The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1920-02-12
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THIS CITYsBUILT
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.
HAD A MODEL GOVERNMENT
BY GARRETT SMITH.

races and religions, uprooted from fur
scattered communities I'm every part
OF the United States and Canada
sprang into being almost overnignr
around the great new government am
monium nitrate plant down on tho
open cotton and corn fields at Muscle
Shoals on the Tennessee River during
the lest year Of the World War. Here
was problem in city building, munic-
ipal government and community well
fare that has seldom been equalled
and the success Of it's solution has
never been excelled.
The job was in the hands Of the Air
Nitra.eu Corporation which had been
organized under the direction of the
ordnanee Department to build plant
and city at Muscle Shoals. Early in
January, 1913, this new town had a
Few temporary buildings and a popu-
lation of 300. Phis had jumped by the
middle Of August to more than 21,OOO
A population multiplied by 20 In
months.
In the management Of the new
towns and army cantonments that.
sprang up during the war the old
time wills that attended the growth or
mush room cities have been avoided
by the application of modern welfare
systems. But nowhere were condi-
tions more difficult than at Muscle
Shoals. Here was q malarial region
threatened at the same time with
other deadly disease epidsmics. Trans
portation was lacking. No nearby
labor was available and the general
labor shortage was at its mort acute
stage. Costs Of labor and supplies
were leaping over night Furthermore,
Muscle Shoals differed from all the
other new war towns inasmuch as H
was to be permanent
New Government Devised.
The managers, besides city govern.
ment, had to handle the entire retail
business Of the town. A camp super
visor's department was put in charge
Of the maintenance Of all buildings,
nre protection and sanitation. The
camp supervisor looked after every
thing from the msnding Of q lock to
the remodeling Of groups Of buildings
or laying sewers or steam mains. For
the bachelor contingent q commissary
department was necessary.
The business department managed
the stores, canteens. motion picture
theatefs, pool parlors, tailor shops,
dry cleaning establishments, barber
shops, newsstands, q hotel, q vegetable
farm and hog farm where 1000 hogs
were raised on the wastes from eat
Nil Int -.
house whore these hogs were put
through the regular packing house
course. 1t operated laundry which
cleaned 7.493 pieces a day. Then
there was a real estate department
that rented and managed the family
quarters and q housing department
which assigned to quarters everybody
excepting the families.
Under separate jurisdiction from Its
community director were the police.
The health department, In charge Uf
q physician from New York city,
started with q small office In one Of
the temporary buildings, and was
soon full grown and splendidly
equipped. Conditions were favorable
to disease. The winter was the
ssvsrest on record in northern Ala
bAma. The men were compelled to
work either In deep snow or mud above
their knees. A. a result q pneumonia
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.
A Health Record Established
The little first-aid hospital present
ly grew to a complete modern institu.
ton with a nurses home and a sep.
arate dispensary for dental, eye, ear,
| nose, throat, genito-urinary clinics md
surgical dispensary for first-aid
| work.
| During the eight months when the
| death rate was not affected by the in
fuenza and pneumonia epidemics the
| 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 cantonments.
| Much Of the success Of the health
administration is due to the establish.
ment of the Muscle Shoals sanitary
district by the United States Public
Health Service.
| The education and welfare depart
nfent also had vital work to perform
There was a school population Of over
1000 The Secretary Of War created
the community organization branch
Of the Ordnance. Department which
with advice and aid of some Of the
greatest nchooi men Of the country
prescribed the courses Of study and
recruited teachers from the best es
teblished systemA