The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-05
MILLER PLEASED BY
WHITE WAY OUTLOOK
Says Birmingham Takes Well
to the Plan
STARTS ON 18TH STREET
Business Men Pay for Initial Outlay for
Installation and City Agrees to
Furnish Current When Sys-
tenn Is Completed
STARTS ON 18TH STREET

THE movement for the electric orna-
mental lighting of Birmingham down.
town business thoroughfares is meet
ing with the general approval of the
business men who have been ap-
preached on this matter" said George
A. Miller, who has been called the
Father of the Great White Way in
America" yesterday.
Mr.. Miller has been here for the past
two weeks interviewing the business
people on the streets that he proposes
to light, and different city officials. He
states that he has made contract
with the Birmingham Railway, Light
and Power company. THE company"
he says, "wD, agree to install the sys-
tenn at price based on my experience
and estimates which will be equitable
for all parties concerned.
birmingham will not be lacking In
that civic pride and metropolitan spirit
which will insure the lighting and
maintenance of the system after Its
installation by the citizens.
IT have installed similar systems, thai
is. similar to all practical purposes.
in Minneapolis Mimi, which city now
has about 10 miles of this system;
Jacksonville. Fla. and Atlanta, Ga.
The Atlanta system Is the largest single
initial installation of ornamental cleo
trio street lighting in the United States,
that city having. when the present in
stallation Is complete, about three miles
of the Great White Way The people
of Atlanta were pleased with the sys-
tenn and it is being extended there very
rapidly, and the city Is paying for the
current.
1.-The special installation in Birming-
ham has been selected with an eye
to the artistic needs of this city The
| sidewalks here are broad. the streets
are wide. and the blocks are straight
and of even distances, and the aver
age architectural outline is dignifed
and metropolitan.
1T have therefore designed a post for
Birmingham which Is broader and big
ger than any city I have yet installed.
and which is designed to suit the ar
tistic needs OF this city.
1.-THE electric company here has been
endeavoring for some months past In
response to the demand of a number
of the people on the business streets
to obtain a street lighting standard a
manner of installation and system
of lights that would meet with the re-
quirements of Birmingham, and upon
my arrival the company felt that it
was justified in entering into any ar
rangement looking to the final install
lation of such a system"
| Mr.. Miller has been actively can
wasting on Nineteenth street between
First and Fourth avenues and has
practically closed the two blocks be-
tween First and Second avenues as
nearly all the people on this street
have signed the subscription agree
ment. "Other streets and avenues" says
Mr.. Miller. have begun to realize the
necessity of getting in touch with this
proposition and undoubtedly the sys-
tenn will spread to other adjacent
streets in Lhe very near future. Sec
ond and Third avenues especially are
keen for this kind of illumination or
course 1t Is assumed that the city will
agree to furnish the current and keep
the system up without further cost to
those who signed the subscription
agreement.
| Jake Wells, who Is very largely in
| terested In the theatrical business, was
| in Birmingham the other day and in
response to an inquiry from me gave
his views of the Great White Way in
Atlanta in letter as follows:
:" I am just in receipt of your favor of
the LIST inst. 1t would have afforded me
much pleasure to have met you while in
Birmingham Wednesday. 1 was at lunch
with Mr. Burnett and Mr. Joseph of
Loveman Joseph & Loeb. and In general
conversation we happened to get on the
subject of street lighting, its effect In a
practical and ornamental way. I re-
marked in a general way how splendid the
effect was on what they term In Atlanta
1.-THE Great White Way" installation of
lights. Personally, cannot speak in too
high terms of it. / know the Peachtree
street installation has pleased everybody.
The outcome of 1t is that the Forsyth
street property holders and business men,
also Pryor and Marietta streets, have ar
| ranged and are now having installed in
the same manner. This is the best evil
dence Of how the people are feeling
about it.
"Of course, you are aware that am
in the theatrical business, and that we'll
lighted thoroughfares in the business por-
ton of the city concerns me very much,
and would very much like to see Bir-
mingham equipped In the same manner.
The effect there will be better than in
Atlanta owing to the wide, level, straight
streets, and very few porches and old
style verandas to mar the line of light.
l would like ever SO much to be able to
subscribe toward the installing of this
style of street lighting on Third avenue
in the direction of the Bijou and Orpheum
theatres. There is no question that 1t
creates splendid impression upon the
stranger arriving in the city at night to
sure If once Installed in Birmingham that
the property holders and business men
will never regret this cost of installation,
or any reasonable taxation that might
be incurred by its maintenance. To get
the full effect and to realize what
change it has made on Peachtree street,
this city. is for one to stand at the Ara
gon hotel and look down Peachtree street
and then change their view looking down
Forsyth street. One is brilliantly light
ed and attractive looking, while the other
is like looking down a dark alley 1t will,
however, only be few days before the
current Is turned on In Forsyth street,
and the gloomy, dark. alley appearance
will have disappeared. 1 have had oc-
! OF, IN onn hA iUb OF t,.