The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-07
County Needs Skyscraper Courthouse With Elevator
 Service "One Way Only
COMMENTS ARE MADE
 BY OTHER VISITORS
Thompson Is Man Who Saved Bonner Bull Bill-Lee Tells How They Do Things in
 Gadsden
Fly HUGH w. ROBERTS

ny w.
 With the practically unanimous opinion of the people of Birmingham that there should be constructed a new county jail' Senator John Lusk of Marshall county disagrees
 With the state prison inspector, who has condemned the jail. and on account of it's alleged unsanitary condition once or dered the transferenee of female prisoners to other places of confinement, Senator Lusk dsagrees.
 The people of Birmingham have lived within the shadow of the Big Rock for many years. and the prison inspector has been within it's walls on innumerable oc- easions. Nevertheless, Senator Lusk, who was escorted through the "bastile Wednesday morning, stated afterward to a representative of The Age Herald that it would be ridiculous for the county to spend cent in improving the jail over and above that sum which would be re- quired in equipping the roof with a sky light
 Other members of the legislative recess committee on Judiciary who inspected the jail declared that they were agreeably surprised that the dungeon did not i'm press them with the idea that it was a place of horror, a sepuchre for the stiff ling of the quick.
 But they were not vigorous in the expression of their opinion as the senator from Marshall. the man considered the boss of the upper house of the Alabama legislature.
 Why" added Senator Lusk, you need first of all a new courthouse. would suggest that you build skyscraper' say of eight or ten stories. There should be in this structure four elevators, two for white people and two for negroes one of the two reserved for the whites
 should carry passengers up, ana the other down No variation of this rue should be permitted. And the same shoulo apply to the elevators reserved Tor ne- groes. M
 Senator Milner, who had followed assid- uorsly the argument of Senator Lusk, at this iuncture interposed with statement to the. effect that that plan would result in much loss of elevator motion
 You sec" he said, when an elevator dedicated solely to bringing passehsers fown reached bottom. 1t would be com
  mjtted to ascend. time and electficlty would be preserved. I "perhaps there would be some loss or motion" replied Senator busk. Al any rate. there should be two elevators at least, and one of them run solely for the accommodation of negroes
 Al tbis point the reporter reminded the senator that the idea of a skyscraper was not new, that Birmingham had considered that type of building for many, many years He was informed also that 1t was the opinion of many people Of this city ] that the fall should be prepared on the top floor or floors of the structure ''.I don't know about that" replied Sen ator Lusk The plan might work very well and then again it might not. In
 the event of fire it would be dif1lcuit
 matter to rescue the prisoners. | The reporter was on the verge of call ing to the attention of the senator that the destruction of a fireproof skyscraper was no more probable than the consump- 1 ton by fire of the .carbuncle.' But the | senator probably guessing the thought, anticipated by saving that while dlsas- l trous fire in a skSscraper was improna nie, l it was. nevertheless possible, just the
 same
 l The reporter with this rejoinder was
 profoundly impressed, and the senator
 was permitted to have his way just as other senators permit him to have his way in the senate As to whether or not Jefferson county performs the ridiculous act of improving the old jail. admitted to
 be an eyesore of many years standing, remains to be seen.
 1 In addition to Senator Lusk there are
 other interesting members of the legisla- ture in Birmingham at the present time. l Ira B. Thompson, who represents Bald win county, Is one of them. It was MT. Thompson who saved the honor of the
 state by tagging the Bonner bull bill with a salutary amendment.
 1 AS is remembered, Senator Bonner, the
 father of prohibition, fathered also bill | which tended to restrict the indiscrimi- nate roaming at large of bull old enough to below under the moonlight and njp with white teeth the blades of tender green.
 1 The senate. which passed the Brown 1 nti-political advertising bill, and the | Jones bill providing for three courthouses
 in Barbour county, was entirely consistent
 in respect to the bull bill. Indeed. 1t lus-
 tily shouted. Bully for the Bonner bull 1 bill'' and over it went to the house. 1 Mr Thompson however, stood like Ho- 1 ratius at the bridge. Even by a asual l reading of the bill he had perceived it's | flaw It restricted the privileges of a bull | while yet the bull was calf of only six
 months.
 That will never do.' exclaimed MT. 1 Thompson. "The age limit should be 12 | months"
 2. With that sentence, he converted the author of the bill. who was also the l author by proxy of the beneficent liquor | anti-shipping bill, and the requisite l amendment was drawn It was the first victory of MT. Thompson who is one of l the youngest but one fthe most prom | ising members of the house. His friends insist that he has before him a brill 1 liant future. Alto V. Lee of Gadsden. member of ths | senate is native of Barbour county | which has furnished to the state so man, other distinguished men, among them B E. Conner w. D. Jelks and G. Ernes Jones.
 The senator is prohibitonist but Ina. persisted so strongly in his determination not to bite the legs of those with whom te does not agree that the "powerfu lobby has conferred on him the opprobi 1 GUS title of "conservative.'' It is need Iess, therefore. to add that he is popula, I with the people generally, and is con s.dered highly useful representative O the interests of his folks at home ] Mir Lee was deeply interested Wodnes | day in the testimony of members of tn Brotherhood of Car Mon who declare, that railroad companies in preference L selling timber taken from ruined cars order it's destruction by fire.
 .sIt is strange" he said, ''that one ha