davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
NORTHPORT PUT
 OVER CONCRETE
 ROAD PROJECT
Small Town Of 1,6OO Shows Progressive
 Spirit

NORTHPORT, Ala, has population of 1,600 progressive citizens and two miles of concrete paving.
 Northport citizens wanted a perma- nent roadway that would take them out of the mud Northport got it.
 The task was not easy, under the circumstances, but that little commun- ity had sufficient initiative to go out and get what it wanted. Northport not only set an example to all Alabama, but also aligned itself with the progress sive element of the state.
 Northport lies just across the War rior river from the city of Tuscaloosa. For years the road to Tuscaloosa, near est city, was difficult of travel. Attempts at times were even discouraging. Many citizens owned automobiles, but there were certain periods in which driving trips were anything but a pleasure. Be- sides the town was sustaining an econ omic loss. Trade was going elsewhere. Finally it was decided to pave the high way from the northern city limits to the Alabama Great Southern depot at Tus- caloosa.
 The Alabama highway commission, Tuscaloosa county and the citizens of Northport put over the concrete high way. It was completed this year. Prop erty owners paid for the curbing and gutters by individual contributions. Cash was raised instead of floating bond is sue. There was no debt incurred when the concrete road was turned over to public use.
 Tom Christian, prominent Northport citizen, assisted by Probate Judge Woolsey Finnell, were leaders in put ting through the project for concrete paving. Today, the people of Northport are very proud of the roadway. Citi- zens, in fact, are so we'll pleased with it that they expect, in the near future, to pave other streets of the town,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
SMALL MINING
 TOWN IS PAVED WITH CONCRETE

DORA, Ala, Nov. 26.-(Special.)
 Fully appreciative of the many merits of concrete for permanent paving, Dora selected that material for it's first paving.
 This year Dora laid six blocks of concrete. More paving of this nature is planned for 1925.
 Dora is a mining town of small population. What Dora lacks in numbers of inhabitants is made up by the progressive spirit of its citizenry. Residents here decided to pull Dora out of the mud. The re- suit was the paving of the business section with concrete.
 The work was done by the Dietz Concrete and Supply company of Birmingham. The paving was of six-inch thickness, and materials used were from the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron company of Birming- ham. Rolf Berg of Birmingham was the consulting engineer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27

ent cost of concrete paving could he re- built entirely at the end of about ten years.
 "In order to show what it costs the automobile owners to travel on dirt road, suppose the Craft Highway was unpaved and still carried 1000 vehicles Ter day. On the basis of fourteen miles per gallon on a dirt road as against thirty-one miles per gallon of gasoline on a concrete surfacing (Iowa test) the additional cost to the motorists in travelling over the Craft Highway were it unpaved would be $.00S per ton per mile, or S16.O0 per day, which would total $5,S40 per year. Under traffic of 1000 vehicles per day, a dirt surfacing would undoubtedly cost $1 ,0OO more per mile per year to main tain than a concrete pavement. It would cost approximately S22,000 at the pres ent prices per mile of concrete paving to repave the Craft Highway. The in terest charge, then, at 6 per cent on this amount would be S1,320 and this subtracted from the S6,S40, the total of the additional fuel cost, plus the maintenance, leaves S5,520 as the additional amount it would cost the automobile owners of Mobile county per mile per year to travel Craft High way, were it unpaved. In other words, at twenty cents per gallon for gasoline and $22.000 per mile for the concrete pavement, the users of any road carry ing 1000 vehicles per day, pay for concrete pavement on road in less than five years, whether they have it or not. One can readily see why a state can vote $75,000,000 for an ade- quate highway system.
 Concrete Again Proves Economy
 1.-The General Tire company of Springfield. Illinois, who operate a large ''Drive-It-Yourself' company, classi- fled their cars, sending some out in trips where the cars would be driven over concrete and others where the cars would be used on earth roads exclu- sively. Accurate records over a period of years show practically uniform saving of SOFA per mile in operating over concrete, rather than earth roads.
 "The following tabulation shows the saving for their various types of cars.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
5 BLOCKS OF
 CONCRETE FOR
 FLORALA, ALA,

FLORALA. Ala, Nov. 2G.-(Sp cial. )-Florala has qualified to he listed among Alabama progressive municipalities. It appreciates the value of permanent roads. so much so that 53 city blocks of concrete streets were laid this year. It was the first concrete laid in Florala.
 Florala is a progressive commit nity. Its geographic position is right on the state line separating Florida and Alabama, hence the name. "Florala." The city has spent $25O,- GOO this year in public improvement.
 Specifications on the Florala con- crete work calls for a thickness of six inches reinforced with wire mesh; prepared joints, belt finish, wet earth for curing. The mix is 1-2-3. Gravel for the concrete was shipped from Montgomery.
 The Dietz Concrete Supply com pany of Birmingham are the con- tractors. Williamson-Powe, Dothan, are the consulting engineers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27

sonal direction of Prof. P. B. Da. vidson, division of agricultural engi- neering, University of California, shows what tremendous power and fuel waste there is on dirt and gravel roads and what a saving comes from driving on concrete.
 Why Concrete Pays
 "On the basis of the Iowa tests, which show a ton can be carried thirty-one miles over concrete per gallon of gasoline, while only twenty. one miles can be obtained over gravei it can be clearly shown that at the end of few years a concrete road, 1T con structed. rather than gravel, will pay for itself.
 "Using the Craft Highway in Mobile, which is paved with concrete, as an ex- ample. the analysis is as follows A A traffic survey during 1923 showed 4oo cars passed a certain point in eight hours! A. s. Towle, president of the Mobile County Board of Commissioners, states a survey now would show con siderable increase. On a twenty-four hour basis, we can reasonably assume 1000 cars use the highway per day.
 Daily Saving $6 Per Mile
 Advocates of the new $75,OOO,OOO road bond issue for Alabama expect to place q tax on gasoline to pay the interest and retire the bonds. Assum- ing that gasoline will cost twenty cents per, gallon, the additional mileage to be obtained per gallon of gasoline on the concrete Craft Highway, as shown by above described tests means saving og S.003 per ton per mile over what the cost would have been had the highway been paved with gravel. Now assuming the traffic on the highway is 1000 cars per day, the average load includ- ing the weight of the vehicle itself being two tons, the saving per day per mile to the users of the highways amount to $6.00 and the saving per year per mile to the users totals $2,190.
 '"The New York State Highway de- partment, who probably keep the most accurate maintenance records, show that the difference in maintaining a concrete pavement over a gravel sur face is $600.00 per mile per year. Then the gasoline saving, plus the mainte- nance saving amounts to $2,790 per mile per year. The concrete paving on the Craft Highway cost S26,505 per mile. Had the road been paved with gravel. the cost would have been about S13,00O per mile, or difference of $13,505. The interest charge at 6 per cent on this difference amounts to $S1O.0O per year. Subtracting this interest charge from the $2,79O the total saving shown above the net saving to the users of the highway per year on fuel and main- tenance only. would approximate $2,- GOO. From this one can sec that the Craft Highway through the fuel and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
EXCESS OF WATER
 WEAKENS CONCRETE

The Portland Cement association has conducted extensive research work to arrive at the amount of water necessary to give the concrete of maximum strength and wearing qualities.
 Excess mixing water weakens con- crete. Sloppy mixtures sacrifices strength. One pint more water than necessary in a one-bag batch decreases the strength and resistance to wear on concrete as much as if two or three pounds of cement were left out. Con crete hardens because of chemical reac- tion between portland cement and water. The quality of mixing water is just as important as the quantity of cement.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
MODERN HIGHWAYS
 BUILT OF CONCRETE

Modern paved roads which are super seding macadam are built of concrete or with brick or bituminous surfacing on concrete base. In the most expensive types the concrete is reinforced with steel The tendency of state engineering departments, moreover, is to build them much as modern railroads are built with low grates. few curves and without grade crossings.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
Various Pavings Severely Tested

The engineers of the country realize the vast responsibility placed upon them in the construction of highways and streets in their choice of materials, and have in some instances reSorted to most elaborate tests 10 determine the relative merits of the various kinds of paving now used in strict and high way construction.
 "Mr. Clifford Older, former state highway engineer of Illinois, conducted the most elaborate of these expert ments. In 1919, when Illinois voted S6O,000,0 for the construction of state highways, Mir. Older asked the highway commission of Illinois for per mission to build a test road ill which all types of pavement would be sub .iected to truck traffic until failure, his idea being to ascertain from act ual experiment which type of surfac- ing would best withstand the present automobile and truck traffic rather than build highways Init or miss and be sorry ten years hence, before the bonds had been retired.
 MT Older constructed a two mile test road, incorporating sixty-three diff terent sections of paving. These various types were built according to recom- mendations of not only the state high way department, but of engineers rep resenting the various material compa- nies interested. These engineers were also present during construction. Upon completion of this road, army trucks with capacities of twelve to fifteen tons were placed upon the experimental road and run continuously day and night, back and forth, starting with d light load and finishing with a twelve ton load, the limit permitted under H. inois laws, until practically all of the various types of paving had failed. Late in 1922. when this experiment was completed. Mir. Older found he had only thirteen sections that were still un damaged and ten of them were concrete paving.
 "With this lesson before him to sub
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27

Popularity of concrete in street and highway paving projects in cities and counties of Alabama is spreading like a forest fire over this state. This statement may seem an exaggeration to many who would pass judgment without ,lHlving into statistics on permanent roadway construction within the last twenty four months. Study paving sta tistics for Alabama and you will note that two years ago, prior to 1925, q map of Alabama showing cities and counties using concrete pavement would have been conspicuous for the small number of communities indicated.
 Use of concrete paving in cities and counties of Alabama today is wide spread over the state. This is particu- larly significant in Birmingham, Mo bile, Tuscaloosa, Selma, Dothan, Troy, Florala, Lafayette and elsewhere among both larger and smaller cities. and in Chiffon. Mobile, Madison, Jer- fersOn and Calhoun counties of Ala bama.
 The aggregate of concrete paving al ready laid or included ill present pro- iects for permanent paving during the last two years is surprising.
 Mobile And Tuscaloosa Pioneers
 A representative of The Age-Herald visited the office of J. R. Fairman, district engineer of the Portland Ce- ment association, headquarters in Bir- mingham, and obtained from Mr. Fair man a statement which apparently com pletely covers the concrete industry in Alabama. Mir. Fairman said:
 Outside of Mobile and Tuscaloosa, .. very little high class concrete pavement existed in the state two years ago. Tus- caloosa, largely as the result of the ex- cellent service rendered by the concrete paving on University avenue, laid in 1913, selected concrete for the present
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
Surprising Statistics Reuealed After Study or Tluo Years Progress
Cities And Counties Of This State Designating Concrete For Major Projects After Thorough Tests In Permanent Paving Because Of High Qualities Revealed

street improvement program inaugu- rated in 1920. This city laid approxi- mately 100000 square yards of concrete paving prior to 1923, and since that time has greatly increased this yard age.
 Mobile and Mobile county also laid considerable yardage during 1921 and 1922. The now well known concrete paving on "Old Shell Road' leading to the Mobile Country club, built in 1921, started Mobile on an extensive concrete street and highway program. The Craft highway paved with concrete and one of the important highways lead ing north from Mobile, was built during 1922. The city of Mobile during these two years also constructed about 1OO,- 900 square yards of concrete paving. With the exception of the two cities mentioned above, Alabama had laid but little concrete previous to 1925.
 Birth of New Industry
 During 1923 two large cement mills were built in the Birmingham district and with the additional cement manu- factured by these mills on the market. citizens of Alabama realized they had another most important industry to sup port. The cement industry now ranks fourth in the state. The manner in which the various communities of the state have taken advantage of this new industry, and the fact that Alabama abounds in sand, gravel, slag and stone, the other necessary ingredients for the making of concrete, is best shown by the large yardage laid by the cities and counties of the state during 1924.
 Tt may not be amiss to call atten- tion to few of these communities who very recently discovered that concrete best serves their paving needs. All of the cities and counties listed below contracted for the indicated concrete paving during 1924:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
MODERN HITCHING POST

Although the motor has largely sup planted the horse, he still has his uses and competition from the automobile will never teach the horse as a class, to stand still without being tied. Con crete makes a neat and sturdy hltching post that can't be dragged away. More over it is slightly and easily built by filling a form with concrete and insert ing a hitching ring in the proper posi- tion
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
Cost per Mile on

eral aid plan and her 15O,O00 automor piles and trucks, the saving per year to the automobile owners of the state, were the entire system paved. would he stag gcring.
 When we seriously consider the above, we realize that Chairman Page of the North Carolina highway commis- sion spoke sincerely when he said, Good highways really cost the states noth- ink.,"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27

'"Various highway engineers estimate this saving from ? to 3 cents per ton per mile. If we dared use these fig ures, the users of the Craft highway are saving $50 per day. or $1S.250 per year. Or to put it differently, the Craft highway is approximately paying for itself each year. Taking into con sideration Alabama's 4,OO0 miles of to be improved under the fed
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27

Remains of the first recorded roads are still in existence. They were built by the Assyrian Empire about 1900 B. C., and like the spokes in a wheel radiated from Babylon to the corners of the empire.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27

"The above estimate of streets is based on the average length of block and width of pavement and the roads on 1S-foot highway paving.
El Mundo. [volume] (San Juan, P.R.) 1919-1990, 1924-01-10
Ell JAPoN Sc ARMA

"Fu6 bajo estas circunstancias que
II Jap6n. por tanto tempo sin una
gran fuerza naval milit9r, empez6 a
prepararse militarmente y formular
ma politica continental. Yo solo cla-
mo que SUI politica esta basada en- jus
tos principios-tranquil,dad Y defensa
"Estas son las circunstancias que
cuentan para la guerra Sino-Japonesa
V la guerra ruso-japoresa. La contien
da con China Sc inicio sobre Corea. La
peninsula coreana no estaba en- con
diciones de mantener su Independence
contra la China, esta clamaba su Sc
berania sobre Corea. FL Jap6n temi6
que la peninsula coreana bajo ell domi-
MO chino constituia una amenaza para
su seguridad. De ahi la guerra sino-
japonesa
La guerra russo o-japonesa Sc origino
en- circunstancias identicas. 81 Ia Chi
ma Sc balkaniza. el Jap6n esta amena-
zado. 81 la China cae bajo Ell domi-
MO de un poder extranjero, Ell Jap6n
esta en- peligro.
"Europeos y Americanos son prom
tos en- considerar China como un es-
tado homogeneo. Los chinos no son
una raza tnica, nj forman un solo es
tado. Son una liga de pueblos extra
nos viviendo bajo un colossal sistema
social No hay nadie que pueda aven
tajar a los chinos en- materia de diplo-
macia. Tienen sin embargo una de-
bilidad: no pueden pensar sobre la ba-
sc de una nacion.
"Asi sucede que el continente asia
tico, que es dc tan vital importancia
para el Jap6n, Sc halla actualmente en-
un gran estado dc confusion. La Chi
m esta todavia en- un proceso de bal
karizaci6n. Russia esta atin cerrada a
nm intercambio regular con los pods-
res extranjeros, incluysndo la China y
el Jap6n
''Esta era la situaci6n cuando, en-
el 1918, la conferencia de Paris en-
pez6 sus trabajos. Cuando termino
di6 los resultados de su labor al
mundo, debo confesar, que me des-
alente profundamente Y me lamen-
t6 porque La conferencia habia fracasa-
do en- su empefio de establecer una
paz permanente en- ell mundo.
El Mundo. [volume] (San Juan, P.R.) 1919-1990, 1924-01-10
Despachos especiales para Ell MUNDo)

TOXIC. enero Omitted Press)-
Un mutuo entendido entire America y
ell Jap6n es de vital importancia para
preservar la paz er el oriente, declare
el Vizconde Shimpei Goto en- una en-
trevista exclusive con la United Press.
Goto es Ministro de Asuntos Domes-
ticos, director de la campafia para la
reconstruction de Toxic Y Yokohama,
ex-primer Ministro, uno de los mas
prominentes hombres publicos del ia
pom, lider del movimiento para el
reconocimiento de RuEia por Ell 60
bierno japones.
Con las actuales condolences amor
males do Russia China hay una gran
posibiidad de que surja una confia-
gracion en- ell Asia, Ia que probablemen
te conduzca una nueva guerra mum
dial. ha dicho. Estas condolences
snormales no pueden corregirse. nj la
paz en- ell Lejano oriente en- ell mum
do asegurarse, a menos que America
coopere con Ell Jap6n en- el desarrollo
dc China y Russia.
FL reconocimiento de Russia por e,
Jap6n, solamente, ha declarado, no re-
solvera Ia situacion. "Un elemento
de vital importancia en- mi politica
rusa. es America" agrego.
FL vizconde Goto continIa:
"La critica que Sc le ha hecho Ia
politica extranjera del Jap6n, Sc ha
debido principalmente a la falta de
conocimiento de su real situacion poll
tica. Muy pocos extranjeros visitan
ell Jap6n, ain muchos menos pueden
leer el idioma japones. De ahi, que yo
trate ahora de hacer publico en- breves
palabras ell plan general de nuestra
politica exterior.
''Es un axioma aceptado ell que to-
da naci6n tiene ell derecho de buscar
su propia tranquilidad Y resguardo.
America ha formulado su principle de
defensa propia contra agresiones ex-
tranjeras EN- la doctrina de Monroe.
Esta doctrina Sc formula sobre Ell in
teres de la seguridad de los Estados
Unidos. FL Jap6n la respeta.
El Mundo. [volume] (San Juan, P.R.) 1919-1990, 1924-01-10
UNA AMENAZA

"Luego vino Ia conferencia dc
Washington. Yo, desde luego, esta-
ba complacido con la conclusion del
tratado para la hmitacion de arma-
mentos. Pero yo honradamente no
puedo pensar quc la conferencia de
Washington adopt6 garantias para una
paz permanente. No cambi6 EN- 10
mas minimo las condolences del conti-
nente asiatico. No fue detenida Ia
balkanizaci6n de Ia China Ell inmcn-
so problema creado por Russia perma-
neci6 intocado. Asi tenemos Alema-
MIA. balkanizada, China, balkaniza-
da. v a Russia como 81 no existiera. Una
gran parte del mundo no tiene real
mente paz.
"Esto me lIeva la question de Ru-
sia. Yo deploro sinceramente Ell he
cho de que Russia. con millones dc ha-
bitantes una inmensa energia vir-
tual fuera irradiada dc las esferas po-
liticas internacionales tanto en- Paris
como en- Washington. Este hecho tie
ne una seria signifcacion para ell Ja-
pom. La situaci6n anormal de China.
Sc agrava con la situaci6n anormal del
norte, en- Russia. va que no existe
un gobierno estable en- China, las dis
putas diplomaticas surgen con facili-
dad Luego en- China puede traer una
conhagraci6n mundial. Por cuanto a
El Mundo. [volume] (San Juan, P.R.) 1919-1990, 1924-01-10

epoca, y POGO despues Francia Ingla-
srra hacian guerra otra vez a la Chi
Ia Ell Japon estaba alarmado por las
uchas que Sc sostenian tan cerca q
us propias puertas Vic que los po-
ieres europeos venian desde largo item
DO anexandose territories en- Asia v
Africa. y temi6 que pudiera ser el mis-
no una victima. mo habia razon
para temerlo?
El Mundo. [volume] (San Juan, P.R.) 1919-1990, 1924-01-10
LA sEGURIDAD DEL JAPoN

"Ahora, la seguridad del Jap6n ha
dependido. y todavia depende, del es-
tatto de los asuntos domesticos en- ell
continente asiatico, especialmente en-
China. La peninsula Coreana Sc pro-
yecta en- un punto cercano las islas
principales del Jap6n. Hay solo unas
horas de travesia entire Fusan Y Shi-
monoeseki. Shanghai esta solo a
veinte horas de Nagasaki. FL Jap6n
ha comprendido que la seguridad des-
cansa sobre las condolences del conti-
nente 81 Ia China SO balkaniza y sc
le hace el botin de los podefes extran-
jeros. 81 un gran poder militar toma
possession de la peninsula de Corea, evi-
dentemente la seguridad del Jap6n es-
taria colocada en- inminonte riesgo.
"En este respecto, el Jap6n esta
mas menos en- identica situaci6n con
Inglaterra. For cerca de un siglo In
glaterra ha procurado mantener Ia We
Gina TERRA de Belgica neutral Q indie
pendiente-en otras palabras, para evil
tar que caiga bajo el tac6n de Fran
cia, ror un lado, de Alemania, por
el otro.
"INo tiene derecho Inglaterra a
mantener su seguridad? GNo tienen
derecho los Estados Unidos mantle
ner su doctrina de Monroe? IComo
puede ser injusto que el Japon vele
por su propia seguridad?
"Se dice muchas yeces que el Japon
es inperialista. Yo no aseguro que
ell Jap6n este libre de reproches. Pero
sostengo que historicamente los japone-
ses son muy amantes dc la paz. Du-
rante cerca de trescientos amos han vi
vido su prcpia vida, -desarrolIando su
arte literature. aislados del mundo
exterior.
"Cuando el Jap6n fue llevado a
IL corriente de la politica mundial por
la inhuencia de America, encontr6sc
embellishments con dificiles condicio-
mes en- Ell continente asiatico. La IA
mosa guerra del opio entire Inglaterra
China habia terminado por aqueIla