The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-15
NOW |S TIME ID / TAKE ADVANTAGE
 OF OPEN WARRIOR i. Underwood and Bankhead Both Point Out the Great
 Opportunity Offered STORY OF THE LONG ESTATE AT CORDOVA How the Rev. Thomas Greene Is Re- garded as the Father of Real
 Slackwater Navigation on the Warrior
Ky HUGH w. ROBERTS

Tuscaloosa, May 14-(Special )-wili the people of Alabama take advantage of the opportunity offered them in an open War rior?
 Senator Underwood, in his address yes terday, pointed out the fact that the river improved at great expense on the part of the government, was not neces- sarily a blessing, but simply an oppor- tunity. Senator Bankhead in an inter- view today, urged the people to take aG- vantage of the opportunity. Win they do so?
 Tuscaloosa said the senator, lis pre- paring to strike the first blow. I am informed that there is agitation on foot now in preparation for an election au- thorizing the issuance of bonds for the purpose of constructing a municipal wharf
 At the present time. 1t costs more to unload a cargo at Tuscaloosa than tt costs to bring the cargo over water from Mobile.
 Tt is wise. therefore, that Tuscaloosa get busy towards building a wharf. It behooyes Birmingham, too to get busy. Is Birmingham to profit from an open Warrior?
 The Magic City has grown almost in day. It's triumph has been wonderful. And yet 1t has been handicapped through lack of water transportation. The War rior presents to Birmingham a magniff- cent opportunity. Nature has decreed that the Warrior cannot run to Birming- ham. Birmingham, like Mahomet, should run to the Warrior
 Iof t,cslos, municipal railroad and operate it not for profit, but for the veal of the people. Let that railroad bear freight to the Warrior at water rates, at cost And then will the products of Birmingham be offered to the world cheaper than the products of any other city.
 Let Birmingham get wide-awake right now. municipal railroad can be con structed for $500,0O0. It would pay for itself within a reasonable length of time, and Birmingham, in procuring innumer- able industries will become known as the center of diversified manufacturing plants, as well as the scintilating star in the iron and steel belt of the south. !"
 Vision of Long
 In connection with the improvement of the Warrior river and the plan of Tus- oaloosa to construct municipal wharfs, T remarkable story is related by residents of Walker county illustrating the fore sight of the father of the Longs.
 Just before the outbreak of the civil war, B. M. Long was a farmer of south Georgia. When the strife clouds gathered, he realized that it would be practically impossible for the south to gain the vic- tory. He realized, too, that whereas a triumphant north would confiscate ne- groes, it would scarcely confiscate land Therefore, he sold his negroes, and with deal of ready cash, moved westward
 In Walker county, he stopped. Tho land was fertile, the forests deep and inpenetrable. and the river which flowed by significant of innumerab ble possibilities. Therefore. he bought up a large acreage of property. and gave to the settlement the name Cordova, d Spanish word with which he had be- come familiar as result of his ey- ploits in the Mexican war.
 The conclusion of the civil war brought about results in accordance with the belief of Mir Long Negroes were freed, but the Southerner was permitted to retain ownership of his land. As time passed, MT. Longs prop erty increased in value until some years before his death he was rated as very wealthy man.
 And now comes the remarkable part of the story. A short while previous to his death, he determined to sell that property which borders on and for many miles extends along the War rior river. He did sell that property with the exception of a tract on the bank 300 yards in depth and half mile in length.
 That tract is still the property of the Long estate. Why, one might de- sire to know. did he retain owner ship of this fraction and part with the other sections of that valuable property?
 In the first place, he sold because he was offered a splendid price, He retained. ownership of the little tract above described because he knew that the Warrior river, in some future years. would be opened to the traffic of the world and that Cordova, when it became necessary for it to construct a municipal wharf, would of necessity construct it on that tract.
 The Warrior is open to navigation.