The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-18
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Commerce, asking me to come over and speak a. the opening luncheon.
 |
 | accepted at once, for I was anxious | to get in touch with such bunch of pro gressive good fellows. as it is something rew for a town to undertake to organize chamber of commerce with paid sec retary, and have weekly lunches.
 1 It was my first visit to Aliceville. had passed through it several times. but had never stopped off, and I was anxious to know more about the men who in six teen years had changed farm into thriving town with city aspirations, and was getting itself talked about far and wide.
 For many years the section in which Aliceville was situated was practically cut off from Birmingham, for those going even to CarrolIton in the old days by railroad had to go out of the state and head In from Columbus, Miss, thirty-one miles away. The M. & o. and the A., T. & N. have made it more accessible, but it is still bit difficult to reach, on ac- count of the schedules.
 | left Thursday afternoon and had to spend the night in Tuscaloosa, and get out on an early morning train for Re- 1 form, where Rapport met me in car and drove me over to Carrollton, eleven miles away, and after short stop, ten miles further to Aliceville. l was glad | to see that, in spite of the rain, the farm CTS had gotten in some good stands of cotton. I got to see Bens famous peanut l farm-the one on which he was going to revolutionize farming in Pickens county but it was planted In cotton
 Aliceville gets it's name from the wife | of the builder of the A., T. & N, John Cochrane, whose road now runs from Reform to Mobile. the story of which, if actually put into print, would seem unbe- lievable but his dream came true and today it is serving great territory. There was no such word in his lexicon Of youth as 'fail," or, to be more accu- 1 rate, he just wouldn't be downed, and at last changed failure into success. think | he holds the worlds record on stretching | a "shoestring"
 | Aliceville is situated in one of the best farming sections in the state The climate 1 is temperate and healthy Frost seldom occurs after the first of March, nor ear Her than the latter part of October. The lands have been under the blow for near ly fourscore years, and readily respond to a small quantity of stable manure or I rnelilotus cropping and soon recover their virginal fertility Drinking water is ann ple in springs and in wells that neves fail, and it's easy to get artesian wells l The object of Alceville's leading citi- zens in organizing a chamber of com merce was fivefold: First, to establish the best school advantages. Now, those behind the movement knew that it took money to build, equip and provide play grounds, and so this was done. Now they are after the best principal that money can secure in Alabama. They are going to pay well and have already raised funds for nne-month scholastic term.
 The second object will be the erection l O. a SultdDl6 DuliulliS IOi biC ShoHibCA Ci Commerce and it's varied activities At present commodious quarters occupying an entire floor above one of the best buildings in the town have been rented and are being cut up into offices and an auditorium. The permanent building will also be the city hall; but it will be more than a place to house the city officials, i ,.,;1rt ,,r,if a stQef- together place. around which the life of the town will naturally revolve.
 But the third object is to build up the community around Aliceville. The prime movers feel that the best way in which this can be done is to cut up the large plantations into small farms, placing good, comfortable homes and outhouses on them, and then sell them to white farmers, not with a view to make money Jon the enterprise but solely with the pur- pose Of attracting desirable class of lcitizenship to move on to them, believing that in the long run it will fn this way
 best pay the town It is to be free from land speculation or land booming.
 ! The fourth oD1ect VIII De 10 duVerlise not only Aliceville but Pickens county throughout the country. The promoters are wise enough to realize that the pros
 perity of their town is dependent upon
 the prosperity of their county. They krow full well that the lands around Alicevile are as good as, if not better
 than, lands being sold in hot southern and western states around $20o and $500
 per acre; and therefore it's their inten-
 ton to try and advertise the facts to
 prospective settlers.
 The fifth object is to knit the people to-
 gether in all the things which make for
 civic uplift, and the Chamber of Com
 merce will cooperate to the fullest extent
 with all health and sanitation campaigns. all legitimate commercial enterprises.
 and all social and religious movements. I talked with all classes of the citizens
 of Aliceville and it was delight to find not only such enthusiasm but such a
 clear vision of the way in which better conditions all around could be brought about within a reasonably short time.
 
 The Chamber of Commerce is organized
 upon the group system of work. This plan has for it's basic idea that every
 member of the organization must be a worker in some department with spe- cial task to look after. That it is going to be success will be known when
 give the chairmen of the department