The Neshoba Democrat. (Philadelphia, Miss.) 1881-current, 1922-01-26

/ have just enjoyed Il most singu-
lar experience. have made IL rather
thorough inspection Of Muscle Shoals
and the nitrate plants there, and at
tended some of the sessions OF the
American Farm Bureau at Florence,
Alabama. Having read much about
Muscle Shoals. especially since Hen
ry Ford bid on the project, L have
been anxious to visit the place A
project so gigantic that our United
States Government could spend 1920
000,0 on it's worth looking over,
and some busy bodies have felt, too,
thatt was worth looking into, II
you see my meaning.
So When learned that Southern
Group Conference Of the American
FaFm Bureau Federation was to be
in session at Muscle Shoals OH the
Goth and Dist, and that Henry Ford
was to meet them there, / left for
Florence last Thursday. At Corinth
| met a group OF delegates among
whom wasJ. A Patrick, a class.mate
OF mine at the Mississippi A. & M.
College, and whom ] had not seen
since 1911. With him was a delegate
from Henry County, Tennessee, and
G. g, Mosher, Secretary oil the Amer
can Cotton Growers Association OF
Dallas, Texas. We arrived at Flor
ence just as the morning session aud
dinner were all over, and a special
train was awaiting us at the Shoals
for an inspection Of the dam, and
the nitrate plants, and other proper
ties at the Shoals. So we forewent
dinner. and in cur provided thru
the courtesy OF b. L.. Donely vi For
ence. we met the 300 delegates at the
dam.
The only phrase that adequately
describes to my mind the magnitude
OF Muscle Shoals is to say that 1t is
industrially gigantic. / have seen
Niagara, and then the largest manu-
featuring plants OF Lynn, Laurence,
New York and Boston. | have seen
them making shells and guns at
New Haven, and cutting glass and
making rings at Providence and
Attleboro aud spinning silk into
beautiful designs at Norwalk aud
making fans and cigars in Havana.
But the dam at Muscle Shoals is
different from Niagara, and the nj
trate and liquid air plants resemble
more mammoth chemical laborato-
ries than they do factories.
These buildings are all fenced in
and the gates are guarded. But our
special train was furnished by Uncle
Sam, and the doors and gates left
open.
The many views appearing In this
issue, and which were furnished us
through the courtesy OF the Florence
Times, give you some conception OF
what we saw, but they do not do
the project justice. Niagara may
have been exaggerated at times, but
! think it has never been fittingly
described. Grand Canyon has been
many times photographed but /
think never really pictured. Muscle
Shoals like Niagara and the Canyon
one must see to appreciate. For
there the skill OF the engineer and
nature, Gods two master builders,
have combined their talents to pro.
duce an Observation-Disclosures.
4 Fancy IL you can, u river mile
wide, with rock bottom. and a fall
OF almost 100 feeJ in fifteen miles.
Fancy this stream flowing between
perpendicular banks OF natural stone
and reaching out from these rock
hills Il monument OF concrete, rein.
forced; seventeen million dollar
monument and not half complete,
hundred feet high. thicker at the
base than that, and you have seen
something OF the dam.
Immediately around this dam at
the Shoals q little Dam City has
sprung Into existence, and saw
printed notice that there was to be
dance that night at the Dam Club.
We heard much talk. too, OF how
the cities OF Florence and Sheffield
would thrive when the river was
finally ''damed". Now "dam, ii
much better spelled than spoken
and though its current use Is not
conducive to the most healthy
cultivation Of literary expression