The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-09

ernoon schedule, between the Tri-Cities and Muscle Shoals.
 The new service will be under the
 direction of District Passenger Agent
 A. M. Crawford of the Southern system.
 Although Muscle Shoals is connected
 with Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Flor
 ence by splendid interurban line, and hard-surfaeed pike roads, these facili
 ties have not been altogether ade- quate in handling the heavy traffic
 between Muscle Shoals and the Tri- Cities and the new shuttle train serv- ice will go a long way toward solving the transportation problem in the Mus cle Shoals district. As soon as con-
 struction work is completed on the new electric lines, additional eletric cars will be operated, and the heavy
 traffic between Sheffield and Nitrate
 Plant No. will be the more readily ac- commodated and handled.
 Forces of laborers and a number of steam shovels are now at work grading
 for the erection of the new southern railway station, which will be built at
 Muscle Shoals. When completed it will add greatly to the convenience of the
 Muscle Shoals working forces.
 Hundreds of working men, and many i with their families, who are engaged at Nitrate Plant No at Muscle Shoals, are residents of Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Florence. In fact, probab 5000 or more people are transported every day between Muscle Shoals and the three local cities. Many of these have been transported to and from the Muscle Shoals plant in automobiles and motor busses, 55 cars being in constant service at the plant for this purpose.
 LARGE GARAGE OPERATED yo i is in operation at Nitrate Plant No. ,
 at Muscle Shoals, where 250 employees, | composed of chauffeurs, mechanics. | blacksmiths, carpenters, helpers and of- l flee clerks are engaged in it's operation | under the direction of Frank Preston,
 superintendent; A. M. Rice, assistant su- | perrntendent, and James Rees, chief
 clerk. A reliable estimate places the
 number of cars in service here at 250,
 which includes not only automobiles.
 but motor busses, trucks, sprinklers.
 patrols and fire fighting apparatus. l Additional garages are also opera l ted by the several contracting firms
 engaged at Muscle Shoals.
 LARGE REALTY DEAL
 1 A. P. Thomson and associates of Sheffield last week consummated a
 realty transaction whereby a tract of 110 acres of land lying immediately | east Ot Shettleld ana aoJdCeHt lo lHe government reservation at Muscle l Shoals, was sold to w. A. Crutcher and associates of West Virginia, the con
 sideration being around s1o0,0o0. l It is understood that MT. Crutcher l and his associates contemplate the i'm
 mediate development of the property. 1 COAL FOR TRI-ClTIES
 l Telegrams have been received here from Congressman Ed Almon advising I that Dr. Garfield, United States fuel
 administrator, has issued an order mod
 init shipment of coal from the West l Kentucky coal fields to the Tri-Cities l the order to become effective July 8. Shipments of West Kentucky cool to l this district was prohibited by for mer ruling of the fuel administration l The new order is the result of efforts
 made by Congressman Almon and com- mittees representing the Tri-Cities, who l have been active in urging modifi-
 cation of the drastic ruling From now on it is expected that ample quan- 1 titles of coal will come into the Tri-
 Cities district
 SUGAR SHORTAGE EXISTS There is practically a sugar famine in
 the Tri-Cities, and the situation has i become so acute that the food admins 1 trators of Colbert and Lauderdale coun- l ties took up the matter with the state l food administrator in Montgomery Some of the local jobbers have sugar ] in stock, but local retailers have been
 without certificates which under the