The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-03
For Good of
 the Community

1 between the north and the south sides And 1t is safe. There is no railroad cross ing. Birminghams first viaduct that has served forty years is serving now as never before That is because it has been put in shape and because Twenty-second street from Avenue B to Avenue F has been made as good as new.
 Neither cost was very great. The con- venience is Another great artery is in use. Another street fitted for business development has been opened up. Auto mobilists have discovered another way of getting from south to north. Twenty-sec- ond street, south, is no longer a series of pavement interspersed with series of holes where there has been pavement. The wooden viaduct is not Jumping machine but a smooth surface inviting to the auto mobile tire
 The work on South Twenty-second street cost about S4, ,000. The contractors building it are under bond for maintain ing it, hence the city expects recoupment for the Outpay in repair. Whether 1t does or no, for S4, 900 the citizens of Birming- ham have secured another safe and spa cious roadway for travel between the two principal sections of their town. That is the great thing.
 A bit of history in connection with the bridge: A Birmingham newspaper man, who has been here ever since arrival, got here May 4th, 1890 His first job was writing up the death of the late Col J. w. Sloss, who died the day he landed in Bir- mingham. The funeral was held in the First Methodist church, then on the site of the Hillman hotel, and Mrs. J. Morgan Smith sang the hymns.
 The next job assigned the newcomer was to go over and size up the Twenty-sec- ond street bridge the same one that is there now He was specifically instruct ed by the late Rufus N. Rhodes to observe whether the bridge shook" or did not shake. The reporter stood beneath the bridge and waited for steam dummy on the Highland Avenue and Belt railroad to come across. But he did not remain under the bridge long The dummy made it sway like ship on the waves of the ocean.
 An article was written and the late Dr. H. M. Caldwell had the bridge repaired. The laymind at that time was more afraid of swaying bridges than it is now, it hav- ing been established that bridge which is tightwad of rigidity is more danger ous than that which yields.
 The viaduct is all right today, because it's flooring has been renewed. It always was all right when in state of repair. Twenty-second street has been all right ever since the brick and asphalt paving was laid when in state of repair. That is the gist of it. Maintenance is just as i'm portant as building.
 When the county fixes South Twentieth street, which it is about to do, there will be another fine link between the south and north sides. That also is good thorough , fare when in repair, bad one when not.
 Itis a positive pleasure to ride about the business section of the city and see the street markers that the Community club has tackled to the sides of the corner build ings. If they please the resident what a boon they must be to the visitor. The saw ing of time and temper is worth several times the cost of the markers and the labor of the young men in putting them in place.
 Birmingham makes a distinct gain every time it takes on tidiness There will he cain in this direction when garbage