The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-11-26
FLORENCE BULCES WITH PROSPERITY
 AS DAM |S BUILT
Former Classic City Has Started Out to Build Homes and Stores-MerchantS
 Are Rushed
TENN EssEE VALLEY BUREAU THE AGE-HERAIsD Florence AIu Nov o5

With 1So0 men now on the pay roll at Wilson Dam, every industry in the city running full force. the biggest building boom since 1918 and the most valuable cotton crop Lauder dale county has raised in 12 years. business in Florence is unusually good and bids fair to hold up that way during the fall and winter season.
 More than 20,oOo bales of cotton was gnned in this country up to November 15 and according to the best estimates available there is still enough in the hands of growers to run the figure over 22,000 before the end of the ginning season. In such case the crop will bring close to s3,500,000 or s75 for each man, woman and child in the county. The disposition on the part of the grower has been to sell as fast as the cot ton is ginned and fully 75 per cent of the crop has passed into the hands of buyers.
 The new Farm Bureau Cotton as- socation has been quite factor in the 1922 cotton crop in this county.
  marketed through the association on the coo operative plan. Fifty dollars per average bale was advanced on this eo.- ton. which amount was recently in- cresed to s65 and from now on l5 cents per pound or s75 per average bale will be advanced on all cotton handled through the association.
 Building Many Homes
 Residences of every description are being built in every section of the city, but the scarcity of houses and rooms is almost as acute as during the "boom days" following the war. , In enc subdivision which was put on the market during August 19 modern homes are going up, none of them to cost less than 5000 One lumber and building company alone has constructed more than 40 houses during the present year. One modern store building is going up on Court street another on Mobile and three in East Florence. The building in- spector states that permits issued during 1922 will be greatly in excess of any previous year
 Merchants laid in the largest stocks of goods they have carried m several years this fall in anticjp ton of heavy business due to resumption of work at the dam, but they find their stocks inadequate and several have already made the second trip to market. The prosperity of the merchants, farmers and working peo- pie is reflected by deposits of the seven banks in the county, which are greater than ever before.
 Construct New Roads r Road building throughout the county has gained impetus during the mile highway from Florence to Rcgersville, which is a part of the Robert E. Lee Transcontinental high way, will be open to traffic. This road is being constructed of the best grade macadam, culverts and drains of concrete and all bridges of steel Long stretches of lowlands arc being spsnned by steel bridges that are considered a great credit to the en- gineer's skill.
 The new Chisholm highway. which runs from Florence to the Lawrence county, Tenn. line has recently been completed and as is a modern mscadam road x
 While business here is exceedingly good. interest is centered on the re- convening of Congress and the pos sibility of an early vote on the Ford bid for Muscle Shoals; for people in this district feel that this section will come into it's own more quickly through the acceptance of his offer than ill any other way.