- mer and when crops were gathered in the fall would load them with the prod rcts of his farnfsand float them to mar ket at Wetumpka and other river points down stream
 His grandfather c. M Lay, followed in the same business only on a larger scale He was a pilot on boats built and operated by the father of Captain J. NJ. Elliott, Jr.
 Some of the earliest boats operated by the elder Elliott were the Magnolia, the Defender and the Etowah Bill. The Eto- Wah Bill was named for Congressman N. II. Felton of Georgia who secured the first appropriation of $i0OOO from Con-
 
 river
 For his. activity in securing aid for the river the congressman was nicknamed "Etowah Bill,' and this name was given to one of the first boats built for the river navigation.
 Captain Elliott and MT. Lay recall many interesting incidents of the boating days of their grandfathers. The bows grew up on the river and were imbued with the enthusiasm of river navigation and its peculiar Vaccinations. They recall that Congressman Burnett. now greatly in terested in the development of the river. used to make frequent passage on the river steamers. They were all boys to- gether and wasted many chunks of boiler wood on lazy turtles summing themselves on the greasy banks of the river.
 ''The people of this day who are not familiar with navigation on the Coosa river would hardly believe their eyes if they could see some of the early steamers that piled the Coosa," said Cap tain Elliott yesterday. 'There were no railroads in those earliest days and most of the transportation was by river. The boats were large and carried heavy ton mage. They did good business and the trade was profitable.
 T remember my father describing to an engineer in his later days how he managed to get over shallow places in the river when the water was low He said that rocks were dumped into the river forming V shaped obstruction with an opening In the point large enough for the passage of the boats When the water was too low to float the vessels over the shoal the boats were stopped in this opening until the obstruction of the boats backed enough water to float the boat through"
 Captain Lay tells of his father being thrown from his fiatboat once on some shoals by his oar getting caught behind a rock. He was thrown forward and the boat went over him. He had pres ence of mind enough to catch a large rock and hold himself on the bottom until he saw the shadow of the boat pass over him, when he floated to the top, swan after the boat and climbed aboard
 The Elliotts and the Lays are hoping that during the present generations of their families the Coosa river will be opened to navigation from Rome, Ga, to the gulf
 Truly there is a man in this world for every job
 Looking from my window at this mo- ment I see a man painting the tall flag pole on the top of the New Willard hotel.
 The New Willard is 12 stories high and the flag pole rises from a dome at the front corner of the building to perilous height. The painter Is swinging from q strap around the pole. He began paint ing at the top and is sliding down as he works. He appears perfectly at ease and works freely.
 Gaping pedestrians in the street hold their breath while they gaze up at him perhaps not realizing that only one dan ger confronts him, while they are sur rounded by demons of death of which they are more careless than the man up the pole.
 In his position the speed fend cannot get him. He is reasonably safe from germ contamination and no confidence shark or spurious stock broker will mo- lest him.
 There, he has finished the job in less than 20 minutes and is looking for an- other pole to climb.