The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-19
Former Senator Lafayette Young Gives Impressions
 Formed While Here
AMUSED BY PLANS
 FOR SECOND PRIMARY
Attends Conner Meeting and Forms Favorable Opinion of the Former Governor--Also Sees Open-
 ing Baseball Game

Former Senator LaFayette Young, ed itor of the Des Mones Capital. while in Birmingham last week mailed to his paper several interesting stories. In one of them he discussed Birmingham tell ing of some of the achievements of the citizens here, little of early history and something of its present size and chances of future development. He Waxes humorous over the brand of politics in this section of the country and refers to the recent primary as well.as the run-off primary to be held May II.
 Senator Youngs letter to the Des Moines Capital follows:
 Birmingham, April 16, 1914. l This is the newest city of the south and Is widely known. It is celebrated for enterprise and industry. If there ever was spirit of inactivity in the south as some have believed, it never touched Birmingham. The railroads all came in here many years ago, not on account of subsidies, but to get freight which originates here.
 l "F'rom the time of creation there have been two mountains here, one composed of iron ore and the other of coal. These deposits appear to have been thrown up by some great convulsion, but it Is certainly no accident that both are here and the one depends upon the other. Together they make Birming- ham necessity.
 "1'he valley between the two ranges of mountains is called Jones valley I It is three miles wide and 16 miles long. The railway tracks were built to haul the iron ore from it's side or the valley over to the hill or noun tain of coal Standing on the top of one mountain the visitor can look lacross and see the smoke rising from Ithe chimneys on the other mountain side. The thousands of men employed here in the iron and coal industries Hive beyond the mountains and really outside of Birmingham until Greater Birmingham was created. The em- ployes are foreigners and negroes. They speak 30 different languages. There have not been many labor disturbances Birmingham is not as famous as Pitts Iburg, but has been peacefully going ahead with all her work. There is a spirit of enterprise manifest here that lis found no place else in the south unless it should be at Atlanta. I att tended the ball game which opened the Southern season here and I conclude that the Birmingham spirit of enter prise is 60 per cent Chicago, 20 per cent Denver and 20 per cent Kansas City. Birmingham claims something like 10000 people. But at political meet ing last night eX-Governor Conner re- ferred to Birmingham's population as 100000.
 Some Birmingham Facts
 "At any rate Birmingham is large; her | streets are well paved; her business streets run straight north and south and east and west She has seven lines of railroad and big Union station. Before the war Jones valley was a cotton field and these two mountains, one of coal and the other of iron, were untouched There did not seem to be any rush for such valuable lands and Clifford Pinchot and numerous other conservationists were not born. About the year 1875 the Louis vile and Nashville railroad had an un- pretentious depot here, but in the course of time there was a Birmingham boom and vast amounts of property were sold. Then there was a collapse and the prices of property dropped A few brave men held on to their properties and some of
 them bought more. These are the men who now live in palaces in the residence | districts and speaking of residence dis | tricts, there are several of them; they
 have winding streets and lofty view
 points. There are viaducts over all the
 railroads and street passes under the
 Union station. There are seven or eight
 skyscrapers. One of them was erected by
 a bank and it is 9 stories high. It is
 finished inside with white Alabama mar
 ble. The 23d. 24th and 25th floors are oc-
 cupied by the Birmingham Newspaper l club, having 800 members. Of course , there are not that number of newspaper
 men therefore aliens were admitted. These
 clubrooms have apartments for ladies
 and all are luxuriously furnished. Look
 ing at these tall buildings one can scarce
 ly realize that 45 years ago this plot oi | ground was a cotton fled.
 Two large new hotels are among the r Improvements that are approaching con-
 pletions. One of these hotels will cost
 S1, ,6OO000.
 Alabama and Iowa are nearly the sa me size. Alabama was admitted to the union l in 1919 and ought to be called an old
 state. but the visitor is impressed that
 it is a new state or state that is start
 ing forward on new lines. Alabama will
 soon celebrate her centennial and there
 Is talk of a big exposition and, of course, if it Is held 1t will be held in Birming- ham.
 Primary Election Industry l There Is one industry in the south which seems to never fail and that is the pri. , mary election industry. If a man does not succeed the first time he is given another chance provided he Is not toe l far down in the scale. The reader has doubtless heard of the place where con- gregations ne'er break up and the Sab- baths have no end. Alabama is not such a place, but here primary elections seem never to end. Then to add to the joy 1t takes about week and a half to , get the returns. The candidates com- l plain that primary elections are expen- sive and that only the rich can afford to aspire. After first primHry such can didates as survive by pluralites and nps