New-York tribune., 1922-11-26
Muscle Shoals
Hope of Riches
Based ON Ford
Golden Shower Ii Expected
In Region by Thousands
When Henry Arrives and
Whirls Wheel of industry
Big Speculation i'm Land
Work of Building Gigantic
Dam Progressing Steadily
Under Federal Guidance
sssctat psepoteA 90 4he r.,,,,,,.

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| spsctni ptepdtcA 60 me Tribune
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, Nov. 25.-A
golden haze has settled over This region
since the government has resumed
work on the much debated Muscle
shoals power project. With the mirage
OF unprecedented prosperity merging
into we'll defined business boom. the
people Of Florence, the little city near
tho base Of the mighty WiIson dam,
have left the days of dollar and cents
behind and now talk In fortunes. The
end of the rainbow is in sight--to them.
Although the activity Of the govern
ment Is accepted by the property own
ers as forefunner Of prosperity, they
base their real hopes of wealth On
Henry Ford. whom they regard as the
Midas OF industry, the man whose
touch means gold. They believe that
IL his offer for Muscle Shoals Is accent.
ed money will flow into their Golfers.
with the speed Of water rdshtne
through the sluiceways of the colossal
dam.
Realty holds the greatest interest
for the Florentines at the present time.
Values are based OH great expecta tions.
the nope Of the success Of the Ford
offer, for the residents OF Florence.
bheiheld and Tuscumbia firmly believe
that they Will be the hub os an indus
trial region Of million persons If
Ford carries the day in his fight for
Muscle Shoals.
Farm Land Values Jump
Farm lands scored TO unexeelied
heights in the summer Of 1921, and
have debated slightly since that, but
still arc several times pre-wsr value.
Within twenty-five mile radius of the
dan, sites they are up 400 per cent;
land bringing s12.5o an acre six years
ago is S20 now, and so on. Business
property in Florence Is selling 500 to
$1,000 a front foot. Subdivisions noar
the Eates to the nitrate plants are be.
ing opened and sold in cities through
out the region, one owner conducting
campaigns in Chattanooga, Atlanta,
Birmingham, Nashville and other cities,
with Offices and extensive advertising
campaigns.
The spirit of the Muscle Shoals peo-
pie is for Ford; they are in less
state Of suspended animation than was
the case this summer, when there was
no work and little trade, but still are
grasping every will Of she wisp runner
that Ford is to have 1t, etc. The Curl
GUS and unique psychology Of tho
Muscle Shoals region cannot be better
illustrated than by the vocabulary, in
which "if' is the main word, and bets
ara placed, contracts made and even
wedding dates set by "when Henry
Ford con,es to Muscle Shoals" One
prominent lawyer confessed that he
had been suffering agonies with re-
calcitrant appendix and "when Ford
gets 1t I'm going to so to the hospital
and have IL taken out"
| 1t is safe to assume sron, prediction
Of boosters and BARRIERS, chambermaids
and, others that the cities will be me-
tropolises Of snywhers from 100000 to
100000 people, EFF" They have tables
made out showing the thousands Ford
will bring for this and will come for
that, etc. Maybe that's why Henry
Ford's picture has replaced that Of Ro-
delphi Valentine and General Pershing
in the hotsls and barbershopt there
abouts. II he doesn't get il there will
be many daappointed brides and green's
and many pickaninnies named In vain.
Work Progresses Steadily
| Steady progress Is being made by the
government toward completion of the
magnificent hydYo-electric property,
while the people at large rejeiee over
the riches which they believe are 20
come. Federal workers are slowly bus
surely completing Wilson dam, the
main power factor in the project, and
bringing closer to realization the
South's vision of million horsepower
OF cheap electric energy horsepower
which 10 expected to be main agent
In Transforming the valley Of the Tea
nessee River into an industrial treas.
ure-trove.
At present about 1900 men are at
"erk on Wilson dam, in race against
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