davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
FRANKLIN-PATTON
REPORT TRADES
Sales Total $4,000 By New
Realty Firm

The Franklin-P Patton Real Estate and
Insurance company Saturday reported
sales totalng $35, ZOO which have been
consummated in the last two weeks.
Deals include: 10O-foot site ut Ave
nue. Z and Eighteenth street from Eva
NJ. Caldwell to Brown Stribling prop
crty between Bath and Both street on
Thirteenth avenue from Hugh Franklin
to Carl Anderson vacant site in IIol-
lywood from Hollywood Land Co., to
II. NJ. Stiles; 4731 Twelfth avenue,
north, from w. r. Stone to Mrs. Il.
Dowd G15 Twenty-ninth street. south.
from James T. Smith to ]. X. Will
linms; Fifteenth avenue piece between
Seventeenth and Eighteenth strets from
B. Il. Martin to Jak Goldberg 1113
Twelfth avenue, south, from f.. ~.
Vaughn to L. b. Ausburn.
The agency also announced healthy
growth in the insurance business which
:hey are making special feature of
their activities. The organization has
recently been appointed Representative,
for the Aetna Affiliated Company.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
new PHONE BOOK
NEAR COMPLETION
Many New Listing To Be
Made-509 Gain Dur
ing October

A new telephone directory, containing
considerable more lstings than the pres
eht book, is expected off the press By
the middle of December, L. Barton
Baird, district manager of the Southern
Bell Telephone company, said Satur-
day.
Several employees are now engaged
in compiling the data for this volume
with the plan of completing the listing
within two weeks. The book will re-
fleet. Mr.. Baird stated, a healthy
growth of business in the district and
one of the record months in the his
tory of the company, October. wiirn
a net gain of 800 phones was made.
Shortly after the first of the wear
statistical experts of the company viii
commence another comprehensive survey
of the birmingham district with the
view of planning future expansion pro
grams of telephone service. This sur
vey requires several months and because
OF Its value in predicting the future
growth and trend of the city is awaited
with considerable interest.
Although Mr.. Baird admitted that the
1925 budget for Birmingham expansions
VIII be pretentious one he denied
that the company has any plans for
nm office building, rumor whirh
periodically becomes current in build
ing circles.
The company has no desire to housa
itself in costly structure, he declared.
And although the centraliza ton OF orr
various units might be slightly more
efficient, the expense of bringing them
together would far over-balance any i'm.
provement in the operation of our per.
sonnet"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
l7O9-11 SECOND
BRINGS S1OO,OOO
May Engineers Big Deal
Near The Retail
Center

]. P. May, salesman for the J. L.
Yancey Real Estate and Insurance COM
pany, added another 100000 deal in
business property to his record Saturday
according to announcement by the
firm.
The property is located at 1109-11
Second avenue and was purchased by
the Eighteenth Street Investment COM
pany from j. D. Scruggs and e. e. May.
1t is improved by a two-story brick
building on a site running so by 14O
feet.
There has been considerable buying
on lower Second and Eighteenth street
recently based upon the trend of the
retail district. Holders on the latter
thoroughfare and it's intersections find
an amount of encouragement in the
large building programs which include
Herman Saks and Sons new store,
the Federal Reserve Bank, and Ala
bama Power Company building.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
ARCHITECT BUSY
IN RECENT ERA
OF CONSTRUCTION
Warren Expects Steady
Building Flow
Here

The architect has felt, with the con-
tractor and material men, the effect of
recent building activity. All of the
architectural offices have been pushed
practically to the limit in the sketching
and planning of new structures. And
differing from other years in the bust
ness, the work has become not an idle
dream of n visionary promoter, but a
reality.
I'VE have never been buster in our
history" says w. 7. Warren, senior
member of the firm of Warren, knight
and Davis, in commenting upon the sit
uation. And while we cannot ex-
pect that present rush to continue in
definitely, we do believe it will sub
side into a steady flow of construction
which will be with few presidents before
this year.
The healthiest sign in the building
lies in the fact that it has extended in
no single direction from the business
district. Neither does it take in any
one particular type. While the COM
mercial buildings. because of their SIZE
attract most of the attention, there
has been just as much comparative
building in other fields"
City Underbuilt
The reason for the construction ac-
tivity, Warren believes, is that Biz
mingham has been very much under
bull. He points out that up to March
l no structure of any magnitude had
zeen erected for ten years.
. Builders are naturally cautious
he asserts, And although several
wanted to start work before this year
the general morale was poor. But when
one job was officially announced the
other builders felt heartened and it was
logical to believe that one structure
would quickly follow another"
Warren, Knight and Davis have
planned four of Birmingham new
structures, the Martin office, Birming-
ham Athletic club, Alabama Power COM
pany and Southside office building. They
have also been engaged for number of
smaller business structures, schools,
and residences. Among these is in
cluded the new Federal Reserve bank.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23

SERVICE BRANCH
PROBABLE USE
OF STRUCTURE
Location At F And 18th
Local Statement
Declares

The General Motors corporation will
build a garage on the southeast corner
o. Avenue +, and Twenty-eighth street,
it was announced Saturday by J. Wins
ton Hale, realty operator who has acted
Gs agent for the Detroit manufacturing
company - the deal.
The building will probably follow the
lines of the Mack Truck company head
quatters here, Mr.. Hale said, and be
used as service station for one of
the company's makes of cars. The
structure will not be used as a renew
al plant by the company, he said.
Property leased by the corporation
for the building IS owned by S. j. Brit
tie and runs 60 feet on Avenue /,
with 140,feet depth Work on the pro-
gram will start around December l
with the plan of having it completed by
April 1.
The Importance attached to the build
ing in real estate circles is not so
much the structure itself, but the eff
feet which it may have of attracting
the motor district to that section. In
goes into n territory which is practic-
ally unimproyed SO far as business
structures are concerned.
Announcement CT the plan by General
Motors marks the development of the
second rumor which has surrounded
southsiGe property. While the proposal
is not so great as the exaggerated re
port OF their program, it as least serves
to again illustrate the faith which out
side companies are placing in Birming-
hams future growth.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23

DISTRICT FIFTH.
IN NATIONAL
BUILDING NEED
Straus Figures Believed
Large By Local
Experts

An analysis of s. w. Straus and
companys national building survey,
which announced last week that Bir-
mingham has a construction shortage OF
$SS,OO0,000 develops some interesting
data. 1t shows that Birmingham is
ranked by only four cities in the coun-
try in this regard and these localities
are much larger than. Birmingham.
With cities of the same size, the margin
for comparison is large enough to be
ridiculous.
Despite the weight which the reports
of Straus usually carry it is found that
the total is over-estimated. Even those
of an optimistic turn of mind who freely
predict a half million population for
Birmingham in five Sears, look with
some askance on the gross. 1t is felt
by most that the commercial building
programs now underway and few
more in the embryonic stage will well
take care of an existing shortage. These
projects, of course, are not figured into
the Straus total, but they rank far from
$50,000,000
Some Encouragement
At that, there is considerable en-
enlargement in the survey. The agency
is not accumstomed to making "horse-
back" appraisals and their statements
are usually we'll founded. Xhey con-
slider, also, the developments of the
near future which should be adequately
cared for iii the projects now underway.
What these will amount to can some
times best be judged by a foreign ex-
pert who unbiasedly views the trends.
As mentioned previously Birming-
ham is fifth on the list of shortages"
The first ten run in this way: New
York, $685., 100000; Chicago, $501,-
100000; Philadelphia, $240,000,0 900 {;
Milwaukee. $130, 100000; Birmingham.
$SS,000000; San Francisco, $1S,000,-
900; Pittsburg, $77,000,000; Dayton.
$50, 900, 900; Los Angeles, SOL 600, 900 !;
Denver, $45 100000.
No Comparison
The comparison of Birmingham with
cities near its size finds Syracuse, Ak
ron, and Richmond with no apparent
shortage; Atlanta with a shortage of
81 100000 in which no lack of COM
mercial buildings is included: ST. Paul,
81 100000; Oakland, $15 100000; Dali
las and San Antonio each with $4,000
600. New Orleans and Jacksonville are
reported without any building shortage.
For the percentage of commedcial
buildings to the total shortage Birming-
ham ranks second, behind Chicago.
In the case of New York and a num-
Der of the other cities the big percent.
age is in residential types.
Of the Birmingham total an $1S,000,-
600 shortage of residences is reported
but this figure has been cut down
through the big year in home building
since the survey was made. The short
age of municipal buildings is set at
$2O,OO0,000. The survey estimates
$19,000,000 in public buildings such as
hospitals, schools, churches and the
like, are now underway here.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
PROPERTY NAME
OFFERS PROBLEM
Subdivisions Title Often
Fails To Fit
Tract

"a problem that presents itself to
practically all subdividers," says the
National Real Estate Journal, lis that
of selecting suitable name for the sub
division or new district which they plan
to develop. The list of names from
which a selection may be made is al
most unlimited yet it is Ofttimes diff
cult to select name that is in harmony
with the particular tract under develop
ment.
This is well exemplified by a study
of some subdivision names. For in
stance, Forest Hills has been applied
to tracts where the widest imagination
can find only newly set out trees about
IA to inches in diameter and the
Hills do not approximate grade equal
ing one-tenth of one per cent. Oak
Crest is a pretty name yet it has been
applied to large districts where two or
three struggling oaks were right in the
path of building and must, Of necessity,
be cut down.
THE names of trees, streets, boule-
Yards, parks, towns and cities are often
compounded in the development of
names in line with the following ex-
amples: Birch Heights, Lincoln Ter
race, Washington Park Gardens, Hins-
dale Manor and so on. 1t may be desir-
able to use the developers name in con-
nection with these selections, as Will
liams' Hinsdale Manor
prominent among the substantives
thus used are: Acres, City, Cliff,
Court Crest, Dale, Dell, Estate, Gar
den, Glade, Glen, Grove, Heights, Hills,
Lands. Lawn, Manor, Mere, Mount,
Park. Place, Ridge, Plaza, Terrace, Vale.
Valley, View, Vista, Void and Wood"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
Fourth Aue. Property Slotu
In Gaining Recognition
Sites Year Ago Difficult
To Sell, Agent
States

The development of lever FOurth
avenue property runs more like fiction
than reality and it was in part due 10
the efforts of one of the markets young
est operators, Hyman Leader, that th"
thoroughfare has become one of the most
active in Birmingham.
Only about a year and half ago
Leader commenced to pioneer into that
district where sales had been largely
dormant before. That he has sold
around 100000 in property along west
ern Fourth since that time speaks well
for his vision in promoting the street.
Birmingham is an industrial city
and has a population of 80 per cent ne
groes," Leader said Saturday in speak
ing Of his belief in Fourth avenue proc
erty THAT population must lc
reckoned with when you analyze the
retail district.
Traced Trend
Several months ago it was my Opin-
ion that the negro would eventually be"
forced off Eighteenth street for econOmi"
reasons, increases in realty values and
the subsequent rise of rents. / compiled
records from practically every Industrial
city in the country and it developed tina /
the high priced white retail property
sections almost invariably followed the
negro retail sections. 1t therefore ap
reared certain that the trend of the new
retail section would go down Fourth.
IN view of this conclusion l began
to push the property, but it was diff
cult task. Investors refused to be in
terested / had many listings and al
L., ,ct tn fIVoI
buyers Many times l thought it hope
less task but continued to work and
talk Fourth avenue,
Priced Low
FINALLY called property owner on
the phone to obtain price on corner
west of Twentieth street. He declared
he would gladly sell at $12,50O. 1t
amazed me at this time that an owner
would sell corner so close in at that
figure ] rushed out and presented it to
several clients, but all turned it down.
| almost gave up and in desperation l
took the piece to a friend and insisted
that he purchase it. He did. and after
holding the corner for ten days, made
handsome profit. l presumably had Of
tcrcd the corner to one of the most con-
buyers in Birmingham Cor
$40. 500 and he refused it, but just two
duys ago the same man asked me
would advise him to buy the site for
$37 500.
Three Shows
This shows some of the development
along Fourth. Today theater is being
built between Fifteenth and Sixteenth
streets and another one is soon to be
launched between Seventeenth and
Eighteenth streets, giving the thorough
fare three negro theaters. The Masonic
temple at Seventeenth street represents
an investment of over $600,000.'
Leader has recently opened new of
fees at 2030 Fourth avenue under the
name OF the Leader Realty company.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
PUBLICITY VALUE
FIGURED IN RENTS
Chicago Specialist Declares Lev
els Appear High

81 will admit that rentals seem hiah
to me, and I often wonder how mer-
chants can pay the rentals" says Mark
Levy, Chicago specialist in business
property. But we find that one mer-
chant can pay more than another, due
to many reasons. Some merchants
pay very high rentals for strategic loca-
tiors, perhaps two or three prominent
locations in the large cities of this
country are held for advertising pur-
poses. or for monuments to pride even
though they do not expect to make any
money.
But the volume of business at times
in these strategic locations is so large
that they make money in spite of the
high rents. This would not be true of
single store unless the owner is the
type of merchant who has had many
years of experience in business dealings
IL :he community with large patron
age based on some special quality of
merchandise and service"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23

"All over Birmingham today are to
be found men who could tell true sto-
ries of how their lack Of vision or their
bearishness of view prevented their
making an investment twenty or thirty
years ago, that if they made and held
to would today mean financial indie
pendence.
THE same opportunities are all
around us today. 1t may be that a lit
tic higher degree of optimism or bullish-
ness is required as Birmingham pro-
crosses in its growth and development,
or it may be that the better opportu-
mites lie little farther out from the
developed center and require somewhat
claser study and analysis to find them.
The fact, however, remains indisputable,
the opportunities are here and some
body will profit either by foresight or
by accident humanity speaking.
Morgan Bullish
"The late Pierpont Morgan was a
persistent bull on America and things
American. In fact each year, each
week, each day, speaking locally, the
men of Birmingham may be divided into
the bulls and the bears on real estate
1t would be well for u persistent bear
of today to glance back over the last
uudTIcE VI 4 century, VI even O'cI thC
last decade of Birmingham's develop
mHnt and ask himself how many fov-
tunes his bearishness has cost him, In
stead of asking himself this question,
however, he is more likely to let the
phenomenal advances of today only
strengthen his persistent bearishness,
thus insuring for himself the privilege
later OH of being able to relate more
Aladdin-like stories that are now in the
making.
"Of course one may make mistakes
and buy in the wrong place. Some
degree Of caution and good sense must
be employed in such a situation. The
point is the opportunities in real estate
are here and are plentiful. They are
likely to be passed UP by the bear, they
may be seized by the bull. The bear
will later be able to tell the romantic
history. the bull will be able to enjoy
the fruits of his foresight.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
FOURTH AVE. SFTE
SOLD At $4,000
Investment Company Pays High
Price Near 18th Street

Another high mark for Fourth ave-
nue. property was paid Saturday when
HOS Fourth avenue. west, sold at o
price OF $45. 900 through Hyman Leader,
Of the Leader Realty company.
The property mas frontage Of 30
feet on Fourth and depth of 1I0 and
adjoins the recently constructed store
buildings next to the negro Masonic
temple.
1t was purchased by the Shepherd
Sloss Investment Co, from Joe Nathan
and Lyman Goidstein, properietors of
New Williams Ready-To- Wear store,
and DR.. Henry Swedlaw. The new own
ers contemplate improvement for the
site, ii is stated.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
MOORE CHOSEN
SALES MANAGER
Ex-Pittsburg Realty Man
Predicts Expansion
Of District

II. o. Moore, former president of the
Service Real Estate company, Pitts
burg has been appointed sales man
uger of the Butler Carrot Real Estate
and Insurance company, it was an
n0nnccd Saturday.
Moore is well-known through his
connection with the mortgage loan bust
ness which he conducted here in 1917.
At the beginning of the war Moore ell
listed and was detailed by President
Wilson as assistant Professor of Mill
tary Science and Tactics at the Uni
versity of Illinois aud received honor
able mention for his work at that in
stitution. He is an alumnus of the
Univel sity of Illinois, member of
Acacia fraternity, of Scabbard and
Blade fraternity, a Shriner and con
uected with several other Masonic or
dcrS ie-e. At the close of the war
Moore located in Pittsburg, remaining
there until his recent removal to Bir-
mingham.
III reviewing local business cond-
tions Moore stated that general opin-
ion prevails in weil-informed circles
that Pittsburg must soon give up it's
leading position in iron and steel as
birmingham is destined to assume its
rightful place He further said that
while the effect of so-callcd Pittsburg-
plus price basis was well-known in
actua. practice it will tend to locate
many industries in Birmingham nearer
their supply Of needed raw material
and vastly increase all realty values.
Moore declared he is profoundly i'm
pressed with the tremendous activity
manifested in every line of building
operation and particularly so with the
number and value of business and of
flee buildings under construction
The Butler Carrot agency has recent
~ moved to new offices at 31S Twenty
first street, north, and with Moore us
sales manager they plan considerable
expansion in the Birmingham market
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23

Now a word to the young man of
twenty or twenty-five years of age. Will
you be financially independent when
you are forty-five due to foresight and
bullishness on Birmingham real estate,
or will you be the easygoing, pleasant
recanteur of superb opportunities that
you passed up? Remember, you are
likely enough to be in one or the other
position.
Thousands of young men in Birming-
ham today throw away thoughtlessly
every year enough money to pay for n
small income property in few years.
Perhaps they are waiting to become fl
nancially independent before investing
others by the millions have done the
same thing and have died without
estate. The thing for a young man to
do is to get his hands on small
piece of property and let the property
grow in value as he grows in years.
Let his investment grow with him is
the idea here intended to be conveyed.
On the other hand, if he fritters away
his earnings in his first years of bust
ness life and lives in the hope of some
day being in position to buy full
grown property, likely enough he will
die waiting, always finding that the
property Hc WduIS HAS OulSIOhIl
Get the property first and then grow
with it."
Negro Property
"The young man of twenty-five who
buys even small piece of income ne
gro property strategicahy located in the
in 1915 that he is the proud owner of
Greater Birmingham district, may find
n valuable property that he could not
then buy if he did not already own it..
He will also have experienced the sat
;sfaction of being a substantial citizen
and supporter Of mis- government with
all that it implies.
Again let the young man of twenty
five years of age ask himself which is
preferable to be financially independent
at forty-fi;e through a bit of sacrifice
and foresight or to be the easy-going,
entertaining raconteur of the Aladdin
like stories of opportunities he passed
up in his home city"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
AMERICANS TO JOIN
LIMA CELEBRATION
Pershing Heads Mission To S.
America
nv Associated Press. J

NEW YORK, Nov. 22.-The L. S.
s. Utah sailed today for Lima, Peru,
bearing representatives for the United
States to the centennial of the battle Of
Ayacucho, which marked the end OF
Spanish rule in South America.
Gen. John ]. Pershing, recently re-
tired chief of staff, headed the mission
aboard the Utah. He was accompanied
by Frederick H. Hicks, former repre-
sentative in congress, and two aides,
Maj. j., G. Quekemeyer and Mai. Ed
ward Bowditch, Jr., and Rear Admiral
John H. Dayton md Raymond f. Cox,
Of the state department.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
ENSLEN FINISHES
BUILDING PLANS
Company Completes Forest
Court Apartments

The Enslen Real Estate company,
which has carried on number of va
riod development programs in the dis
trict, has just completed the three final
structure on its 1924 schedule. These
are two business blocks, one at Twen-
ty.third street and Avenue G and the
other at 2o15-17 First avenue, and the
Forest Court apartments.
The Forest Court building is located
at Oak street and Highland avenue,
md is another apartment structure
which adds considerably to the residen-
tinl needs. 1t was built in three units
of four flats each and is modern in ev-
cry respect
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23
STOCKHOLDERS TO LOSE
Reorganization OF IndiahOma Company
To Cost $2,5OO,OOO

EAST ST. LOUIS, Nov. 22.-Old
stockholders in the Indiahoma Refining
company will lose a $2,5oo,0OO interest
in the company under reorganization
plans virtually completed, F. c. Win
tiers, secretary, announced today. Two
mortgages of $5O0,000 and $1,6S2 900,
respectively, assured by the company's
East st. Louis property, were filed at
Belleville today. The new company will
Be known as the Indiahoma Corpora
fion