The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-20
JUDGE VOORHIS IS
 IMPRESSED BY THE
 C|TY'S RESIDENCES
Indiana Jurist Says Despite Great Metal Industries, Bir- mingham'S Greatest AS-
 set Is Its Beautiful
 Home Sections

Homes and the home atmosphere of Birmingham make a deep impression on visitors. The following interview is case in point:
 "All America and many foreign countries know more or less about Birmingham as the great steel and iron center, but one of the chief as- sets of this city has not been properly exploited" said Judge W. R. Voorhis of Indiana, general counsel for the American Waterworks and Electric company, who is in Birmingham on business.
 Frankly. I did not want to come to Birmingham on this trip, because 1 thought of it as a big, dirty, smoky and unattractive city. You may imagine my surprise when I stepped off the train to see that your business section was much more attractive than that of most cities of the country.
 "But the big surprise came for me when I visited the residence sections of Birmingham. There is the greatest at traction. That is what makes Birming- ham such desirable place in which to have home, and I am informed that you are attracting many men of large affairs who want to come to some southern city to keep in touch with their interests in this section of the country.
 If visitor may be allowed to make a suggestion I think it would be ad- visible for Birmingham in the future to lay greater stress upon the beauty of its residence sections, it's attractiA social life and it's charming home lifg You know those things attract many of the best citizens, and surely no other city
 
 No level flat city can equal the nat ural beauty of some of your residence sections, and you have made the most of them by landscape gardening and by tasteful architecture. Los Angeles may have larger residence sections than your city. and she has more of them. but even that famous city of beauty has nothing to surpass your Red mountain and Coun- try club district, with Altamont Road Cliff Road, Chestnut Hill, Mountain Ter race, Forest park and Highland avenue.
 There is no more beautiful driveway and no finer view to be had anywhere than that obtained from Altamont road and the crest of Red mountain. There you see the entire valley with the city of Birmingham it's great slyscrapers, it's residences, furnaces, steel plants and other giant industries extending for stretch of many miles in the valley. To the eastern end you see a quiet rural section, near at hand the beautiful Coun- try club and golf links, while just over the hill in Shades valley an unusually attractive country scene.
 "One thing that impressed me with your residence sections is the fact that while you have many mansions that com pare favorably with the finest city homes in America, in these same choice resi- dence districts you have some of the most attractive small homes I have ever seen. By skillful landscape work and by taste ful architecture, you have homes in Nor wood, in the Country club district and in other choice residence sections which are comparatively inexpensive.
 You are fortunate in that most Of your homes have been built in recent years, when more attention was paid to the style of architecture than in former years. when stability was the main con- sideration. You have no old, dilapidated houses to mar the appearance of your best residence divisions Another advan- tage of your residences here is that the most beautiful homes and choicest scen- cry are close to the business and indus trial district. This is a big advantage, for many business men in other cities are forced to live miles away from town in order to get the beauty and advantages you have here in sight of your office buildings
 N'sOf course your city had received and justly so. much favorable publicity as steel and iron center, but | hope in the future greater stress will be laid on its beauty and attractiveness as a place in which to live and have home"