davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-17
RAPID CLIMB MADE BY JOE SNOL IAN IN P|ZIT { COMPAN
Came From Basket Pusher To Vice President In 12
 Years Of Work


 Twelve years ago last May 19- year-old youth pushing baskets on the ground floor of Louis Pizitz dry goods store attracted the notice of Louis Pizitz. Tuesday night that youth, transformed into a seasoned merchant half owner of the company with which he began work in 1911, happily greeted visitors who attend ed the formal opening of Pizitz's new store, monument to the polt- cies of Louis Pizftz. That youth is now Joseph Smolian, vice president and general manager of Louis Pizitz Dry Goods company.
 MT. Smolian left the Pizitz organi- zation shortly after attracting notice from MT. Pizitz to open stores of his own at Cordova and Oakman, in Wal ker county. He again attracted at tention and MT. Pizitz brought him back to Birmingham.
 To MT. Smolan is given credit for the new store, heralded as one of the most representative department stores of the south. When he and Mir. Pizitz agreed the time was op- perfume for building the structure, it was Mr. Smolian who visited the big eastern stores, who watched over the plans drawn by architects he had gathered together and who was on the job until the building was. com pleted.
 With MT. Smolian in the firm, MT. Pizitz has had opportunity to mix in civic affairs as he likes to do. He has been able to take a train to the east whenever he has so desired. to buy for his store secure in the knowledge that MT. Smolian will be affairs with ability and to his satis- on the job in Birmingham, handling faction.
 During the war MT. Smolian served in Camp Johnston at Jacksonville, Fla, after enlisting as a private. When his major took notice of him, as had Louis Pizitz several years be- fore. The upshot of it was that Mr. Smolian entered the officers Training camp. Commissioned a lieutenant, he was sent to Governors Island, N Y. where later he was placed in charge of all emergency buying for that and other camps in the east. He was ready to go overseas when the ar mistice was signed.
 With all of his success, MT. Smolian is as democratic now as on the day he started to work. Tuesday night he grasped the hand Of all who came. proud of his part in the new building and the business.
 a retail sale is his idea of a diver sion. That is the way he rests then back to his office to wind up a pur- chase that is raekonedt in p,apv
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-17

was lighted at night and with warn ing notices, had been installed by an advertising company in cooperation with the motor club. Other signs at. other dangerous crossings are to be installed. Commissioner Cloe stated the sign appeared to be an excellent idea, and that he would inspect it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-17
NEW SIGN AT CROSSINGS

The city commission was invited by a representative of the Birmingham Motor club to inspect a new warning sign across the railroad tracks at Elmwood cemetery. It was stated the sign, which carries advertising,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-17

Japanese tea room, the restaurant shut off from the rest of the floor by a trellis partition through which some view of either side may be had. It will be fitted with equipment suitable to the name. Back of it is serving room, and back of that the pantry and kitchen The part of the fourth floor not used by the tea room is the millinary department of the main store, some 10000 feet of floor space will be needed to ac- comodate the fixtures, display cabi- nets, stanchions and other features of the millinary department. One cornear. represented in three large rooms is given over to the rest rooms and emergency room, all finely ap- pointed, and in the emergency room a trained nurse will be present. Other smaller rooms for special stocks in connection with the millinary department are being fitted
 The third floor, fitted out in polished birch and plate glass, is the ready-to department for women. Mirrors everywhere, and all manner of cases, compartments and fixtures for displaying wares.
 The second floor is known in mer- cantile circles as the department of piece goods, towels, curtains, rugs, drygeods. Like the others, it is well lighted by day from the great glass windows, and this light is supple mented by innumerable overhead, in- direct lighting electrical lamps.
 From this floor flights of stairs now connect with the second and third floors of the old building.
 The mezaine floor will be the largest grocery store in Alabama, building, in 8 30-foot balcony, the great grocery extends, with every conceivable fixture that one could imagine.
 scene On Street Floor.
 The street floor, as one comes in from the side walk, is occupied by a long 'L" shaped soda fountain, but attention soon goes to the great polished cases for merchandise, that are everywhere, but the main im- pression on the first floor is of the height from floor to ceiling, this be- ing made necessary by space provi- Sion for the mezanine floor.
 The front windows for display use as much space as the entire square footage of a good-sized store. The windows extend the whole of the front. All are floored wi h rubber tile, the walls finished like "caen" stone, soft creamy hue, and here again are many mirrors.
 In the front entrance, between the display windows stairways lead down to the bargain basement" equal in space to any other floor in the whole plant. On its western side a doorway shows a view of a second basement below, extending around the building, where the pumps for the water system, and other me- chanical contrivances are located.
 Back up to the main floor, where workmen are mapping the floor for some task they are about to do, the main floor is seen to be 'terrazzo," combination of many fine particles of porble, in eight colors. Glancing up the visitor sees the floor, like those above, is fully equipped with the newest sort of tube system for making change.
 The whole place is one seething mass of workers now, builders, fin ishers, equippers, laborers, speciality men, and in among them, regular workeJs of the store are busy set ting Their departments in order, ar ranging stock.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-17

The Illinois Coal Operators asso- citation, through Dr. F. o. Honnold. secretary, is trying to endow a scholarship in the college of en- gineering, University of Illinois, to advance the mining of coal,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-17
BOARD IS INVITED
 TO CORNER SCHOOL
Community League Meeting To Be Held By Citizens There Nov. 2

A delegation waited upon members of the board of revenue Tuesday and invited them to be present at com munity league meeting to be held at Corner school house November ?. Members of the board of education, the Chamber of Commerce and other Jefferson county organizations also will be invited.
 This meeting will be to arouse in- terest in the state secondary agri- cultural school, which it is planned to build at Corner school. According to a state law, the state will support it after 1t is built, and 1t is hoped that the Chamber of Commerce, the board of revenue, and other organi- zations will vote the necessary funds for its erection. Approximately S6o.- GOO will be needed, according to estimates The community has all ready fulfilled it's own part of the contract by raising s1,00o and get ting so acres of land.
 Members of the board of revenue promised to attend the meeting if they were not kept in Birmingham by pressing business
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

Rotary Club charter, and is said to
be the smallest town in the world to
have a Rotary Club. There are also
thriving lodges of various fraternal
organizations and their auxiliaries.
including the Masons, Woodmen of
the World. Modern Woodmen, Odd
Fellows and Knights OF Pythias, also
Woman's Club and n Mothers Club,
a number of religious denominations
have united in Community Church
movement. and in addition to this
there are four other religious organi-
cations maintaining churches.
While Paonia is essentially a fruit
growing community. shipping about
500 carloads of fruit annually in addi-
tion to the fruit quantities of general
farm products is grown and marketed
each year. Hundreds of carloads of
livestock are shipped from the ad-
joining ranges and the daily ship
ments of dairy products insure a
steady year round income.
For those who like outdoor life and
sports, there are few towns more
fortunately situated than Paonia. The
great watershed to the east is drained
by more than $50 miles of ideal trout
streams, which are stocked annually
with quarter of n million young
trout from the Cedaredge Hatchery,
by the Paonia Rod and Gun Club.
Most OF these streams are reached by
automobile from the new Scenic Road
recently completed between Paonia
and Crested Butte. All kinds Of game
known to the state can be found in
the surrounding hills. and the beauti-
full and picturesque mountains. Lam
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

ed for fruit except that for the great
est number OF varieties which went
to Canon City. Immediately there
after other sections of what is now
Delta County began to plant trees
and later the fruit sections of the
Grand Valley sprang into being as a
result Of the example set by the
Paonia pioneers.
While the people of Paonia may not
realize the value OF the services per-
formed by the pioneers OF this sec
ton, and we may not stop to give
them the credit to which they are
entitled, we are. however, proud OF
our town and surrounding community,
our enterprises and industries. We
often hear OF the remark coming from
our neighbOring towns, that the peo-
pie OF PaOnia are "clannish," and this
is probably true for the reason that
the cooperative spirit seems to have
taken a hold In this vicinity and to
have thrived more than in most COM
munities. It was in Paonia that the
Delta County Cooperative Telephone
Company was formed and started, and
which today stands as one OF the few
really successful cooperative tele-
phone systems in the United States.
And in Paonia we have one OF the
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

it was demonstrated that Paonia was
to become a great fruit growing COM
munity.
About 1884 those of the early pio-
neers who had taken up other
branches of agriculture held what was
then called "The Pumpkin Show" at
Hotchkiss, displaying their agricul-
tural products grown in that vicinity
Other pioneers who had gone in for
live stock, rode from the surrounding
ranges with their cow punchers to
enjoy the sports. 1t was one after
noon at this show that Watt Coburn
drove in from his homestead near
Paonia with washtub full OF Eiberta
small orchard. These he distributed
to the crowd and in a talk, which is
still remembered by those who were
present, said that the day was coming
when the fruit shipped from the Pa
onia section would yield a greater IT,
come than that derived from all the
livestock on the surrounding ranges.
Very few took his statement seriously,
and it is doubtful If any of those
present believed they would live to
see the fulfillment of that prophe cy,
and yet in 1920, 1921 and 1922, the
income from fruit shipped from Pa
onia alone averaged approximately
s75O,000 each year.
A very few years after the estab
lishment of the Paonia community,
Montrose county held it's first fair at
h;aN fr,,it nj tho
state exhibited the products from
their orchards. At this fair Paonia
took every individual premium offer
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

more than one-half million dollars. In
population, the town has approxi-
mately 1000, but on account OF the
thickly settled surrounding country
we have the volume OF business of a
much larger town. Our postoffice is
In the second class, and the postal
receipts for 1922 exceeded $4,000, be-
ing the largest postal receipts OF any
town of its size in the state. AS
much as 81 900 pounds OF mail matter
has been handled by this postoffice in
one day. Good high school and gram
mar schools, in charge OF competent
teachers, gives Paonia as good educa-
tional facilities OF any town in the
country, and every graduating class
at our state colleges has one or more
representatives from our local public
schools.
From the coal fields surrounding
Paonia there is mined and marketed
annually more than 100000 tons of
bituminous coal and many thousand
acres OF valuable coal lands await de-
velopment Twenty-Five miles east OF
Paonia, in the vicinity Of what is
known as Munsey's Basin, lies a body
of undeveloped anthracite coal. which
in quality and quantity is unsurpassed
in the United States. Surrounding
Paonia on three sides. the Great Bat
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

, ises of prosperity. exceeding that OF
the present. A new automobile road
is now under construction by way OF
McClure's Pass, which will shorten
the route to Glenwood Springs. Den
yer and the Eastern Slope by more
than 100 miles. Surveys have been
made and financial arrangements COM
pleted for opening up additional coal
fields. A company has been formed
and arrangements practically COM
pleted for developing the vast body OF
anthracite coal east of Paonia. and
we have every reason to believe that
with the first extension program of
the railroads a broad gauge road will
be constructed across McClure's Pass,
thereby shortening the shipping route
to the east by more than 100 miles.
and decreasing the time in transit OF
livestock and perishable fruit by more
than twenty-four hours. The orchards
are all young. in fact few apple or
chards have reached their prime. and
the opening of the great farming sec
tion of the Muddy country will ma
terially increase the production OF
hay. grain. potatoes and livestock.
Paonians therefore contend that
there is no better place to live. Its
climate is healthful. its soil fertile
its orchards productive. and its peo-
pie congenial. progressive and happy.
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

owe to Sam Wade, Watt Coburn,
James Turner and a few others OF
the early settlers for their services
in developing the fruit raising in
dustry of Colorado.
In the spring of 1881 Sam Wade
planted the first fruit tree ever plant
ed in the soil of the Western Slope Of
Colorado, and through his influence
and example others Immediately start
ed orchards and nurseries-Watt Co
burn on the river west of Paonia, and
James Turner on Minnesota creek
east of Paonia, and it was from the
nurseries of Wade, Coburn and Tur-
ner that many Of the most productive
orchards of Delta County originated.
The first trees brought into Delta
County and the Western Slope were
shipped by Samuel Wade to Gunnison
and freighted over the Black Mesa
when the weather was so cold that it
was necessary to build fires around
the wagons at night to prevent the
young trees from freezing. The ma
jority of the settlers in this valley
maintained that the winters here were
too severe for fruit growing, and that
the trees would winter kill. Fearing
that this might be true, the first trees
planted were imbedded in straw dur
ing the winter months, with the ex-
ception of a few that were left un-
covered for experimentation, and it
was then discovered that the unpro-
tected trees passed through the win
ter as we'll as those protected by the
straw.
The story of these pioneers of the
fruit growing industry is one of a
continuous struggle to meet and over
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

come difficult problems and enemies
which threatened to wreck their
cilities was the greatest handicap, and
during its twenty years existence
the little fruit producing community
at Paonia had to haul its apples and
peaches by wagon to Delta. Trees
were nursed to bearing age only to
find that the varieties were not
adapted to the climate and country.
Experiments were conducted for the
purpose OF determining the best
method OF cultivating and irrigating
Disease, insects and other enemies
peculiar to fruit made their appear
ance and had to be overcome. but by
the labors and patience of these men
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

The first settler in the Paonia sec
tion. Mr.. Wade planted the first
fruit trees ever planted in western
Colorado, founded the town of Paonia,
and was the first Postmaster and the
first representative in the State Legis-
lature from western Colorado, being
elected to represent this territory,
then Gunnison county in 1887. He was
elected on the Republican ticket, his
Democratic opponent being his old
friend Enos Hotchkiss. Mr.. Wade
and Enos Hotchkiss came into the
North Fork Valley year or two be-
fore the Indians left, looking for a
place to locate. 1t was necessary on
this trip for them to leave their
horses at what is now Montrose, and
come in afoot on account of hostile
Indians, and on that trip Hotchkiss
picked out his future home at the
town of Hotchkiss and Mr.. Wade
selected piece of land which he
later acquired and developed where
the town of Paonia now stands.
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23
By GEO. A. SHIPLEY

"ORTYTWO years ago, as the
II march of progress and civiliza-
tion moved westward, driving
before it the red man, there
crossed Black Mesa a group of that
class of men sometimes called by us
Pioneers" or "Pathfinders," and
without whom our great western
country would have never been de-
veloped. Most historians and writer's
of fiction have the idea that men of
the type of Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill
and Jim Bridger are responsible for
the opening and development of this
great western country, and to these
men no doubt great deal of credit
is due, but in my opinion, had this
country remained in possession of the
men of the Kit Carson and Buffalo
Bill type, there would have been little
development in the way of agricul-
ture, mining and manufacture. These
men were not home makers nor home
builders. Work did not appeal to
them any more than to the Indian,
and agriculture and mining was as
foreign to their natures as to the red
men. They were trappers, scouts and
Indian fighters. They lead the way,
viewed the great country west of the
mountains and impaired their infor
nation to that class of men whose
natures yearned for a home and the
development of country by thrift
and industry, and while the scouts
and trappers penetrated the unex-
plored country and made their living
by trapping and trading with the In
dians, 1t was left to this other class
of home builders to bring into and
establish civilization in a country
where those of less vision and fainter
hearts would not have dared to enter.
In 1881 number of men of this
latter type, viewing the great North
Fork valley from the top of Black
Mesa, breathed sigh OF relief at the
panorama spread before them. Some
of these viewed the rolling mesas and
higher timber lands and saw the pos
sibilities for the great herds of cattle
and sheep; others saw in the fertile
river bottoms and lower sagebrush
mesas an opportunity to develop a
great agricultural community. Some
of these early settlers stopped in the
vicinity Of Maher, some pushed on to
Hotchkiss, and still others made their
way on up the valley to the vicinity
Of what is now Paonia. Prominent
among those who first settled around
Paonia are the names Of Samuel
Wade, Aaron Claugh, Watt Coburn,
Jap Decker, Levi Miller, John Tur-
ner, and number of others, some of
whom have died; some have moved
away after the realization Of their
first vision, and few Of these pio-
neers live and expect to die in the
country which they have done SO
much to develop. Colorado fruit
growers will never realize what they
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

when you have finished reading this
edition send 1t away to n friend. Per
haps they will benefit by II. We have
put forth much time and hard work
in preparing 1t for you and you win
be passing on the work by so doing.
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

born, Gunnison, Marcellina and Beck
with, furnish ideal sport for those
who enjoy mountain climbing. In ad-
dition to this territory, the motorist
in three and one-half hours can enjoy
fishing on the Gunnison river or at
the Grand Mesa Lakes.
The future for Paonia holds prom
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

most successful CO operative organiza-
tions for the shipment of fruit to be
found on the Western Slope The
town of Paonia also owns and oper-
ates it's own water works and its
power plant, furnishing electric cur
rent twenty-four hours a day and
seven days of the week. Miles of
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

Some Fine Birds-Prominent among the poultry
rasers of the country w. D. Hines of this CITY, Mrs.
Dean Allison of Olathe, and g. W. Dyer of Cedar
edge Mr.. Hines has been recognized all the West
ern Slope and from time time he has served Judge
in the utility Glass; which is considered the most difficult
class to handle
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

tlement and Gunnison National For
ests with an area of more than $4,000
acres of National Forests furnish a
protected watershed which guaran-
tees sufficient water for irrigating and
furnishes abundant range for many
thousand head of livestock.
Paonia has recently been granted a
The Delta independent., 1923-02-23

cement sidewalks are found through
out the residence and business sec
tions of the town, and complete
modern, sanitary sewer and drainage
system has recently been completed.
We have two banks. The First Ma
tional Bank and The Fruit Exchange
State Bank, whose combined deposits
during the past year have averaged
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-11
MANY CASES HANDLED
Numerous Sentences Imposed By
 Judge Lackey At GOOdwater

GOODWATER, Ala, Oct. 1o.-(Spe- cial )-Trial of criminal cases has been progressing rapidly in the cir cult court at Rockford fall term of the Coosa county circuit court. Judge Lackey has imposed the following sentences: Johnnie Brooks negro, convicted of burglary, not less than three nor more than five years; James Taylor, negro, burglary, not less than nine nor more than ten years; Cezelle Marbury, negro, burg larly, not less than three nor more than four years; sam Jenkins, negro, bringing stolen property into the state, not less than three nor more than five years; Tommie Right, as- sault with intent to murder, not less than 10 nor more than 12 years; Wal ter Parker, assault with intent to murder. not less than 10 nor more than 20 years.
 Other criminal cases are set for this week. The grand jury last week returned 23 indictments, the largest number in many years. sFs. 'ss'-af ' H'