The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-02
By ". J. BoLEs

was at mass meeting in Capi- top Park in the summer of 1918, when he delivered one of his characteristic addresses on river developments and good roads. These two subjects were close to his heart, and all dur ing the forty years of his ser vice to the people of Alabama he had been a strong and per sistent advocate of both of these constructive measures.
 To Senator Bankhead more than any one other man in the state of Alabama, or in the entire nation, as for that matter, is due the credit for the upwards of two hundred million dollars appropriated by Congress for the building of system of perma- nent highways in the United States traversing the country from one end of the country to the other in every direction. And to Senator Bankhead is due the major credit for the de- velopment of the Warrior river that has made it one of the important in- land transportation streams of the country.
 In his last speech in Birmingham, less than two years ago, Senator Bank head painting glowing picture of the possibilities of the Birmingham district and the state of Alabama with the water systems made navigable through out their entire distances and the high ways constructed on permanent basis, declared feelingly that he wanted no better epitaph on his tombstone than the mere reference to his work in the interest of these two important con structiVe policies.
 INSCRIPTION ON STONE
 "When I have ended my career
 here on earth," he declared, .I want
 a simple stone, bearing the inscrip-
 tion, He was a friend of good roads
 and river transportatiOn,' erected at
 my head. That is honor enough,
 and the greatest honor that I could wish..
 For nearly thirty-three years he rep resented the people of Alabama in the Congress of the United States, and dur ing all those years he worked unceas- ingly for the interests of the people oi his state and for the development oI its resources.
 For many years member of the important rivers and harbors commit tee of the national House of Represen- tatives, Senator Bankhead worked un- remittingly for the improvement of the Warrior river, for the improvement ot Mobile harbor. and for the improve ment of all of the other rivers in the state.
 Largely through his influence the rivers and harbors committee, accom- panied by an admiral of the navy, army engineers and other federal officials having to do with rivers and harbors and internal improvements, came to Birmingham in the summer of 1897 to look over the district and to investi- gate the feasibility of building canal connecting Birmingham with the War rior river. The direct result of thai trip was an appropriation to cover a survey of Valley creek with the view 10 it's use as a shipping canal. The survey was made, but no further ac- ! ton ever taken. the report not having shown conclusively that it would be a 1 feasible project.
 l COMPLETION OF LOCK IF 1 As a crowning event 10 his long figh,
 for the Warrior river. he saw. a few years ago, the completion Of Dam No i IT, at the southwestern corner of lief 1 ferson county, which made navigation | by vessels with six-foot draft possible as far up as Cordova, right at the edge of the rich and undeveloped Black Creek coal fields. In honor of the in defatigable worker and distinguished statesman, the stretch of the river ex 1 tending for about 20 miles above Dan l IT was named Bankhead lake.
 1 As . member of the postoffices ant post roads committee of the Senate 1 Senator Btankhead took the lead in tn, {, advocacy of a permanent highway sys | tenn spreading like a net over the en 1 tire country. He worked equally a 1 hard for this as he had worked for th' i rivers, and lived long enough to see thu policy he had so long advocated adopted by the Congress. As a first step to ward carrying the new policy into ef feet. Congress made an appropriation
 of $75,000,000 distributed among the va rious states according to population and road mileage. Subsequently an other appropriation of $200. 900 wa made to be distributed in the same man ner. These two appropriations are nop available and the funds are being use, in the several states Jefferson count, is uow building about 35 miles of per | manent roads which are being partl paid for out of the funds so appropri l ated.
 Senator Bankhead was born on 1 farm in that part of Marion count.
 now embraced in Lamar county. ol September 13. 1S42, and for thirty min 1 years lived there. before any railroa, 1 came nearer than 40 miles of. the place H egrew up on the farm and continue, Ia farmer until he entered the service 0 the state
 In 1865. at the age of 23. when tn white men of Alabama were fighting t
 wrest control from the carpetbagger and the negroes, Senator Bankhead en 1 tered the state legislature as repre-
 sentative. attending the sessions o ! s65. 1866, and 1867. He was a membe of the state senate in is76-1s7T. and tn house of representatives again in 1880 l 1881.
 REPRESENTED OLD SIXTH
 He represented the old Sixth Ala | bama district in the lower house o i Congress from 1887 until 1907, whe he was elected to the United State sentes Senate. From 1881 to 1885 h was warden of the state penitentiary a .