The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
Vice President Gribbell of the Curtis Publishing Co.
 Offers Comments
PARK CITY" SHOULD
 BE PUT FORWARD
Says Experts Will Find Our Re sources, and That We Should Advertise the Delightful
 Living Conditions

John Gribbell, vice president of the Philadelphia Ledger, vice president of the Curtis Publishing company, and one of the wealthiest men in the state of Pennsylvania, is here attending the executive committee meetings of the United Gas and Electric company.
 He is known generally as the exec utive head of the John J. Griffith com pany, makers of gas meters, in addi- ton to. being widely known most thoughtful newspaper man. MT. Gribbel has been here twice in the past few months. He is more deeply impressed with Birmingham every time he visits here and did not hesitate to say so yesterday when asked for his opinions of this community. He delivered to the people of Birmingham the same message that was given here last Tuesday by the visiting eastern editors and publishers when he said that Bir- mingham was overlooking one of her greatest assets in falling to tell the world about the beautiful living con dtions. the wondrous climatic condi- tions and the means that are employed in this community to make people 
 tented.
 Cannot Foretell Future
 "I cannot imagine any man who is living that can foretell what Birming- ham will be in the next 30 years said Mr. Gribbell. "The government places every decade monument in what Is believed to be the center of popula- ton For decades that monument has been moving westward excepting at the last census when it moved decidedly south. That means that something hap pened and that something spells great things for this section Horace Greedy said years ago: Go west, young man., and history gave him beautiful jus tification. If he were alive today he would say: Go south, young man. and history would give him the same jus tification except that it would be quick CT than the westward prophecy.
 'I have the most unbounded faith in this section. There will be east of the Mississippi and south of the Vir- ginia line the greatest development in the next 50 years. Birmingham has, in my judgment the only natural mon opoly on the situation. With your re- sources here and the great mills that are being reared you have the great est opportunities of any city that I know of The most enthusiastic man of this community if he makes a pre- diction now will fall far short of what will happen here during the next 50 years in my opinion. As center of great achievement this section and this city offer wonderful opportunities. If I were 20 years younger I would not think. of remaining in the north.
 But in this l would not have Bir- mingham boost it's natural resources. On my word. what Birmingham needs to tell abouts is the residential sec tions. wouldn't call this the Park I fn1y or, ,,afti n ( I,a same name and reputation as Pitts burg. When I.travel abroad and hear that so and so is from Pittsburg that is ample Let the people of Birmins- ham call this the city of beautiful streets. beautiful boulevards fine resi- dential sections and such. That is far grea ter than your mineral resources. l want to tell you that we have experts who will tell us about your minerals without your advertising that fact. But the thing for you to do is to adver- tse the great beauty of your city its living conditions. its wonderful eli mate and such features in order for 1t to become the city known as a park city and not known as dusty, grimy, industrial community Let all that go. We will find out about the natural ad- yantages of Birmingham soon enough,
 Comments on Scenery
 'I am deeply interested in this city. On our trip this afternoon over Red mountain through the valley to Shades mountain, l was simply bewildered. l had no idea that such wonderful scenery was to be found here. I can- not call to mind at this time any city that can show more advantages in that way than can Birmingham Those are the things that count and I hope the people of this city will look after this in all kinds. of advertising.
 
 tion is going to develeop with more ra- pidity and more surely than any other section The Rocky mountain cattle ranges and the Texas cattle ranges are gone never to return In this section which have named south of the Vir- ginia line and east of the Mississippi all of our cattle must be raised. You will recall that we imported recently cattle from the Argentine. I want to say that in this section capable of raising alfalfa and thus assisting in the enrichment of the earth, the great cattle industry of the future will be To- cated.
 Why, it makes my fingers twitch to think that am not 25 years younger and can get into this game. There is the greatest sort of possibility here for cattle raising. There are 100, ,0OO, 900 people in America to feed We used to have a line of boats that carried ex- port stuff to Europe. Now those boats are bringing stuff into help feed this immense country. I believe that as the natural ranges are down in this sec ton the great cattle business of the future is right here at your door.
 Planning for the Future
 "Our company is planning for the future. We cannot tell what will be brought forth but we must extend our lines in all directions We want to give the best possible service. Birmingham is fortunately free as Is all this sec ton from financial worries. You don't know what it is to be worried That is so true that it is refreshing to get down ln this section. You are so free of any of the troublesome difficulties that we know every day in every other section"
 In speaking of the two widekly known publishing concerns in which he is interested, MT. Gribbel said:
 T am deeply interested in the pub Hcation of the Country Gentleman and Farmer. When the Curtis Publishing company bought that journal it had 12,000 paid subscribers. In IS months the circulation has gone up to 370.000 paid subscribers. The journal is devoted absolutely to farmers and agricultural propositions.
 haps the most wonderful weekly pub- lished. It has the greatest circula- ton of any paper on earth published weekly".
 MT. Gribbel said that his idea of any service to the public in order to make that service a paying proposition and ff1- ao ble by fba YAoD1a " h rapdor bo