The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-09
Tennessee Co. Will Spend Large Sum in Providing
 for WOrkmen
BRICK SCHOOLS AND
 CHURCHES PLANNED
Lawns, Fairgrounds and Park Sites Will Also Be Feature of the Proposed New Model
 Mining Camp

The removal of state convicts from No. 12 mine of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company. will serve to change completely the living situation at that place. Instead of a stockade inhabited only by men segregated from their fel- lows, houses to the number of 150 will be erected for workmen that will be em- ployed at No. l2.
 The company has awarded contract with a local buildey for 15o houses of four rooms each, all of them to be equipped with running water and sink in the kitchen.
 The company will also cause to be erected Il school house for the children, one church for the white residents and another for the negroes large bath house, which will be at all times open for the employees, park spots, playgrounds for the children, baseball grounds and other open places for recreation.
 Each house will be situated upon a large lot, whereon it will be possible for each workman to grow his own vege- tables, flowers and shrubbery. The com pany will, as it does at all other com pany operations, offer the usual stimu- lating prizes for the best kept garden. rose patch. or simple green front yard. In this way 1t has been found by the Tennessee company that the mine towns soon change external appearances and become places of modest beauty within a short time.
 All of the houses that are to be erect ed, work beginning at once, will be eeiled, as is the general policy of the Tennessee company. Each house will have sewer connections for waste water and will .be equipped with other comfort bringing fea- lures.
 The best and perhaps most valuable feature of the new work at No. 12, which is designed to protect employees of the company, is the water system to be con structed. The company will have water filtration plant. The water will be treat ed in the most approved manner, render icg it entirely desirable for home use. It s stated that special attention will be given to the construction of the best san itation system that can be utilized on the modest scale which will prevail at No. 12. It has been found by the Ten nessee company and other large indus trial operators, that the better the water and general living conditions the greater regularity and satisfactory service at tained.
 In connection with the engineering at the new town which will spring ups and take the place of the convict stockade. the lots will not be arranged on the rectangu- lar scale as has been the scheme hereto fore. The plan proposed Is to follow the general contour of the land. It is pro posed to have all streets and roadways follow the natural routes and to locate the roads so that the maximum grade in the new city will not exceed per cent
 At the schoolhouse 10 be erected the most modern plans as to ventilation. heating and lighting will be followed. The school house and church will be built of brick and they will be situated so as to give each a good sized lawn and other desirable natural advantages.
 The new modern camp at No. F will compare in every way with the new plant at Edgewater, which is nearing comple- ton insofar as the living conditions are concerned. The Tennessee company made of a. convict camp at No 12 place of rare beauty. Great lawns were all about the camp. Flower gardens of the most at tractive designs were provided and dur ing the summer months the whole place was an eye opener to visitors to Rodgers Hall as the camp was called. Under the same general scheme of things and for free workmen it is expected that the new camp will be one of. the most attrac- tive places in the district. and that hosts of satisfied workmen will reside there.