The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-23
WEIGH FOUND LYING
 IN APOOL 0F BLOOD
AnnistOn Cotton Exchange
 Operation Wounded
SELLING WATER CRESS
Washington's Birthday Quietly Ob- served in Anniston-SmOke Nuis- ance Must be Relieved.
 Brooke Completes Work

Anniston, February 22.-tSpecial)- John welch the telegraph operator at the Anniston cotton exchange, who was found lying in pool of his own blood at the bottom of deep stone walled ditch on the corner of Eighth and Quintard in this city Thursday morn ing, has been carried to the Anniston hospital and 1t Is believed that he will recover.
 Welch must have lain in she ditch all night, as the stream of blood from son trickled down the ditch for several feet and there were evidences of his having squirmed around over consid- erable surface He is thought to have fallen into the ditch head foremost, striking the wall on the opposite side from where he fell. Others believe that he was struck by some person and thrown Into the ditch. the mctive being robbery.
 There is a fortune in water cres, in the opinion of Ed Dennis, a capitalist of Martinburg, W. Va, and his asso- crates. DenHlS uds pteh h''hhS hi7 headquarters at the Alabama hotel in this city for some time and te is ship ping the common oress, which grows abundantly in the streams in the An niston district, to the larger cities or the north and east.
 The birthday of George Washington was quietly observed in Anniston, notable feature being the closing of all educational institutions. The Ala abma Presby tefian college and the No- public schools will not reopen until next Monday.
 Unless the smoke nuisance is abated the majority of the larger industrial cities in the mountainous cities of the south will have reached their max imum of growth industrially within a few years, in the opinion of II. Y. Brooke, examiner of public accounts and candidate for congressman at large, and this means that future captains of industry coming south will have to seek other centers of manufacture, he says.
 Mr4Brooke has been at Anniston for several weeks examining the DOCKS or former Probate Judge E. F. Crook with a view of transferring the accounts Of the office to Probate Judge ]. J. Arnold. He completed this task Thursday and he spoke as above quoted in referring to the growth of Anniston, for which place he predicts a great industrial future on account of it's rich resources and ad- location. He says that when Birmingham has reached it's maximum
 of industrial development, capital will naturally turn to Anniston as an out
 let from that city Already. he says l Birmingham, Atlanta and other cities
 of the south are fighting the smoke evil, seeking a solution of the Nexing problem.
 i Referring to his work as accountant, | Mir Brooke stated that his report will I be made in writing at Montgomery. He 1 said that in each of the 67 counties of l Alabama there are about eight diff ferent systems of bookkeeping in pub l lie offices and he ayers that thousands l of dollars could be saved If a uniform l system were adopted.
 J. P Macon of this city has renewed l his efforts for the development of the l oil deposits belevef to exist on his farm near here in view of the deposits discovered at Stevenson.
 Karl Lehman. internal tional field sec retary of the Christian Endeavor so- oieties, spoke at the First sbyterian church here Thursday evening in the Interest of the state conven.ion to be A tt AI,r