The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-26
MILNER AND MOTION
VOICE APPROVAL
Latter Would Open Nineteenth Street
and Weatherly Is Much Impressed
by the Suggestion-Property
Holders Meet Tomorrow

ing expert afOm 1nulandpols, hiuSh 9oiA
Gus consideration of the details of the
plan has been given by prominent eiti-
zens.
City Commissioner Weatheriy, under
whose leadership the grade crossing move
ment has been carried ON for the past
year or two, is very much pleased over
the Endorsements he is receiving from
these citizens who have made a study
of the plan since it's publication. Mr.
weatherly stated yesterday that 1t was
proof of the great interest which the ma
jority of the people of Birmingham hold
in the future of the city as a whole and
he states that he will be glad TO hear the
opinions of any one who has thoroughly
studied and thought over the grade cross
ing plan.
Miner and Motion Favorable
Two of the Endorsements recently re-
oeived by Mr.. Weatherly are from Mai
Willis j. Miner and Col. T. II. Motion
Both are well known as civic workers and
Birmingham boosters. Major Miner Is
one of the pioneer residents of the city.
He has had much to do in by-gone days
with the laying out of many parts of the
city, and had charge of several of the
railroad surveys through the city.
Mr.. Motion makes one new suggestion,
which is that Nineteenth street be opened
up. Mr.. weatherly was very much i'm
pressed with this idea, but stated he had
not given 1t enough thought to be quoted
on it at present. 1t is probably that a
subway under the Louisville and Nash
VILE station would be necessary to open
up this street The property holders in
terested will hold a meeting to discuss
the subject at the Chamber of Commerce
Wednesday evening.
Major Miners letter of Endorsement
follows:
II have given very careful study to
the plan of Mr.. Kirkpatrick as published
for abolishing the grade crossings. or
course 1t cannot be expected in great
movement of this kind to please every
one. Each individual will have his owa
ideas about the question, many of them
crude and without due knowledge of the
facts, and others influenced by personal
interests. The only course therefore is to
devise a plan that will accomplish the
result QeSlTeu Will lilt ltdoi tOSb anu
damage to the greatest number. including
the. railroads, and will while doing this
give to the public the best facilities for
use of the streets. Any plan that would
render the future use of the streets more
difficult by reason of Objectionable grades
and thereby materially increase the cost
to the public of their use for all time,
would be undesirable.
Very Happy Solution
Taking the situation as 1t is and not
as some idealist might imagine it ought
to be, and considering IN a practical way
the facts as they now present themselves,
believe Mr.. Kirkpatrick S plan, If car
ried out will be a very happy solution of
this perplexng problem. 1t is not as
drastic perhaps as some of us might
wish. If we could eliminate entirely the
Birmingham of today and start afresh. as
we did In 1871, something more all-embrac-
ing might be designed, could one with
prophetic vision give the details of the
picture as 1t now is. But when one stops
to count the cost to the few pioneers then
here, and the accrued interest of such
cost to the present, its magnitude Will
show the folly of such course, even had
the prophet been on hand and his fac
ulties in good working order.
1--WE must in making the changes made
necessary by our growth and prosperity,
conserve as far as practicable what we
have, destroy or abandon nothing of
value that can be profitably used in the
future. Mr.. Kirkpatrick plan does this
to the fullest extent, I believe. He takes
Into consideration the typographical fea-
lures of those portions of the city affect
ed, designing underpasses. where these
are suggested and viaducts at other
places. With one exception he permits
the use as at present of the freight depots
of all the railroads, leaves the magnificent
and costly Terminal station unchanged,
and suggests only a comparatively mex
pensive change at the Louisville and
Nashville station.
Furthermore, the plan, as far as I
can now see, does not conflict with future
notifications of the streets and crossings
that may become necessary, or with
changes that may be required in other
portions of the city which are still to be
dealt with.
'I believe therefore it is the duty of
us all, even though it may in some in
stances hurt certain individuals in it's
effect upon their property (and 1 am one
of those thus affectesj, to cooperate in
the plan and give our influence towards
Fastening it's adoption and in getting it
put into effect. AT best 1t will take some
years to do this. The plan has one very
great advantage in that the work need
not necessarily all be done at once, but
certain portions can be completed and
put into use while other portions are be-
ing constructed.
maj. WILLIS ]. MINER
Mr. Notions letter is as follows:
II have been invited to attend meet
ing OF Nineteenth street property owners
at the Chamber of Commerce next
Wednesday evening at o'clock for the
purpose of considering the nAeommenda-
tions of City Engineer kirkpatrick in re-
gard to handling the street crossings over
the railroad right of way from Four
teenth street to Twenty-sixth tsreet.
Would Open Nineteenth Street
''The report of the city engineer as
published in the newspaper strikes me as
being the most feasible and practicable
solution of our grade crossings ever sug-
gested. and with such information as |
now have. believe the people of the en-
tire city ought to indorse the scheme and
come to the support and aid of the city
engineer and commissioners in the matter
Of working out and bringing about a reali-
zatlon of the plan as outlined. There Is,
however. proposition which should be
added to this plan, and that is to open up
Nineteenth street so as to make 1t a
between the Northside ana
the Southside of our city This was no
doubt omitted by the city engineer for
the reason that the property from the
south side of Morris avenue to the north
-