The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
Birmingham Interested

l The Pratt Consolidated Coal company of l Birmingham is also involved in reports of water front activity. Vice President
 Erskine Ramsay of the company was re-
 gently in Mobile in company with Vice l Presidents Coapman and Culp of the Southern railway. An extensive inspection l of water front properties of the Mobile
 and Ohio and Southern railroads was
 made. Beyond the statement that the i Pratt Consolidated company has ample | agreements with the two railroads for the
 coaing of steamships at this port no in | timation was given of proposed improve | ments or new construction.
 | The Pratt Consolidated company has be- | come strongly entrenched here, with con- l tracts for the coalng of over a thou sand steamships which visit the port of Mobile periodically. The announcement contained in circular recently issued by | the department of commerce and labor coaling port on the gulf, and among the cheapest of the world, has caused a
 noticeable increase in the bunker coal business here.
 The development presaged and already started in Mobile and the Mobile district | is all directly, or indirectly connected with | the development of the Birmingham dis 1 trict, and the interests of Birmingham, as the states greatest city, and Mobile, | as Alabama's only port, are becoming
 more and more identical
 Inland Waterways | If efforts of Mrs Maude Wood Henry. l field secretary of the Mississippi-to-At- | lantic Inland Waterways association, are | successful, a considerable sum will be raised in Mobile and Baldwin counties | to aid in the work of securing an inland | waterway connection between Mobile bay | and Pensacola bay.
 l Mrs. Henry has been for the past sev- | eral weeks in Baldwin county where, she reports, the residents are enthusias- | tic over the project of having completed | at an early date this link in the Maine | to-Texas intercostal canal, which the gov- | ernment is interested in providing. The | rivers and harbors appropriation bill re- | gently passed in the national House of Representatives, provides large appro- | priation for the completion of several | other links in the chain, including the dredging of Grants Pass which connects
 Mobile bay with the Mississippi Sound The truck growers of Baldwin county at present have no market other than
 Mobile, and. as they complain about the linadeauacy of the bay steamship service and the independence of local mer- chants, they are desirous of having an-
 other outlet in the direction of Pen-
 sacola.
 Mrs. Henry has conducted enthusiastic
 meetings at Fairhope. the famous single
 tax colony; Battles. and other bay shore
 resorts. and at Bay Minette Foley and other Baldwin county towns She ex-
 poets to raise funds both in Mobile county
 and Baldwin county
 The joint rivers and harbors commit- tee of Mobile and the Mobile Chamber of Commerce and Business league re- gently gave their unanimous indorsement
 to the project in which Mrs. Henry is | interested.
 Frisco Plans Improvements | That provisions had been made by the | board of directors of the New Orleans
 Mobile and Chicago railroad for the com | plete reconstruction of the railroads line | from Laurel to New Albany, Miss, and for purchase of rolling stock. including
 complete steel equipment for the through passenger and freight service into Mo l bile and New Orleans, was the state
 ment authorized today by w. F. Owen,
 president and general manager of the
 road. on his return from New York. where he attended the directors meet l ing Monday
 l The roadbed is to be ballasted and the light rails are to be replaced with s pound rails suitable for the heaviest traffic.
 The improvements were authorized by the New Orleans, Mobile and Chicago di- rectorS, with view 10 lne hdusufdtlon of through freight and passenger service ',r tho Frisco system into Mobile and
 New Orleans as contemplated when a
 controlling interest in the local railroad
 ' -r -eesred hs. the Frisco last year.
 The Frisco makes connection with the
 New Orleans, Mobile and Chicago rail-
 road on the Memphis Birmingham divi-
 sion af New Alhanv, Miss, from which
 'ha~e i~ drnct lire into Mobile. En-
 trance Into New Orleans is secured over
 tae tracks of the New Orleans and North
 eastern. connecting with the New Or
 leans. Mobile and Chicago railroad in
 Mississippi.
 Within few months. 1t Is indicated.