The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-12-15

SUI N"'H"
f1prsnee. Ala. Dee. ii.-ilslnE ih'
muai romantic Industrial drama IN
American history. flovncc. Sheffield
and Tuscumhla. Ala. stand to-day
ready io fulfil their destiny.
Il is these three cities. with an
aggregate population II approximate
iy se.nu0. vho ao In the midst u
Henry ford'a proposal to develop on
gigantic scale. the government
nitrate plant and Wilson dam. the
greatest hydrocicciric reservoir on
the North American continent
II Is these three little cities and
their present residents who will
benefit quickest and most from the
acceptance ~ the Ford bid Geo.
graphically. the situation ~ rather
unique The Tennessee river here
flows almost due west Ai the foot
of Muscle shoals. and by shoals is
meant merely a rocky upthust In
the bed Of The river where the
stream cuts iis way down isO feet
IN i6 miles. Is the city Of Florence.
II Ia on the north bank.
Abuiting on Florence city limits Is
the north end Of the Wilson dam
and the government reservation.
which is the center Of the Ford pro.
posal.
-Four and one.half miles west OF
Florence and on the south bank OF
the stream stands Sheffield. BE.
tween Sheffield and Florence. partly
in both. IL Nitrate plant No. 2.
Two miles southwest OF Sheffield
aud one mile off the river IL Tus-
cumbIa. Opposite Tuscumbia on the
river ia Nitrate plant No. /. The
three towns are connected by rail.
roads. one free bridge and an elec-
trio inteurban car line.
A movement Is already on foot to
merge the three towns under
single government and enlarge the
incorporated area. now about IL
square miles, to 20 or %.
Problems confronting the people
here on the eve of the expansion
that is expected overnight with the /
formal announcement of acceptance |
of the Ford bid, naturally fall into
these lines.
Housing the sudden influx.
Preventing profitoering
Expansion of public utilities.
Curbing insofar as possible specu-
lation, of which there has been very
little so far
Probably the greatest point of in
terest to the outsider coming into
the stage where Ford will play his
mighty industrial drama Isl
What is the reaction of the peo-
pie here?"
And the answer is that there is
very little visible reaction, an entire
absence of that hysteria Of those
who see riches In their grasp.
Tri-cities, as the three towns are
known collectively, explain this by
pointing to 1918 and the bitter
awakening when the work was
stopped on the nitrate plant. Peo.
pie here are still incredulous. They
say to one another: 1T is too good
to be true"
The Tri-Cities had a bitter awaken.
ing in 1919 when the pay rolls on
the nitrate plant projects melted
away and the 10000 workmen melt.
ed away. Tri-Cities had thought this
would be permanent Hence they
are loath to accept good news.
The most acute problem will, of
course, be that of housing. Business
AiiSh hCiC coliHldle that Wltnln bU
days after the formal acceptance of
the Ford offer there will be an in
flux of $4,000 people here. The ten
lumber firms are prepared to furnish
lumber and material for unlimited
construction. Conservative esti-
mates are that within six weeks
from any given date, substantial six
room houses could be completed at
the rate of 80 or more a week.
This rests largely on the matter
of labor supply. The lumber is
available on short notice; so is the
hardware. There is ample vacant
property within short distances of
the business center available.
. In 1918, at the height Of war work,