davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
PARRISH-BYRD
 GROW RAPIDLY
New Organization Ex'
 tends Activities In Market

One of the rapdily developing younger firms of the market is the Parrish and Byrd Realty company, 12O North Twenty-first street, organized three months ago by Howard I. Parrish and Charles R. Byrd, formerly connected with Nelson. While it is known largely through the construction of high type residences, the activities of the company are now being extended to take in other phases of general real estate business.
 The homes of Parrish and Byrd are two-story brick and best exemplified in Forest park where three have recently been completed and two more are now underway. They incorporate all of the modern conveniences and improvements of modern dwellings planned after con- siderable study of housing. The same general arrangement is followed in all of the buildings, but the exteriors, de- signed by P. S. McWhinney, architect, are built to give the residence distinc- tiveness.
 Nine rooms with sun-parlor and two tile baths are included in the homes. Built-in features which have proved so popular with the housewife, hardwood floors, cedar closets, convienient electric light plugs are also given attention. A double garage and servants quarters are part of the building programs.
 Only the highest grade material and the choicest property is used by Parrish and Byrd for their homes. The resi- dences are priced between $22,000 and COX 000
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
PREDICTS RAPID
 EXPANSION HERE
Former Detroit Developer Stresses Future
 Possibilities

While the rule is not infalliablc a rank outsider can usually gauge the pos abilities of city and its property bet ter than most of the old inhabitants The perspective of newcomer is clear CT and without prejudice. =
 Granting that this is true the view point of M. Secord, salesman connect ed with the Ben Chessman Real Els tate company, is interesting. A year ago Secord located Birmingham vaguely somewhere below the Mason-Dixon line Today he ranks at least among the runners-up for all around enthusiasm over it's future.
 Secord was associated with the de velopment of property in Detroit and Cleveland during their most rapid strides and he has also gathered some experience from the mushroom growth of cities in Florida, but never" he says, "have I seen city with as much to brag about, or with the future that Birmingham has.
 People look at me queerly when get started off on line like that" he continues. "I guess they think it is some more sales chatter, but l honest ly believe it from the bottom of mi heart. Why I'm getting my own mother to invest in as much property here as can, because values are dirt-cheap and fortunes are to be made here in the next few years.
 ''I say values are cheap and l mean it. There is no comparison between Bir- mingham figures and those asked in other cities. Smaller towns in the north and east are selling outlying prop erty with one-tenth as much behind it at three times greater figures. Al though am not extensively familiar with business property here, l believe any. investor who buys any place in Birmingham will be able to make a stiff profit in five years.
 People PrOCrastinate
 "The trouble with people is that they procrastinate. This was true of Cleve- land and Detroit, but when they once did get started the cities grew up by leaps and bounds. Birmingham is not yet fully awake, but she is showing en- couraging signs. Even in the eight months I have been here have noticed quickening of interest in real estate and it's development.
 "Ten years from now Birmingham will have nearly a million population. It has all the advantage of natural re- sources and diversified industry which leaves scant traces of the periodical ups and downs of business. Today Birmingham is in much the same con dition as Detroit, which has doubled in population in less than ten years, was in 1915. Of course Birmingham will not have automobile factories as De troit has, but this should work to a better advantage as a dull market for cars cripples Detroit"
 Secord has been with the Chessman company since March, taking part in the development of Crestline Heights, Shades mountain, Hollywood, and Acip- co Highlands. The first named three, he says, emphasizes the growth of Blr- mingham in that the trend of residential property leads across Red mountain.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
MISSISSIPPI FIRMS GIVEN CHARTERS
Lumber Company Is Or ganized At
 Merrill

JACKSON; Miss, Nov. S-( (Suecial.) ) Four charters representing an invested capital of $S,5O0, have been recorded in the office o the secretary of state. One amendment was also recorded changing the name of an insurance com pany. Charters filed follow. F. J. Fer guson Lumber company, capitalized at $15,OO0, located at Merrill, Miss. Amendment to the Columbus Insurance and Mortgage company changing name to Columbus Insurance company.
 Mendoza Outing company of Jack son, James J. Longinotti, J. F. Henry, l.. F. Cote and others, incorpora tors. Capital stock, $5,O00.
 Fisher Research company of Pas cagoula, capitalized at $5,000.
 Day and Night Sign company of Hattiesburg, capitalized at $10,000.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09

JACKSON BUILDING FRAME REACHES THE TENTH FLOOR
Railroad Building, Hotel,
 Also Climb .-'s;. Swiftly

Steel and concrete framework of the Jackson buildings top floor, the tenth, was completed by the contracting firm of Julian Herndon last week. This gives the company mark of ten floors in 52 days, or a story to five days.
 At the same time the structural work has been moving upward the lower exterior has gradually been showing progress. Arched doOrways of the lower floor have been placed and the outer wall will soon be much in evidence in it's rise. According to plans the build ing will be turned over to the owners, tue Jefferson County Building Loan association, around April 1.
 The tenth and last floor of the frame of the Southern Railway building will be finished by the last of this week. Progress on the construction program has. run we'll within schedule and it is expected that the structure will be one of the first, if not the first of the new series of office buildings to be completed.
 Reach Headway
 Hotel Red Mont has reached the hal way mark in its initial construction step. Frame of the building has now touched the eigth floor and it is said probable that the building will reach it's heighth by January 1. Although the building has been announced as 13 stories the contractor is figuring upon 15, since on attic floor and part of the mechanical equipment must go on top of the building.
 First samples of the buff brick to be used for the exterior were placed by the contractors last week. The ef- feet of the color with limestone trim ming is pleasing one and it is ex- pected that the structure will add con- siderably to the downtowns section.
 The Martin office building reached the sixth floor, half the final heighth of the structure. Progress is also re- ported on the Alabama Power com pany building, the Bankers Mortgage Bond company building and the Bir- mingham Athletic club, although these are not far enough along to yet figure in the skyline. -.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
TWO SITES SOLD

Considerable impetus to real estate activity is expected to result from the announcement. Saturday, that George Gordon Crawford, president of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company, has purchased two sites on south Twenty-fourth street through J. w. Hamm, of the Elliott-Hamm Realty company, and R. s. w. Browne.
 While Mir. Crawford denies that the properties are considered as sites for new office building of T. c. l., n rumor which breaks loose every time one of the organization's officials buys property, his judgment of q good in- vestment and the reported fact that he will improve the pieces in some way, is enough to create small furry in values. There are even some specuia- tors in the market who will refuse to believe that an office structure of the company will not be situated on the sites within the next year, despite the evident good intentions of MT. Craw- lords denial.
 Properties taken by the steel exc cutive are the northeast corners of ave- nues F and G for a combined figure over $100.000. The F site measures 150 by 190 feet and was bought from the Shepherd -Sloss Realty company. Mrs. Jessie A. Boyle sold the Avenue G piece which runs POO by 19O feet.
 These southside pieces are included in string of deals turned recently by Hamm and Browne which involve around $700,000. Details of other tran sections are not yet ready for announce ment, it is said.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09

Students of the real estate say the market travels in cycles. They also say it acts as a tail to the business kite. Business in this, the political year, has not been overly pretentious. Business is expected to begin an up- ward trend in the first of the year. Will the kite tail hit clump when this happens?
 From the economic laws it might seem so, but just suppose, for example, that the values of Birmingham real estate have been much under-rated be- fore. They tell you at the agencies that figures still look pallid besides those in Atlanta, New Orleans, and Micanopy, Fla. Maybe that is more hokum they feed to prospective buyers, but anyone who has witnessed some of the extensive sub-dividing of swamps in the great open spaces of Florida, it appears entirely unlikely.
 4sAt any rate Birmingham seems to have gone real estate wild. When ul- tra-conservative firms like Jemison and the Birmingham Realty grimly admit that they have reached a millennium in their business, it is time to do some thing about it, if anything should be done about it. Granting that the cap italists and part-time financiers have gone mad over real estate it might also be granted that there is every req son for it. During the past few years any man could have taken the advice of his neighborhood butcher on property trend and made himself money. These have heen exceedingly high-times for the market and there have been some gV OI skz A-1- T..H fact, not few of the "old Birming-. ham fortunes 'are based on nothing else than little property. Men of vision have made themselves hundred of thou sands.
 Speaking of vision, it may be re- membered that at least one man had enough to for see the developments on the southside. If the memory is good 1t was ten years ago when "Southside Sam" began to shower publicity on the section. ''Sam," who is Sam c. .Starke, then stock and bond broker and now secretary of the real estate board, put over. some logical arguments regarding the section, but there was one flaw in his propaganda. He was ten years ahead of time. There is added satis-. faction to being a prophet when you are following the realty market Starke, it is said, sold out his holdings there in the present spree and took down some handsome profits on his vision. The fact that his pieces have increased considerably in value since sold, de- tracts little from his success. To him the condition which arose was a bear market as he had taken into considera- tlon, years ago, the developments which most are just now coming to realize.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09

Tt is becoming of increasing i'm portance to the investing and selling public that it should thoroughly under stand that transactions with a Realtor are subject to review by this board in the event that legitimate complaint is made and established"
 Starke explained that it would be preposterous to claim that all Realtors in the United States live up to their codes of ethics, or that Realtors are the only honest and reliable people handling real estate. The point stressed, he said, is that a Realtor is at least amenabIe to code of ethics and is sub ject to review by his board of any questionable dealing on his part when n legitimate claim of malpractice can be established.
 Here is brief story" he continued, from the November issue of The News Service of the National Association of Real Estate Boards:
 "A lawyer in New Jersey inherited a property in Oakland, Cal, the value of which he naturally wanted to know. The executive secretary of the local real estate board in New Jersey re quested by wire an appraisal of the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
LEADER OPENS
 NEW COMPANY
Former Ingram Broker Starts
 Own Business

Hyman Leader, for several years asso- ciated with the Ingram Land company, established his own company last week and opened offices at 2030 Fourth ave nue. Besides business property, which Leader has specialized in, the new firm will also handle rentals, insurance, and residential property.
 The same conservative policy upon which Leader made his reputation while associated with Ingram is expected to form the foundation of the new com pany. He was one of the first operators to sense the Fourth avenue retail trend and it is along this thoroughfare that he has turned the bulk of his trades. Two of these deals made recently, the Progressive Farmer building and the Dixie Cafeteria, total around a quarter of q million dollars.
 Previous to entering the market Leader was local advertising manager for the Birmingham Ledger.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
MANY FACTORS IN HOMES SALE Satisfying Buyer Requires Careful Study By
 Agent

How intelligent salesmanship goes to work to solve the human equation of husband and wife plus or minus chil- dren, and all-important X representing the family's complex tastes, hopes, am bitions, desires, needs and financial ability, when the answer is the purchase of a home is put down in a current pub lication of the American Real Estate institute.
 Here are some of the factors which the pamphlet says the efficient agent must account for:
 "There is likely to be gap between what q family needs and what it wants. It's the useful broker who separates the wheat that will satisfy the real needs from the chaff of pleasant dreams be- yond the present ability of the family to finance.
 Religious affiliations as well as gen eral social affiliations are big factors in making happy family transplanting.
 "There is a center of decision in every household. It may be the wife. it may be the husband, it may possibly be the daughter, particularly if she is just growing up and has social career opening before her. Good salesmanship doesn't overlook the weight of opinion which growing sons and daughters have in determining where the family should make it's home.
 "When you are fitting family into a home it is part of the service to help see just where the piano and the chaise lounge would be put.
 "It is easier to determine how it would feel to live in house if you take off your hat and coat and it down com fortably in the rooms as you look at them.
 "In the art of fitting families into homes there's no room for the salesman who doesn't know every detail about the houses, or who attempts in any way to conceal undesirable features of the homes on his list"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
ZHoS. c WILTON 2 856 .ST9ATEoRo s
CRAWFORD BUYS TWO SOUTHS[DE SITES ON FAITH
Market Continues Active For Business
 Pieces

The main event of the week for the real estate market, the passing of the new courthouse bond issue, went prac- tically unnoticed so far as actual trad ing was concerned.
 This may have been because of the opposition the southside offers for the spotlight at present, but it is more probable that the action was discounted several months ago. If the issue had failed at the polls it is likely that property values in the neighborhood of Eighth avenue and Twenty-first street, the proposed site, would have suffered a temporary setback, but with the build- ing anticipated the effect was negligi- ble.
 With the passage of the bond issue reports are current that property in the vicinity will soon be improved. Own- CTS of two strategic sites near the in- tersection admit that they have build- ing plans in an embryonic state but they also declare that the pieces are on the market to the proper bid.
 One of the most logical plans for development near the new courthouse is an office building catering to trail lawyers whose work necessitates their being in the building most of the day.
 A structure of this sort would pay, it is declared, and eventually some such proect should develop.
 Even though building programs may he anticipated for the future it is doubt full whether any will be definitely an- nounced for some weeks. Few pro- moters would consider completing an of- flee building before the courthouse is finished and this structure will be un- derway for several months even after the ground has been broken.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09

But there is more reason for the "yes and no" answer than the fact that the agent may be slightly disgruntled Some of the values appear well war ranted. A few buyers however, ap- pear out on limb with their property on the technicality that they jumped too late or into the wrong place. These prices might be expected to sag were the sites sold today on the face value of developments. Future enhancement will likely take care of the holder eventually. The situation sinners down to the reasons for which the prop erty was purchased. Some out-and-out speculators are always nipped and the present case should De no exception.
 The new buildingI program at Ave nue c and Twentieth street. south, was largely discounted when the pro- motors graciously permitted the public to gaze on the plans. Insiders had at ~ least a satisfaction of being on the fin side," but not all of the options went where they were intended to go. Ex- hibit B of the furry, which started with the report that the Frisco is ready to begin an extensive construc- tion program on it's property, was in- finitely more exciting and more hectic because of the bluntness of the an- nouncement.
 Conditions Ripe
 Conditions in the market pointed to just such a strenuous period. One re- ported development had delivered in fact, and small fortunes had been made in a fortnight. Others were rumored and when the Frisco project arrived it afrT1Nk thQ market in a hnon TradarS did not pause to consider the intrin- sic value of the plan. They bought hastily without second judgment and re-sold with an equal amount of acu- men. Some of the more enterprising brokers worked all night over the pro- posal while the following day found the market in more of a turmoil than it has been for years. A check-up dis covered one typical piece which had been sold five times in seven hours and there were others which went two and three times. Such is speculation in it's most frenzied moments.
 Despite the fact that the southside has hogged the lime-ight during the past few weeks, the rapid climb of val ues is only an intensified cross-section of what has been going on in the mar ket since late in 1924. If Babson was to start himself a chart on general property values here he would develop one long rising curve. The curve would have started a long time ago and be- have quite regularly and nicely un- til the fall of last year when it would have hit considerable incline. Three weeks ago Babson would have run out of chart.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09

property by the board in Oakland. The appraisal committee of the Oakland board placed value of $15,000 on the property, and it was sold for the New Jersey owner at that figure by mem- Der of the appraisal committee.
 "A broker. not a member of the Oak land Real Estate board, had advised him that the property was worth $3, 600. According to the story, the whole transaction was by telegraph.
 That little story" concluded Starke, "carries its own moral. The Birming- ham Real Estate board has a code of ethics to guide it's members and an ar bitration committee to review the ac- tions of its members. It, also has it's appraisal committee to make official appraisals of real estate on regular form signed by the appraisers, the pres ident and executive secretary, and is sued under the corporate seal of the board.
 If one wants to know whether the Birmingham Real Estate board func- tions at all. let him picture to himself the precarious position of the trader in real estate in O city of this size without real estate board"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
FORTIETH HOME
 WEARS COMPLETION

Chichester and company expect to complete their fortieth southside bunga- low of the year in a series of five now underway on Virginia avenue between Eleventh and Twelfth avenues. Of this building program, believed to be a rec ord by local developing company, all but three of the five now under con struction have been sold.
 With the completion of the five the company will begin work on another group which will be ready for occu. pancy in the spring. The demand for better-class residences has shown little signs of slackening, Chichester says.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
BUSINESS RENTS
 SHOW VARIATIONS

A Chicago specialist in business sales and leases has recently completed a comprehensive study to determine the percentage of saels income paid in rent,
 His findings develop some of the fol- lowing figures: automobile agency, ? per cent; department store, 8; mems wear, 3; and 10-cent stores, 5 cloth ing, ,; credit clothing, &; shoes. S.; mems hats, 8; cigar store, z; hard ware, S; furniture cash, 5; furniture credit, 10; auto accessories, 10; waists, 10; women's wearing apparel, 9; spe- cialty lines. 10; drug stores, g; high
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
DANGER IN CHUTES

The clothes chute is not always the entirely safe device that it might be. People who are interested in the pre- vention of fires in wooden houses have shown that unless clothes chute is built right, it may be used as a flue for flames since fires usually originate in the basement. The chute should be metal with spring doors to insure their being closed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
VAUGHN SELLS TWO

Thomas H. Vaugn of the Vaughn Realty company, Saturday reported the sale of two pieces of property on the southside for figures totalling around $125,000
 One of the sites sold was the north west corner of Avenue H. and Twen- ty-first street for figure near S50,- GOO. The remainder was property on Third avenue east of Twentieth street. Names of the purchasers were with held by the Vaughn company.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
ARMY SETS RECORD
Seaplane Flies 1000 Kilometres In 6
 Hours, 6 Minutes.

LANGLEY FIELD, Va, Nov. S.-A new worlds record for seaplanes was established here when United States army Lieuts. Victor E. Bertrandies and George c. Macdonald flew Looming air yacht 1000 kilometres in six hours and six minutes, an average speed of 102 miles per hour. The previous rec ord, "A miles per hour, was held by United States navy Lieutenants Weez and Price.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
Starke Stresses Importance
 Of Seruice By Realtors
Code Of Ethics Binds Members To Legitimate
 Trading

The word "Reator" Secretary Sarke of the Birmingham Real Estate board remarkng Saturday. lis coming to mean something to the public
 "A realtor member of real estate board that is itself of the National Association of Real Estate boards only he pay dues to his local board but his board must for his membership in the national association The Real tor aenabe to codes of ehcs that of his local board and the general code of the national asocaon
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-09
SCORES INSPECT
 NEW SUBDIVISION
South Central Park Draws Big
 Crowds At Opening

Scores of buyers and prospective buy CTS visited South Central park Satur- day, the first day the subdivision had been on the market. A sales force will be maintained on the property Sun day., it is announced, to aid in the inspection of lots,
 South Central park is being developed by the c. E. Cooper company. The property adjoins Central park and lies between, the North and South Bessemer highways.