The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-26
DEWbERRY TELLSOF
PLANS ON THE GULF
Dauphin Island Ideal Out
let for Alabama Coal
is A BORN FIGHTER
Such work as He Has Already Ac-
complished Has Been Done
Against Almost Dverwhelm-
ing Opposition
by HARRY j. BURNEY


Pedagogue turned TO promoter. student
directing head of the numerous Tide
water enterprises.
Professor" l asked him, what on
earth ever caused you to forsake the
quiet of the schoolroom for the hurly-
burly of commerce; how came you to give
up your studies to engage in rough
and tumble battle with actualities?"
Well he answered, and there was
twinkle in his eye, ito confess the whole
truth. never did study very much" Then
he went on more seriously: II found that
the confinement of the schoolroom was
telling on my health, and that was one
of the reasons which induced me to aban-
don teaching as an occupation. Another
consideration, perhaps, was equally as
weighty. | believed that | owed 1t to
myself and my family to endeavor to
make more money than I possibly could
earn as a school teacher. The profession
OF teaching archery to the young idea is
noble one. but not particularly remuner-
ative."
We were on the motorboat Caroline
- ipSStit NliSsiSslppl sOu10 from Bayou
lie Batre to Dauphin Island He had
been showing me blue prints of the enor-
nous work which has been undertaken by
the T1dewater corporations to make a
port of this little strip of land which
Will be probably the best equipped and
the most accessible of all the ports of the
south. Dewberry is a man who dreams
and does. He has big ideas. and he car
ries them out in a big way The magnifi-
cent trolley system which runs from East
Lake to Ensley through Birmingham is
one of his monuments
His success has not come easily He
has battled against obstacles which would
have daunted any man who did not believe
most sincerely in himself and his plans.
Time and again utter failure seemed to
stare him in the face. But he has never
faltered. When he learned that a thing
could not be accomplished in one way he
Immediately set about to accomplish it
in another. He has been fought bitterly
by some of the strongest corporations
of the south. Time and again he has
been down. but he never has been out.
Like Antaeus of old. he seems to gather
new strength from contact with the
earth.
Dauphin Island is now demanding most
of the attention of Mr.. Dewberry His
corporations own practically all of it.
Il
port facilities to handle the great trade
which it is expected will be built up after
the opening of the Panama canal. With
a harbor 40 feet deep and a 40-foot chan
mel to the waters of the gulf and with
docking and loading equipment the most
efficient yet devised, Dauphin Island will
be prepared to handle a large proportion
of the trade with South and Central
America and the countries of the Orient.
The island lies little to the south and
west of Mobile bay. On its north is Mis-
sissippi sound, and to the south roll the
pillows of the gulf. A sandy beach, sew
eral miles in length, and one of the pret-
tiest in the world, is sure to be most
attractive to the tourist, and a modern
hotel, with bath houses and all up-to-
date accessories, will be built at once.
1t is planned to have the hotel open for
business by June /.
But 1t is about the harbor facilities that
Mr.. Dewberry grows most enthusiastic.
do you know" he asked, that in all
my work the main thing for which I
first aimed has not been lost sight of for
moment? I have striven constantly for
way by which Alabama coal and iron.
with its other varied products, might be
put at the coast with minimum of trans
portation charges.
"As a bunker coal our Black Creek
seam has not an equal in the world. Tests,
made with all the care that science can
devise show this statement to be true.
1t is vastly superior to the famous Po
cahontas coal of Virginia. Moreover,
there are other seams in the Birrning
ham district equal. if not superior to
the Pocahontas coal. 1t is true that the
world as a whole does not know this yet,
One trouble has been the manner in which
our coal has been handled. Too often 1t
has been shipped without being washed
and classified. Dirt. slack, lump and nut
have been shipped together. This is bad
business But ! am glad to say that our
coal men are coming to appreciate the
situation. and already this complaint is
not so frequent as 1t was formerly
It will be year or so yet before Ala
bama coal comes into its own, in the
view of Mr.. Dewberry. First. Lock II
on the Warrior and Locks ? and on the
Tombigbee must be completed. With these
finished, slack water will be within 16
miles of Birmingham. If no one else
cares to do So the Tidewater companies
will themselves build railroad from Bir-
mingham to the river.
But il may be that railroad will not
be necessary for quite a while" Mr.. Dew
berry explained. within five miles of
the banks of the Warrior lie 4,000.O000 600
tons of high grade coal This can readily
be handled to barges in mine cars. In
fact coal i'm some instances in Pennsyl-
vania is handled seven miles in mine cars
at a good profit and with all conven-
ience."