The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-12-13
MUSCLE SHOALS COUNTRY
PREPARES, FOR BIG BOOM
(By United Press)

81 Florence, Ala, Dec. 13.-Llvlng
the most romantic industrial drama IN
American history, Florence, Sheffield
and Tuscumbia, Ala, stand today
to fulfil their destiny. g - s
It is these three cities, with an ag-
eregate population of approximately
20 900, who are in the midst Of Henry
Ford's proposal to develop on a gil
gantic scale the government nitrate
plant and Wilson dam, the greatest
.hydro-electric reservoir on, the North
American continent. .....
It is these three little cities and
their recent residents who will bene-
fit quickest and most from the accept
ance Of the Ford bid. Geographically,
the situation lis rather. unique. The
Tennessee river here flows almost due
west. At the foot Of Muscle Shoals
and by,shoals is :meant merely a rocky
.upthrust in the bed Of the river where.
the stream cuts itsway down 100 feet
in 16 miles, is the city of Florence
It is on the north bank. 1
Abutting on Florence city limits Is
the north end Of the Wilson. dam and.
the government reservation, which is
the center Of the Ford proposal. - :, Z [.
Four and one-half miles west Of
Florence and on the south bank Of
the stream stands Sheffield. Between
Sheffield and Florence, partly in BOTH.
is Nitrate Plant No. 2. 4 I. -> s.. 81
Two miles southwest of Sheffield
and one mile off thg river is Tus-;
cumbia. Opposite Tuscumbia on the
river is Nitrate Plant No. I. The three
towns are connected by railroads, one
free bridge and an electric inter-
urban car line. ( i,
A movement is already on foot to!
merge the three towns under single
government and enlarge the incor-::
porated area, now about Is square.
miles, to 20 or rs. 4 n.
Problems confronting the people
here on the eve of the expansion that
is expected over nightwith the formal
announcement of acceptance of the
Ford bid, naturally fall into these
lines: = = - :. Z, go. ~ 7 ...$
Housing the sudden influx. '.s' !
Preventing profteering. .s1.s g. \;
Expansion Of public utilities. 4
CURLING, insofar as. possible, specu-
lation, Of which there has been very
little so far. s55saa7ts8 3tS
Probably the greatest point@of in
terest to the outsider coming into the
stage where Ford will, play his mighty
industrial DRAMA is: :
what is the reaction of the people
here?" 81. + y 81 & s5s7. 40 : #
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. b ,a.; "a
Tri-cities, as the three towns are
known collectively, explain this by
pointing to 1918 and the bitter awak-
ening when the work was stopped on
the nitrate plant. People here are
still incredulous. They say to one
another: 1T is too good to be true"
The Tri-cities had a bitter awak-
ening in 1919 when the pay rolls on
the nitrate plant projects melted away
and the 1000 worknen melted away.
Tri-citiesa had Thought this would be
permanent. Hence they. are. .loath to
accept good news. ,s.z Elm &
The most acute problem will, of.
course, be that Of housing. Business
men here. estimate that within sixty
days after the formal acceptance Of
the Ford. offer there will be an influx
Of sc, 000.people here. The ten lumber
firms are prepared to furnish lumber
and material for unlimited construc-
ton. Conservative estimates are that
within six weeks from any. given date,
substantial six-room houses could be
completed at the rate of fifty or more
a week.
This rests largely on the matter of
labor supply. TIE lumber is availab.s
on short notice; so is the hardware.
There is ample vacant property with
in shost distances Of the business CEN
ter available.
/. In 1918, at the height of war work,
people slept in attics, cellars, garages,
tents. anywhere to be under shelter.
There was ever. a standard charge of
30 clnts for the privilege Of sleeping
all night in an office chair.
Ford will inherit. from the govern