History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 7

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 756

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As a result of the centennial effort, there was not only a wide-spread increase of interest in the history of the noble denomination dur- ing its one hundred years of existence in the State, but it also served to quicken a deeper and more appreciative sense of spiritual ob- ligation on the part of the membership.

Annual Meetings .- Meetings of the society are held every year, in accordance with its rules. They have been well attended, and the annual addresses have been attractive features. Details of the several meetings are as follows:

1905, Dec. 8. First or organization meet- ing; held at Dothan.

1906, Dec. 4. Second annual meeting; held at Eufaula. Address by Thomas M. Owen, LL. D., Director of the Alabama State De- partment of Archives and History, Mont- gomery. Subject: "State supported his- torical work."

1907, Dec. 3. Third annual meeting; held at Enterprise. Address by Judge Wm. H. Thomas, Montgomery. Subject: "Some educational history of Alabama Methodism."

1908, Dec. 8. Fourth annual meeting; held in Greensboro. Address by Rev. Dr. J. M. Mason, then of Eufaula, but now deceased. Subject: "Centennial address on Methodist history in Alabama."

1909, Dec. 7. Fifth annual meeting; held at Opelika. Address hy Rev. Dr. A. J. Lamar, of Nashville, Tenn. Subject: "Methodist ex- tension in Alabama, with special reference to Montgomery and Mobile."

PUBLICATIONS .- Handbook, 1910; Circulars, Nos. 1-4; Thomas, Judge Wm. H., Some educa- tional history of Alabama Methodism (1908) ; Owen, Dr. Thoms M., Methodist churches of Montgomery (1908); Seay, Rev. Frank, Meth- odist Churches of Mobile (1908); Greensboro District, Centennial memorial (1908) ; Dent,

Capt. S. H., History of the M. E. Church, South, in Eufaula (1908); Carmichael, Judge J. M,, History of the Methodist Church in Dale County (1908); Pickett, Mrs. A. H., Methodist Church of Union Springs (1908); Hamer, Rev. Noel R., Methodism, centennial sermon (1908) ; Court Street Epworth League, Program and observance of the 100th anniversary of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama (1908).

REFERENCES .- Alabama Conference, Metho- dist Episcopal Church, South, Minutes of the annual sessions, 1905-1917; and Publications, supra.

ALABAMA CONFERENCE, M. E. SOUTH. See Methodist Episcopal Church South.

ALABAMA COTTON MILLS, Speigner. See Cotton Manufacturing.

ALABAMA DAY. A special day unofficially observed hy schools, women's clubs, and pa- triotic societies on December 14, commemora- tive of the day on which Alabama was for- mally admitted into the Federal Union. The honor of first suggesting the celebration an- nually, to be known as Alabama Day, is due Mrs. William E. Sorsby, nee Idyl King, of Birmingham. At the meeting of the Alabama Federation of Women's Clubs in Selma, May, 1898, Mrs. Sorsby called attention to this anniversary, and urged its recognition gener- ally. The Pierian Club at East Lake (now a part of Birmingham) had been organized through the efforts of Mrs. Sorsby on Decem- her 14, 1897. Following the Selma conven- tion, arrangements were made for exercises on December 14, 1899, under the auspices of the history department of the Birmingham Woman's Club, of which department Mrs. Sorshy was director. From that date in 1899 to the present time, under her direction, Ala- hama Day has been celebrated in Birmingham. At her suggestion the Alabama Educational Association, June 18, 1903, unanimously adopted Alabama Day for observance in the schools, and on December 14, 1903, exercises were held very generally throughout the State. A program and selections, the joint work of the association, the education depart- ment and the archives and history depart- ment, was printed and circulated in aid of the movement. The celebration of this anni- versary is believed to encourage interest in the history of the State, and to stimulate to higher patriotic ideals. This date is the day fixed by the Alabama Society of New York City for its annual meetings.

REFERENCES .- Alabama Day Program, 1903; Trans. Ala. Hist. Society, 1899-1903, vol. 4, pp. 613-619; Birmingham Ledger, Nov. 18, Dec. 9, 1911.

ALABAMA FEMALE INSTITUTE. One of the earliest educational institutions for women organized in the State. It was located at Tuscaloosa, and was opened in the fall of 1830, as the Tuscaloosa Female Academy. The next year Mrs. Mary I. Kinner hecame principal, a position she held for some years.

HISTORY OF ALABAMA

The legislature of 1830-31 incorporated the academy, exempted its property from taxa- tion, and authorized it to raise $50,000 by lottery. In 1833 the name was changed to the Alabama Female Institute; and a new charter was granted by the legislature, Jan- uary 9, 1835, with John F. Wallis, James H. Dearing, Peter Martin, John O. Cummins, William H. Williams, John J. Webster, Wiley J. Dearing and H. C. Kidder as trustees. A literary society was organized in 1831; and in 1832 the school had a library of 400 volumes. In November, 1833, with a change of name, Rev. Wm. H. Williams became principal. Courses of study were offered in English, his- tory, geography, philosophy, mathematics, chemistry and music, and diplomas were awarded on the completion of the prescribed work. A boarding department was main- tained. Among other ideals the institution sought to develop the moral and physical, as well as the intellectual life of the students.

One of the successors of Mr. Williams was Miss M. B. Brooks, "a woman of great ver- satility of talent and engaging manners," a native of New Hampshire and a graduate of Mount Holyoke. After teaching some years, she married Prof. S. R. Stafford, of the Uni- versity of Alabama. The school attained a high degree of excellence under her direction. It enjoyed the rare advantage of having the professors of the University as lecturers. Early in the beginning of the War the school was suspended, and was never again opened under Mrs. Stafford's direction.

REFERENCES .- Catalogues, 1832, 1836, 1837, 1838, 4 vols .; Clark, History of education in Alabama (1889), p. 213; Acts, 1830-31, p. 44; 1834-35, p. 98.

ALABAMA FUEL AND IRON COMPANY. An industrial corporation, incorporated April 15, 1908, under general laws of Alabama as a reorganization of the Alabama Fuel & Steel Co .; capital stock-authorized $3,500,- 000, outstanding, $3,496,300; shares, $100; property in Alabama-coal and iron lands in Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, Tuscaloosa, Bibb and DeKalb Counties; 2,500 acres brown ore lands, and a plant in Franklin County. Of- fices: Birmingham.

REFERENCES .- Poor's manual of industrials, 1916, pp. 17-18.

ALABAMA FUEL AND STEEL COMPANY. See Alabama Fuel and Iron Company.

ALABAMA FUEL AND STEEL COMPANY. See Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Com- pany.

ALABAMA GIRLS TECHNICAL INSTI- TUTE. See Girls Technical Institute, Ala- bama.

ALABAMA GEORGIA SYRUP COMPANY. See Syrup Manufacturing.

ALABAMA GREAT SOUTHERN RAIL- ROAD COMPANY. Successor to the Ala- bama & Chattanooga Raiiroad Co., itself a

consolidation of the North-East & South-West Alabama Rail Road Co., and the Wills Valley Railroad Co. The charter dates from an act of January 18, 1877, authorizing the reorgani- zation of the Alabama & Chattanooga Rail- road Co. (whose property had been sold to satisfy the claims of the State of Alabama), under the title of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad Co .; mileage operated, June 30, 1915-main track and branches, 332.31, side tracks, 195.18; mileage operated in Alabama, main track and branches, 262.95; side tracks, 118.52; total mileage in Alabama, 381.47; grand total, 527.49; capital stock, authorized -common, $7,830,000, all issued and out- standing, preferred, $3,380,350, all issued and outstanding, total, $11,210,350; shares, $50, voting power one vote a share; and funded debt, $8,186,600. This company is controlled by the Southern Railway Co., through ownership of 56 per cent of the cap- ital stock .- Annual Report of the Company to the Ala. Public Service Commission, 1915.

Wills Valley Railroad .- The oldest of the constituent companies was the Wills Valley Railroad Co., chartered February 3, 1852, and which authorized Messrs. Humphrey Mc- Brayer, William P. Scott, Lewis Rea, Thomas G. A. Cox, Richard Ramsey, Charles Stowers, A. J. Chaney, Thomas A. Patrick, Samuel M. Nicholson, Obediah W. Ward, M. C. Newman, Alfred Collins, Charles D. George, Stephen McBroom, A. J. Ward, Reuben Estes, John G. Winston, John M. Bruce, John M. Lankford, Jesse G. Beeson, Joseph Davenport, Hiram Allen, V. C. Larmore, William O. Winston, Jacob Beene, B. F. Porter, John J. Hum- phries, George W. White, Gaines Blevins, Daniel B. Buckhalter and Jacob Putnam, of DeKalb County, to form a company to build a railroad from a point on the Alabama & Tennessee River Railroad, at or near the farm of James Hampton, thence the most practi- cable route through the county of DeKalb to the Georgia line, to intersect the Georgia & Tennessee Railroad at some convenient point in Lookout Valley; capital stock, $300,000 in shares of $50 each, materials, labor, and supplies needed in the construction of a rail- road to be receivable in payment of stock sub- scriptions; but the exercise of banking powers, and "the issue of any description of paper or any evidences of debt intended as circula- tion," were expressly prohibited.

The charter was amended February 2, 1856, so as to permit the consolidation of the company with any other company; and by an act of February 6, 1858, the company was authorized to consolidate with, or sell its fran- chise and property to the North-East & South- West Alabama Railroad Co. No part of the road so chartered was built prior to the War, and there is nothing to show that any part of it was surveyed or graded.

North-East & South-West Alabama Rail- road .- During the early part of 1853, some of the more enterprising citizens of the western counties began to advocate the construction of a railroad through those counties to con- nect the Mobile & Ohio Railroad (q. v.), then under construction, with some road then pro-

HISTORY OF ALABAMA

jected from the eastern boundary of the State to Knoxville, Tenn., which connecting road should pass through Sumter, Greene, Tusca- loosa and Jefferson Counties, and thence in a northeasterly direction to the State line. During the summer, conventions, mass meet- ings and barbecues were held at various places with the object of stimulating public interest in the project. Meetings were held at Livingston, Sumter County, August 20; at Elyton, then the county seat of Jefferson County, now a part of the city of Birming- ham, August 24; at Sumterville, Sumter County, September 1; at Livingston, Septem- ber 15; at Tuscaloosa, September 22, attended hy delegates from Autauga, Bibb, Marshall, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Pickens, Greene, and Sumter Counties, Alabama. and Lowndes and Noxubee Counties, Mississippi, and presided over by Prof. Garland of the University of Alabama. These conventions stimulated in- terest in the proposed railroad enterprises, and when in October stock subscriptions were solicited in the towns along the projected route, a large part of the required funds was obtained within a few days.

The legislature, December 12, 1853, grant- ed a charter to the North-East & South-West Alabama Rail Road Co., which constituted James Hair, W. Waldo Shearer, Stephen M. Potts, Samuel M. Gowdy, Samuel L. Creswell, Frederick Merriweather, Alfred Battle, James H. Dearing, Thomas Maxwell, William S. Mudd, James McAdory, James Hendrix, John W. McRae, Thomas C. Barclay, Arthur C. Beard, John I. Thomason and Robert Murphy a company with authority to construct "a rail road from some point on the line between the States of Alabama and Mississippi, in the direction of Marion, Lauderdale county, Mis- sissippi, or the point of intersection of the Southern Rail Road with the Mobile and Ohio Rail Road; thence through the corporate lim- its of Livingston, Sumter county, to cross the Tombeckbee river at or near Bluff Port, and through the corporate limits of Eutaw, in Greene county, the corporate limits of the city of Tuscaloosa, and the town of Elyton, in Jefferson county; and thence in a northeast- erly direction to connect with some one or more of the rail roads leading to Knoxville, in the State of Tennessee, or as near the points and course here designated as is con- sistent with the general route here indicated: Provided, That the route of the said road shall not extend to the south or east of the Coosa river;" capital stock, $7,000,000 in shares of $100 each, to be increased to $8,000,000 if necessary.

At a meeting of stockholders in Eutaw, January 18, 1854, an agreement between the company and E. R. Sanford, chief engineer, was approved. Upon the suggestion of Dr. Landon C. Garland, the stockholders resolved, "That this company will neither hazard its credit nor put its enterprise in jeopardy by beginning the construction of the Road be- fore they have secured the means to secure its prosecution to a successful issue and the ground of such assurance shall not be less than subscriptions in work adequate to grade

and prepare the road for the rails its entire length, including its connections, and also subscriptions in money to the amount of $500,000-for the erection of the iron works; and that until these conditions are complied with the directory shall have no power to call in any part of the stock save for the purpose of completing the necessary surveys and paying the officers and agents of the company." In the meantime, misunderstand- ing had arisen amongst the subscribers to the stock regarding the relative value of cash and labor contributions to the capital stock, and to settle the controversy, the directors appealed to the legislature to pass a law upon the subject. An amendment to the charter was passed at the same session, Feb- ruary 17, 1854, which conferred upon the board of directors the power to equalize the cash and labor subscriptions by any necessary means.

Consolidation of the North-East and South- West and the Wills Valley Railroads .- The grading of the North-East & South-West Ala- bama Railroad was done by slave labor, con- tributed in lieu of cash subscriptions to the capital stock, by the planters and wealthy citizens along the route. On February 6, 1858, an act was passed by the legislature to authorize the consolidation of this company with the Wills Valley Railroad Co., hut the merger was not effected before 1861. A con- siderable portion of the roadbed had been made ready for the superstructure before war hegan, but practically all work on the con- struction of the road was then given over in favor of more pressing duties on the planta- tions and in the army. At the close of the War the grading which had been done prior to its outbreak had so deteriorated as to be virtually useless. The North-East & South- West Alabama Railroad really existed only on paper, and the Wills Valley Railroad had never had any other sort of existence.

In 1865 the owners of the franchises applied to the legislature for authority to sell their holdings. Permission was given by act of December 9.

Soon after the War agitation was begun anew for State aid to railroad building, and in 1867 the legislature passed an act "To establish a system of internal improvement in the State of Alabama." The act provided that the governor should endorse on behalf of the State at the rate of $12,000 per mile, the first mortgage bonds of any railroad com- pany which should complete and equip 20 continuous miles of road, and so on for each block of 20 miles completed, provided that no bonds so endorsed should be sold for less than 90 cents on the dollar.

In 1867 or 1868 possession of the fran- chises of the Wills Valley Railroad Co. and of the franchises and property of the North- East and South-West Alabama Railroad Co., was obtained by capitalists headed by John C. Stanton, of Boston, who obtained from the legislature an act increasing the charter rights of the former company to cover the construction of a line to Elyton, and to permit the consolidation of the Wills Valley

HISTORY OF ALABAMA

with any other company. Another act of the same legislature amended the internal im- provement law so as to reduce the mileage requirement from 20 to 5. At the next ses- sion another amendment increased the rate of endorsement to $16,000 a mile, and made the lines of Alabama companies in other States eligible to endorsement. An act of October 6, 1868, authorized the consolidation of the above-mentioned companies as the Ala- bama & Chattanooga Railroad Co. Subse- quent acts amending details of the charters of one or both of these companies were passed November 17 and 28, 1868. An act of Feb- ruary 11, 1870, authorized the loan of $2,000,000 in State bonds to the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad Co. The road defaulted in interest on its bonds in January, 1871. Upon recommendation of the governor, acts were passed, February 25 and March 8, 1871, authorizing the payment of interest on $400,000 of the bonds from the State treasury. The governor borrowed $545,000 for the purpose. The acts referred to em- powered the governor to proceed against the road to recover the amount of the interest paid by the State. In July, 1871, John H. Gindrat was commissioned to seize the entire road, which had not been operated for two weeks previous.

State Control .- The seizure did not meet with the approval of all parties in the State. Many opposed it on the score that the State would thereby admit its liability on the bonds. Some advocated repudiation of the entire amount of honds authorized by the "reconstruction legislatures," upon the ground that they had been fraudulently is- sued, and did not constitute an honest obliga- tion of the people of the State. However, regardless of the question of the legality of the bonds, the State was admitted to have ac- knowledged its obligation by the seizure of the road.

The total valuation of the road within the State, with its rolling stock and other equip- ment, as fixed by the state board of equaliza- tion, was $2,366,040. The message of Gov. Smith to the legislature, with which the auditor's report was submitted, stated that he had endorsed the road's bonds for 250 miles at $16,000 per mile, $4,000,000, and that he had also delivered the $2,000,000 in bonds loaned by the State.

The original State-aid law required that a company which received the endorsement of the State should deposit with the State comp- troller, "at least fifteen days before the inter- est on such bonds became due," an amount sufficient to pay the interest, including ex- change and necessary commissions, or "sat- isfactory evidence that such interest had been paid or provided for." In January, 1871, de- fault was made in the payment of the semi- annual interest due at that time. The gov- ernor promptly announced his intention to protect the credit of the State, the decision meeting popular approval.

On February 24 the house passed the first of a series of acts on the subject, which directed the governor to investigate the

validity of the honds, and authorized him to pay the interest on those found to have been held by bona fide innocent purchasers on Jan- uary 1, 1871. In March, Gov. Lindsay went to New York to conduct the investigation and to arrange for funds to make interest pay- ments. Upon his return he reported that he had agreed to pay the interest on the first four thousand of the endorsed bonds and the two thousand State bonds, all others being rejected as fraudulent.

About this time it was given out by the Stantons that, "on account of annual expenses in dressing up the track," the company would issue bonds for the next year's interest charges instead of paying them in cash. Shortly after this information was vouchsafed the public, Col. W. A. C. Jones, of Sumter County, a creditor of the road for $16,000, petitioned the United States District Court at Montgomery to declare the company an in- voluntary bankrupt; and before the news of the pending proceedings had reached the pub- lic, Judge Richard Busteed had issued the decree, appointed receivers, and placed the road in the hands of the United States mar- shal.

At this time the indebtedness of the com- pany aggregated $13,528,720; its estimated annual interest charges, $1,190,417. The actual cost of the road could not be ascer- tained, but it was believed to have been con- siderably less than its bonded indebtedness.

On June 18, Gov. Lindsay made another visit to New York, to protect the interests of the State and to arrange for funds with which to pay the second instalment of interest on the Alabama & Chattanooga bonds, due July 1. Upon his return to Montgomery, he com- missioned John H. Gindrat, his secretary, to take charge of the road and its property, and act as receiver for the benefit of the State. In the meantime, Gov. R. B. Bullock, of Georgia, had seized the portion of the road within that State, and advertised that on and after July 1, the interest due on that day on the bonds of the company endorsed by the State of Georgia, would be paid by the State.

In Mississippi the employees of the com- pany had seized the road and rolling stock in the State to satisfy their claims for wages long in arrears, and it was necessary to insti- tute suits for possession of those portions of the road in Tennessee, Georgia and Mis- sissippi. The desired permission was readily granted by Tennessee and Mississippi, but Gov. Bullock refused to yield and also refused to cooperate with Alabama in carrying on the business of the road.

Practically all the rolling stock had been collected in Chattanooga before Col. Gindrat demanded possession of the road and every possible obstacle and hindrance was placed in the way of the execution of his commis- sion.

About the first of November J. C. Stanton was indicted in the city court of Montgomery for obtaining money from the State under false pretenses, but the indictment contained no specifications. Gov. Lindsay issued a requi- sition upon the governor of Tennessee for

HISTORY OF ALABAMA

Stanton and sent special officers to find and arrest him. He was brought to Montgomery, arraigned and released under a bail bond of $4,000.

The management of the road while in pos- session of the State's agents was not cred- itable to their ability nor satisfactory to Dem- ocrats or Radicals. Trains were not run with any semblance of regularity, and the road and equipment were allowed to deteriorate almost to the point of worthlessness.

From September, 1871, when a decree of bankruptcy was issued, the affairs of the road were in litigation, and on April 22, 1872, at Montgomery, its property was sold at auction, subject to prior liens of the United States, and of the States of Georgia and Alabama. The State of Alabama bought it in for $312,- 000. In May, 1872, the road was placed in charge of receivers for the first-mortgage bondholders, who put it in condition for operation between Chattanooga and Mer- idian.

By an act approved December 21, 1872, the legislature authorized the governor to trans- fer to purchasers from the State, all prop- erty and franchises of the Alabama & Chat- tanooga Railroad Co., which were sold on April 22, 1872, under order of United States District Court for the middle district of Ala- bama, and bought for the State at that sale. This act did not cover the transfer of the company's lands, telegraph lines, etc., which had not been included in the bankrupt sale.

On February 3, Gov. Lewis sent a special message to the legislature with which he sub- mitted for approval a provisional contract for the sale of the road, lands, equipment, telegraph line, and other appurtenances, to Mr. George Ingraham, president of the New Orleans & Northeastern Railroad Co. for the sum of $4,000,995, of which $235,000 was to be paid in cash, and the remainder by as- sumption of the bonds and interest on which the State was then obligated; also of the amount paid out by the State on receiver's certificates while in possession of the road; and in further consideration of an agreement upon the part of the purchaser to Indemnify the State against the lien of the State of Georgia upon the road. Purchase of the lands belonging to the company was provided for in consideration of the assumption of bonds numbers 1 to 1,500 inclusive of the $2,000,000 State bonds loaned to the Ala- hama & Chattanooga Railroad. The sale was to be made subject to the liens of the State on the road and the lands. On the same day a joint resolution was adopted authorizing the governor to borrow money to pay the bal- ance due on the purchase of the road at bankrupt sale.

On the 18th, a joint resolution was adopted to appoint a joint committee of six members, three from each house, to inquire Into the condition of the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad Co.

The contract between Gov. Lewis and George Ingraham, president of the New Or- leans & Northeastern Railroad Co., for the

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 7

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869- Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 756

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 756