The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-31
Halls TAKES ISSUE
WTHMONTGOMERY
ABOUT THAT ROAD
Says Highway Is Not So
Steep and Property
Owners Urged 1t.
Writes a Letter

B. Troy Halls. one of the property
| owners who petitioned the board OF
revenue to build the new road at Camp
Branch that is being constructed by
the county convicts, takes issue with
| ]. S. Montgomery. who has addressed
several communications to The Age
Herald in reference to the new road.
Mr.. Halls writes of the transactions
that occurred when the road was first
projected and the methods taken by
those in favor of it and of the action
of the board of revenue. The letter.
which is explanatory. follows:
To the Editor of The Age Herald:
While in Decatur iasc Sunday 1
noticed in the columns of your paper
communication relative to the road
up Shades mountain by some one named
Montgomery. I do not know Mr.. Mont
gomery. but in justice to the members
of the board of revenue / wish to give
to the public through the columns of
your paper little Information con-
cerning his so-called steep and crooked
6 per cent road"
My father and I own a considera BILE
amount of land on Shades mountain and
this crooked and steep road" mas been
travelled by us probably more than any
other parties in this district As a mat
ter of fact, we have been over the
roads in every form of transportation
wagon, buggy and automobile-and
very often we have personally paid for
work done on said highway.
Now, I am writing this simply in JUS
tice to the honorable board of revenue,
for, not like Mr. Montgomery, we have
road to our place and do not need any
other So whether the board of rev.
enue or anyone else finishes the road
from Camp Branch we are in posi-
ton to get to town and If all the cit
liens of Jefferson county had a road
as good as the crooked and steep 6
per cent road think they would have
no cause to complain.
"CroOkedness and Steepness"
Going back to its "crookedness and
steepness:" First of all. has anyone who
has ever been out of the borders of
Alabama seen a mountain road that did
not ascend the elevation in series of
curves? Can any reasonable minded
mountain at any grade capable of be-
ing travelled by human beings?
Second. Its "steepness" is so gradual
that boy can ride up the same on n
bicycle and this statement can be
proved by affidavit. And for automo-
biles, there are plenty in the city that
can make 1t in high speed. A Cadinac
representative told me he had gone over
the road slowly at the bottom and con-
tinuing all the way on high speed.
I have in my file letters from people
prominent over Alabama describing the
beauty of the road, and comparing 1t
favorably to the famous roads of the
country. One party describes 1t as re-
sembling the Mt. Royal road of Canada.
and none have ever failed to comment
on It's beauty These letters are on file
and can be read at any time.
Just one thing more as to the road be-
ing built for a few and not for the pub
lies good. Whenever a road is built
through a section it is presumably built
through the points where, best grades.
nearest routes, and where the greatest
number of property owners desire same.
Urged Building of Road
| IN the early spring of this year a gen.
| tleman came in my office and asked me
| to accompany him with a petition to
| the property holders in the neighborhood
| of the proposed route to sign and present
| to the honorable board of revenue. This
did, My partner this gentleman and
succeeded In getting the names of prop
erty owners whose lands amount to ap
| proximately $500 acres. The names ar,
| on file with the board Of revenue and
| copy in my office. This list consists o.
the names Of some Of the most prominen
citizens of Jefferson county. There wer,
only two or three who did not sign ant
these only on plea of having promise,
another party.
A meeting was held hn the office of tn
board of revenue, and the largest crow,
/ have ever seen in the same office pre-
sented another joint petition and request
ed the board to complete the road Il
question.
The entire body then called on the hon
orable board of commissioners in regart
to the Twentieth street pavement, ant
were assured of the commissioners CO
operation in any feasible plan of obleviat
ing the grade at that point. In fact, rec
| ords were brought out and the matter
gone into thoroughly.
| This IL just short resume Of what g
property owner knows to be the actor
of the board of revenue concerning this
road
| From Mr.. Montgomery's letter I am
| sure he was not informed of these things
and I know he will now gladly join ir
the movement to assist in finishing this
| splendid highway.
columns, I am very truly yours.
D. TROY HALLS.
Birmingham. August 3O 1918.
To Give Barbecue Tomorrow
The ladies' of the Twenfv- first Avenus