The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1920-01-02
THIS CITY BUILT
while YOU WAIT
Fourth Largest Town In Alabama
Full Grown in One Year.
HAD A MODEL GOVERNMENT
Permanent Settlement Around
u. S. Nitrate Plant Presented
Unusual Problems.
BY GARRETT SMITH,


The fourth largest city in Alabama.
peopled with $4,000 souls Of diverse
races and religions, uprooted from far
scattered communities in every part
OF the United States and Canada
sprang into being almost overnight
around the great new government am
monium nitrate plant down on the
open cotton and corn fields at Muscle
SHOALS on the Tennessee River during
tie last year OF the World War. Here
was a problem In city building, munic-
ipal government and community wei
fare that has seldom been equalled
and the success of. its solution has
never been excelled.
The job was In the hands Of the Air
Nitrates Corporation which had been
organized under the direction Of the
Ordnance Department to build plant
and city at Muscle Shoals. Early In
few temporary buildings and popu-
latlon OF 800. This had jumped by the
middle OF August to more than 1000.
A population multiplied by 20 In Z
months.
In the management OF the new
towns and army environments that
sprang up during the war the old
time evils that attended the growth or
mushroom cities have been avoided
by the application OF modern welfare
systems. But nowhere were condi-
tons more difficult than at Muscle
Shoals. Here was a malarlal region
threatened at the same time with
other deadly disease enidemlcs. Trans
portatlon was lacking. No nearby
labor was available and the general
labor shortage was at Its most acute
stage. Costs OF labor md supplies
were leaplng over night. Furthermore,
Muscle Shonls differed from MI the
other new war towns inasmuch as II
was Co be permanent.
New Government Devised.
The managers. besides city govern.
ment. had 20 handle the entire retail
business OF the town. A camp super
visor's department was put In charge
OF the maintenance OF all buildings,
Ore protection and sanitation. The
camp supervisor looked after every.
thing from the mending Of a lock TO
the remodelipg OF groups OF buildings
or laying sewers or steam mains. For
the bachelor contingent commlssary
department was necessary.
The business department managed
the stores, canteens, motion picture
theaters, pool parlors. tailor shops
dry cleaning establishments, barber
shops, newsstands, u hotel, n vegetable
farm and hog farm where 1000 hogs
were raised OH the wastes from eat.
Ing places IL maintained a slaughter
house where these hogs were put
through the regular packing house
course. 1t operated n laundry which
cleaned 7,403 pieces q day. Then
there was real estate department
that rented and managed the family
quarters and housing depa rtmenI
which assigned 10 quarters everybody
excepting the families.
Under separate jurisdiction from III
; community director were the police.
The health department, In charge Of
II physician from New York city
started with smaH office In one OF
the temporary buildings, and was
soon full grown and splendldly
equipped. Conditions were favorable
10 disease. The winter was the
severest OH record In northern Ala
bama. The men were compelled 70
work either In deep snow or mud above
epidemic developed among the Negroes
that spring. Later in the year q
typhoid epidemic was threatened
Moreover, the site OF the plant was In
the heart OF the malaria district. But
the pneumonia epidemic was checked
the typhoid threat nipped In the bud
and malaria stamped out.
\ Health Record Established
The little nrst-aid hospital present
~ grew 70 Q complete modern institu
ten with o nurses nome and a sep
arats dispensary for dental. eye, ear
nose. threat genito- urinary clinics and
surgical dispensary for first-alc
work.
During the eight months when the
death rate was not affected by the in
fiuenZa and pneumonia epidemics tle
general health rate was ia per thou
sand per year, which is lower than In
most cities in the same latitude and
climate, and the pneumonia death rate
during the epidemic WAS lower than
in most army environments.
Much OF toe success of-the health
administration is due 10 the establish
Inent OF the Muscle Shoals sanitary
district by the United States Public
Health Service.
The education and welfare depart
ment also had vital work TO perform