The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-12
PETER BILLIKEN. 2:1ON

| seekers. They were men who owned their
own homes and farms, but men who
sought better conditions and greater pos
sibilties. They bought small farms and
plantations, built homes and called Ala
bama home 1t has been the best blood
and best brains of the middle west" that
has come to make the Demopolis section
home
They came with capital, energy and in
telhgent views. That they were satisfied
after one or two years among us Is indi-
Gated by the fact that their friends and
relatives are coming to join them.
The past two years has brought a Ken
lucky colony" Not a colony of imlni-
grants but men who have come and In
vested from $4,000 to $4,000 dollars each in
farms They sold their high priced "blue-
grass lands to come to the land of al
falfa. Only within the past few days at
the National Alfalfa Growers associa
ton, held at Chicago, the Demopols sec
ton was the toast of this great conven-
ton. Such national characters as Holden
and Wing, men recognized throughout the
nation men of experience and experts,
| added their word of approval to the great
possibilities of the alfalfa belt of Ala
bama.
grown up around Prairieville just east of
Demopolls new neighborhood, composed
of splendid, prosperous, highly educated
Western men, quite a number of them
from Kentucky and adjoining states They
are men who have come to make this
their home for all time. to add to our
wealth and our citizenship, men who
brought brains as well capital They
have undertaken to add to cotton and
corn new wealth in alfalfa and live
stock. Their plantations are busy with
the saw and hammer. New homes, ne>l
barns and tenant houses are going up.
The places are being stocked with fine
horses, high bred cattle and hogs.
Probably one of the most signal vic
tories Alabama has scored over the blue
grass of Kentucky has been within the
past few weeks, when w. A. Bacon, own
er of the famous 'Maplehurst Farm OF
Paris, KY, persuaded by Alfalfa
Clay &c. G. Clay of Demopolis to turn
his back on the bluegrass of his native
state and move his great stock farm TO
4S0-acre farm few miles east of Demop-
oils,
There is not to be found anywhere
more beautiful tract of land for a stock
farm than the place chosen by MIR. Bacon.
1t is In the very heart of the richest sec-
ton of the black belt supplied with an
abundance of pure artesian water and
near the Southern railway.
On this place Mr.. Bacon will operate
a stock farm more pretentious than the
Kentucky "Maplehurst." The place will
be planted down in alfalfa and oats, and
will be given over only to the finest breed
of cattle and the highest bred race horses.
Some of Kentucky's most famous horses
will have this for their home. 1t will
be the future home of "Laconda," the
fastest horse ever bred in Kentucky La
conda" has a record of 2:O2 on the track,
having been timed separately in a race
In Il. lflI t1a1
ord for one and one-half miles in 3:14A.
Mr.. Bacon's recognition of the black
belt of Alabama as being superior to the
famous grass lands of Kentucky. Is prob
ably one of the greatest compliments ever
paid this section, for Mr.. Bacon is gem
tleman of highest intelligence, and one
of the most substantial and noted breed
ers of fine horses in the United States
Such enthusiastic workers for Alabama
as c. c. Clay of Demopolis claim that
within few years, on account of these
activities, a majority of the breeders of
fine horses will come to this section be-
cause it has the advantage of cheaper
and better pasture, milder climate and
lower price lands than the bluegrass sec
tions of Kentucky and Ohio.
From the association of alfalfa growers
at Chicago quite number of delegates
came to Demopois to survey this section
They say the black belt offers greater
possibilities for live stock than any sec
ton they have ever visited, and they pre-
dict that within a few years our large
farms will have to be cut into small farms
to make room for homeseekers.
During last year alone one real estate
firm at Demopolis sold over S5O0,000 worth
of land in this immediate section. Each
purchaser brought with him capital to
equip his farm, and every man is more
than satisfied and pleased with the results
Of the past year.
Such splendid developments as we are
now witnessing in this section will do
much to overcome the effects of the boil
weevil. Our people are beginning to real
ize that fine horses, graded cattle, good
hogs, fed on alfalfa, corn and the many
other forage crops so easily raised in this
section, will soon turn this into the great
est live stock country in the world, and
will result in keeping the black belt the
richest and best section of the south
The new blood and additional capital
brought to this section from the west is
proving to be the leaven that is making
this entire section rise to its great possi-
bilities.