The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-26
Are Greeted by Over 100 Automobiles at Pelham. Days Run From Mont gomery Without Incident and in Record Time
PEOPLE ALONG THE PROPOSED ROUTE
 ARE ENTHUSIASTIC
School Children Throw
 Flowers Into Automobiles. Birmingham Montgomery Highway Completed With Exception of Eight Miles
By l.. e, BETTY

By L. c. BETTY
 The Jackson highway official pathhnd CTS, escorted by nearly 100 automobiles from Birmingham. reached the Magi City at o'clock yesterday afternoon. Th' days run was made from Montgomery where the scouts spent Sunday night. Th' Birmingham automobilists met the path finders at Pelham. in Shelby county.
 Composing the official party are Walter H. Grim, Salem, Ind; Col. E c. Dent Bowling Green, Ky: W. L. Brown Frankfort, Ind, and R. c. Toms of Wash S. Keller, state highway engineer fol Alabama, is accompanying the path finders through the state. J. P. Lucket of Memphis is the driver of tho pathfind ing car.
 The trip from Montgomery to Birming ham was made without single hitch The scouts, escorted by dozen automo yesterday morning and ran to Canton 46 miles distant, in less than two hours The pilot car, driven by Oscar Norman oi Montgomery, covered the distance in ons hour and 3e minutes, which is declared to be the record time between Montgons cry and Clanton.
 Pathfinders Welcomed
 The pathfinders were given every as surance along the proposed route between Montgomery and Birmingham that Ala. bama is desirous of obtaining the Jack son highway south of Nashville. At every town between the two cities the pathnnd- CTS were greeted by school children many of whom threw flowers into the off cial cars, and by leading citizens in dec orated cars. Flags and bunting were dis played at all places along the proposed route, and great banners, with words ol welcome inscribed upon them, were stretched across the main streets.
 The official party had lunch at Clanton, most of the citizens of that progressive town turning out to welcome the distin- guished visitors Judge E. B. Deason probate judge of Chiffon county. one of the foremost road builders in Alabama, drove to the county line to meet the party from Montgomery and remained
 
 lera, just over the Chiffon county line.
 From Calera two of the pathnnders. Mir. Grim and MT. Brown, were driven into Birmingham by J. E. Ruffin and w. c. Nicholson, county commissioners of Shelby county.
 The pathfinders were much impressed with the welcome accorded them by clti- zens along the route. A 5 indicated above, every town through which the official
  flags and bunting, and school children, in line, sang songs and threw flowers into the cars.
 Greeted by Band
 At Thorsby, in Chiffon county, a local band greeted the scouts, and at Calera bales of cotton had been placed across the road to prevent the pathfinders from until the citizens of the town could accord a fitting welcome.
 And so it was all along the route be- tween Montgomery and Birmingham At every place there were evidences of well come and strong representations for the Alabama route. Moreover, assurances were given that the Birmingham- Mont gomery highway will be completed with In the very near future.
 The highway between Montgomery and has now been completed with the exception of about eight miles in Autauga county. If that road were 1t would be possible to make the trip between the two cities in four to i've hours. Montgomery and Fillmore counties have completed their part of the between the two cities, and Chiffon. Shelby and Jefferson counties nave also constructed modern road, but Autauga has been backward. However. Autauga's 8 backwardness will not prevent he construction of modern highway be- ween Birmingham and Montgomery, for shilton county gave assurances today that f her sister county does not build the tight miles of necessary road to com ,lete the link she (Chilton) will construct he highway.
 lnd Montgomery only lacks eight miles ,f final completion, and if the entire ength of the proposed route of the Jack lon highway in Alabama were in as good as that road, there would be no oubt of Alabama securing the Jackson highway.
 South Alabama Road Bad But the road south of Montgomery, par icularly through Wilcox. Clarkaurand counties, is far from being modern, and although those counties have 'iven assurances that they will build new highways, it is believed that they will uIIllSu lHt 6ItdLesl nduulcdp toW4TQ the ealization of A'abama's ambition in be- ng designated as the official route of the Jackson Highway association.
 MT. Brown, one of the officials of the committee to locate the highway, told he Age Herald correspondent today that e was much disappointed with the roads D south Alabama. He mentioned speci- Ically the ferry at Jackson across the 'ombigbee river. This ferry, as has been efore stated, probably is the worst ferry n Alabama, and unless assurances are 'iven that a modern bridge will be built r that the ferry will be greatly im- 'roved, it is doubtful if Alabama will be iven the highway.
 In comparison with the proposed route rom Mobile to Montgomery, the Missis- ippi highway offers many advantages. Ir. Brown declared that little difficulty vas encountered by the scouts in Missis- ippi. and expressed some surprise that he roads in that state were in such good ondition. However, Mir. Brown did not make any comparison on the trip from to Birmingham.
 The only disagrceable feature of the trip etween Montgomery and Birmingham. n 90 far as two of the official committee were concerned. was in having their car