History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 103

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: 724

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The American settlers in the vicinity of Fort Stoddert felt the most intense hatred for the Spanish in the Mobile district, and more than one attack was planned to take the town of Mobile. The presence of the gra- rison at Fort Stoddert served as a check upon these designs.

The Mobile Sentinel, the first newspaper published in the limits of the present State of Alabama, was printed at Fort Stoddert, May 23, 1811. Two copies only of this old paper are known to survive, both printed In 1811.

At Fort Stoddert rest the mortal remains of Ephraim Kirby, judge of the superior court for the newly established Washington district, and the first Federal judicial officer appointed to a position in what is now Ala- bama. He was commissioned April 6, 1804, and at once entered upon his duties. He died October 20, 1804, and was laid away with military honors. (See sketch in Dictionary of Alabama Biography.)

After the establishment of the cantonment at Mount Vernon and the taking over of Mo- hile by the United States, Fort Stoddert lost its importance and was abandoned.

See Mount Vernon, Cantonment, Arsenal, and Barracks.

REFERENCES .- Pickett, History of Alabama (Owen's ed., 1900), pp. 481, 492, 509; Hamilton, Colonial Mobile (1910), pp. 377, 383, 388, 405; Ala. Hist. Society. Transactions, 1897-98, vol. 2, p. 167; Ibid, 1898-99, vol. 3, p. 230; Hamilton, Mobile of the five flags (1913), pp. 183, 185; Owen, "Ephraim Kirby," in Alabama State Bar Association, Proceedings, 1901, pp. 167, 179; and copies of original documents and records in U. S. War Dept., preserved in the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

STORMS. See Climatology.

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STRANGULATED COUNTIES. See Coun-

ties.

STREET RAILWAYS. Public utilities for the transportation of passengers or freight, operated upon the streets of cities, or upon the public highways or private right-of-way, through suburban or rural territory, between two or more urban communities. There are four classes of such utilities in the State, namely, street railways proper, suburban lines, interurban lines, and traction lines which handle freight as

well as pas- sengers. There have been three differ- ent kinds of motive power for cars on street railways in use in Alabama at various times, viz, animal power, steam, and elec- tricity. There have been no cable cars, and the overhead trolley system has been exclu- sively used. Thus far, no underground sys- tem of power supply has been installed.

The first street railway, so called, con- structed in Alabama was an interurban line connecting Mobile and Springhill, a suburb about 3 miles distant. This road was first operated by steam, using locomotives and other equipment similar to that in use on railroads; but several years later it was elec- trified, and has since been consolidated with the Mobile street-railway system. The char- ter for this first interurban line, granted by the legislature, February 23, 1860, authorized the company "to use any such (sic) motive power as said company may choose to apply: provided, that steam power shall not be used by said company within said city of Mobile, upon said railroad east of Anne street The road was put in opera- tion in 1860, using animal power within the limits of the city, as specified in the charter. Soon after, a street railway was constructed on Dauphin Street from Royal to Lafayette, by a company which had for several years been operating a line of omnibuses. Horses and mules were used as motive power for the street cars. Both these railways were seri- ously damaged during the War, but were put in order soon after its close. In 1866, another street railway was constructed on Royal Street to Frascati on the bay.

On December 3, 1866, the legislature au- thorized the construction of a street railroad in the town of Selma; and on October 31, 1868, the town authorities granted a charter to the Selma Street Railway Co., which was to construct one or more tracks along Water, Broad, Alabama, Dallas, and Church Streets, upon which cars should be run, "propelled by horse or steam power for the transportation of passengers and freight." The line was completed in December, 1872.

On all the early street and suburban rail- ways in the State animal power was first used. The next development in motive power was the use of steam engines, either small loco- motives, or engines placed in one end of the cars. These cars were called "dummies," and the lines using this kind of motive power were called "dummy lines." Street railways of this class were for many years in opera- tion in Birmingham, Bessemer, Gadsden, and

Tuscaloosa. They superseded to a great ex- tent the old horse-cars in Mobile also. In 1892 there were 38 miles of street railways in Mobile, some using steam, some- animal power, and some using both; and at the same time, another line to be operated by elec- tricity was being built. In the same year there were in the city of Birmingham and its suburbs seven dummy lines, six electric rail- ways and several horse-car lines, aggregating over 100 miles of track. In Montgomery the street railways were being operated by ani- mal power.

Introduction of Electricity. The first electric street-railway in Alabama and one of the first in the world was operated in the city of Montgomery. The first trolley-car was tested on Court Street under the personal supervision of Charles Van Depoele, a Bel- gian chemist, and inventor and one of the pioneers in the application of electrical power to rapid-transit equipment. Besides the inventor, the passengers on its trial trip were Warren S. Reese, mayor; J. A. Gabourv. president of the street car company; A. M. Kennedy; Josiah Morris; E. B. Joseph; Wil- liam Joseph; Henry Aperious; W. W. Screws; and several other prominent citizens. The success of the new invention resulted in the early adoption of electricity on nearly all the lines in Alabama and throughout the United States. At present it is used to the practical exclusion of all other kinds of motive power.

Regulation and Taxation .- Prior to Sep- tember 25, 1915, street railway companies were subject only to the provisions of the constitution and statutes governing corpora- tions. Upon the date mentioned, the Ala- bama Public Service Commission was estab- lished; and street railways, along with all other public service corporations, were put under its jurisdiction. Street railways are subject to the same taxes as other public utili- ties, and all assessments of their property are made directly by the State board of equali- zation.

Statistics .- The available statistics for 1902, 1907, and 1912 are not comparable ex- cept in a limited way, because of different bases of classification as between urban, sub- urban, interurban and traction companies having been used in the censuses. Census reports for 1902 included "Street Railways," in the strict meaning of the term. Subse- quent reports have included street and elec- tric railways, this classification taking ac- count of the interurban and traction lines as well as the street railways proper.

In 1902 there were 9 street railway com- panies in the State, operating 204.72 miles of track, whose capital stock aggregated $7,696,- 900, and whose funded debt was $6,678,500. The nine companies operated 370 cars, of which 311 were passenger; 21 express, freight, mail and baggage; and 38 service cars. Of the total, 233 cars were equipped with motors. The total number of passen- gers carried by street railways in the State for the year ending June 30, 1902, was 23,- 741,963.

In 1907 there were 10 companies, oper-

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HISTORY OF ALABAMA

ating 293.86 miles of track, whose capital stock was $12,980,900, and whose funded debt amounted to $15,181,667. They oper- ated 596 cars, of which 488 were passenger; 35 express, freight, mail and baggage; and 73 service cars. Of the total, 405 were equipped with motors. The total number of passengers carried for the year ending June 30, 1907, was 62,923,421.

In 1912 there were 12 companies, one of which was a holding company operating no line. The total track mileage was 308.80, the aggregate capital stock of the 12 com- panies, $12,997,000, and the funded indebt- edness, $17,002,500. Five hundred and nine- ty-six cars were operated, of which 475 were passenger; 55 express, freight, mail and bag- gage; and 66 service cars. Of the total, 388 were equipped with motors. A total of 74,- 889,350 passengers were carried. The 11 op- erating companies employed an average of 1,973 persons, whose salaries and wages ag- gregated for the year mentioned, $1,317,365.

The appended list gives the titles and lo- cations of the street railways operating in the State during the year 1916.

Alabama Power Co., Anniston and Hunts- ville.

Alabama City, Gadsden & Attalla Railroad, Alabama City, Attalla, Gadsden, and North Gadsden.

Birmingham Tidewater Railway Co., East Lake to Ensley.

Birmingham & Edgewood Electric Rail- way, Birmingham and suburbs.

Birmingham Railway, Light & Power Co., Birmingham and suburbs.

Columbus Railroad Co., Girard to Colum- bus, Ga.

Gadsden, Bellevue & Lookout Mountain Railway, Gadsden to Nocculula Falls.

Gadsden Railway Co., Gadsden.

Mobile Light & Railway Co., Mobile and suburbs.

Montgomery Light & Traction Co., Mont- gomery and suburbs.

North Alabama Traction Co., Decatur.

Selma Street & Suburban Railway, Selma.

Sheffield Co., The, Florence, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia.

Tuscaloosa Railway & Utilities Co., Tus- caloosa.

See Equalization, State Board of; Public Service Commission, the Alabama; Public Utilities; titles of individual companies in their appropriate alphabetical places.

REFERENCES .- Constitution, 1901, secs. 227, 228; Code, 1907, secs. 1267, 1269, 1272, 1374, 3483, 3486, 3487, 3501; Acts, 1859-60, pp. 263- 271; 1866-67, p. 48; General Acts, 1915, pp. 865- 867; U. S. Bureau of the Census, Street and elec- tric railways, 1907 (Special reports, 1910), and Central electric light and power stations and street and electric railways, 1912 (Bulletin 124, 1914) ; Poor's manual of public utilities, 1917; "Electric railway Transportation," in Am. Acad. of Pol. and Soc. Science, Annals, Jan., 1911, vol. 37; Mclaughlin and Hart, Cyclopedia of Ameri- can Government (1914); Hamilton, Mobile of the five flags (1913), p. 371; Hardy, Selma (1879), p. 114; W. P. G. Harding, An essay on

Bessemer, Alabama (1890); Thomas M. Owen, Sketch, in Art work of Montgomery, Alabama, 1907, pts. 7 and 8; F. J. Sprague, "Growth of electric railways," in Aera. Oct. 1916, vol. 5, pp. 253-288; E. P. Morris, "Early Van Depoele installations," Ibid. Dec. 1916, vol. 5, pp. 489- 508.

STUDENT ARMY TRAINING CORPS. De- partment of Instruction conducted in institu- tions in this State, during the period of the World War, in which every student eligible for military service was required to participate.

The Student Army Training Corps was the outgrowth of the feeling on the part of college presidents where the officers reserve corps had not thrived, that the students who eventually might become subject to military service should have some preparatory training, and become eligible for training camps. The government agreed with them, and during the latter months of the war authorized the maintenance of de- partments of this kind.

University of Alabama .- Instructions began at the University of Alabama on October 1, 1918. Drill had been held regularly during September under the superintendent of army officers, but upon the reorganization at that time Cadet officers were replaced by Lieuten- ants of the regular army. The government paid to the students who were enlisted the sum of $30 a month, and guaranteed that they would be sent to some officers' training camp and that if they were shown to be qualified they would be commissioned as second lieutenant and sent to different colleges to assist in training men of the S. A. T. C. to become real soldiers. In addition to the military feature vocational training departments were maintained and a large number of students enrolled in these.

Soon after the signing of the Armistice 'the demobolization of the S. A. T. C. at the University was begun. Examinations began on December 12, and the faculty by its action in changing the date of examination enabled all men to secure their proper credit. As the men had been required to drill two hours a day the military experience was of consider- able value to many, and showed the students the value of regular habits, regular diet and regular exercise.

Captain George A. Brewer of Opelika was in command of the University training de- tachment, and he was succeeded by Major E. O. C. Ord who was in command as Com- mandant at the University. Major Ord was relieved as Commandant about the middle of November by Captain Cranston. Under his direction and that of Lts. Lum and Thompson as Adjutant and Quartermaster demobiliza- tion of the S. A. T. C. was completed.

The reserve officers training corps was re- organized at the University taking the place of the S. A. T. C. and Major Joseph T. Cle- ment was placed in charge. Under the Uni- versity regulations all Freshmen and Soph- omores physically able are required to take military training and it is left to Juniors and Seniors whether or not they take the course,

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receiving, it they do so, government compen- sation for the time devoted to it. The Uni- versity also gives credit for military work.

Alabama Polytechnic Institute .- The Ala- bama Polytechnic Institute has always main- tained a Military Department. Before the S. A. T. C. plan had been perfected, the War Department had already called Auburn into service to give "special vocational instruction to men drafted for specialized service in the army." In the neighborhood of twelve hun- dred men completed the courses prescribed.

In September, 1918, the military staff of the college was increased from seven to twen- ty-two men. About twelve hundred students applied for admission to the college and a large number of them enlisted in the Student Army Training Corps. Many were not of the prescribed age, and a number who had enlisted were later discharged for physical disabilities. The engineering building and gymnasium were used for quarters for a short time. However, in order that the buildings in use might be returned and restored to their proper use, new dormitories were constructed. A new dining hall was built, and all the fra- ternity houses were turned over and used as barracks.

During the life of the S. A. T. C. at Auburn the details of military instruction greatly hampered class work and study periods. After the cessation of hostilities and the signing of the Armistice the students who were enlisted in the S. A. T. C. were demobi- lized, and the reserve officers training camp plan again installed. For further details see sketch of Alabama Polytechnic Institute.

Troy Normal School .- Class and courses in military instruction were maintained during 1918-19 at the Troy State Normal School. For further details see Bulletins of that Institution.

Jacksonville Normal School .- On Septem- ber 16, 1918, at the opening of the fall term of the Jacksonville Normal School a large number of candidates applied for admission "to the dual relation of student and soldier." It has been estimated that 200 young men had registered on September 12, and had the required number of units or their equivalent to enter the Student Army Training Corps. A large number applied who were ineligible.

It was necessary to construct new barracks, and other arrangements had to be made to take care of the large additional number of men. An army officer was assigned to the school on September 23, but as he was taken ill with influenza was unable to report until two weeks later. Taken as a whole the course offered to the students was very helpful.

On the 8th day of October, 23 young men were inducted into service of the United States and this unit of the S. A. T. C. took on official form. The induction of the other students was rapid and by October 30, more than 130 of the applicants were found qualified.

On November 26 the Secretary of War is- sued an order to demobilize all units and

by December 31, all of those who had been enlisted at the Jacksonville Normal School had severed their connection with the army.

Talladega College .- A unit of the Students Army Training Corps was maintained at this institution.

Howard College .- In the fall of 1918 the military feature of instruction was again in- stalled in this institution. At that time the S. A. T. C. was formed, and those students of the college who were subject to the draft, but who had not been called were eligible. The work of the S. A. T. C. was discontinued between the 7th and 21st of December. For further details see catalogues of Howard Col- lege.

Birmingham-Southern College .- Under the direction of regular army officers a unit of the S. A. T. C. was maintained at Birmingham Southern College and a large number of men enlisted. The work of the Unit at this institu- tion was practically the same as at the other schools in the State.

Spring Hill College .- On the 17th day of September, 1918, Lt. Braund was assigned to the institution and assumed command on the 19th. The buildings which were owned by the college were used as barracks, and as the grounds of the college embrace an area of 800 acres, there was plenty of room for drill- ing purposes. The work of the unit was greatly retarded on account of an epidemic of influenza which broke out among the students during the latter part of September. The companies of the S. A. T. C. at Spring Hill participated in all peace parades which were held in Mobile after the signing of the Armistice. The relationship between officers and faculties during the life of the S. A. T. C. at Spring Hill was excellent. Each co-op- erated with the other in making the work a success.

REFERENCES .- Catalogues of the institutions mentioned above, and manuscript letters, etc., in the files of the Alabama State Department of Archives and History.

SUCCARNOCHEE RIVER. A tributary of the Tombigbee River (q. v.), about 140 miles long; width and depth not available. The river rises in Kemper County, Miss., and flows through Sumter County, Ala., to its conflu- ence with the Tombigbee, 16 miles below Demopolis. Its general direction in Alabama is southeast. The fall of the stream is about 132 feet, or 1.12 feet to the mile. There are only two rapids on its course, but navigation is obstructed by logs, stumps, snags, over- hanging timber, and fishtraps. Navigation, other than by timber rafts at very high water stages, has never been attempted. The Gov- ernment made an examination of the section of the river between the mouth and the Mo -. bile & Ohio Railroad bridge, a distance of 117 miles, in 1890, but no work has been done as a result, nor has a project been adopted. The question of water power has not arisen with reference to this stream.

REFERENCES .- U. S. chief of engineers, An- nual report, 1891, App. Q, pp. 1800-1803.

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HISTORY OF ALABAMA

SUGAR CANE. See Syrup Manufacturing.

SUGGSVILLE. Postoffice and station on Southern Railway, 9 miles from the Alabama River, in Clarke County, 11 miles S. of Grove Hill, and 80 miles N. N. E. of Mobile. Pop- ulation. 1912, 350. Altitude: 124 feet. This settlement was first known as Fort Mad- ison, as Suggsville was subsequently built 1 1/2 miles E. of the site of the fort. About 1812, John Slater built one of the first grist mills in Clarke county. In 1813 Johnothan Em- mons started the first cotton-gin in the set- tlement. In 1815, Robert G. Hayden started a tan-yard and a small shoe factory. In 1816, Robert Caller operated a water mill and gin, and used an iron screw, worked by hand, or horse power, to pack cotton bales. Suggs- ville was the trading point for the neighbor- hood. Town lots were laid out and sold in 1819, while the streets were given such names as Van Ransaleer, Van Buren, Depey- ster, Tennessee, Pearl and Mulberry. The place was named for William Sugges, who came in 1814 and opened a general store. Ira Portis came in 1818; James Cleveland, Wm. S. Exell and Wm. Morry Fontaine and families before 1820. The first copy of "The Clarke County Post" bears date: "suggsville, April 25, 1836," the first article in this issue is the "Proclamation of Independence of Texas."

REFERENCES .- Ball's Clarke County (1882), pp. 138, 172, 174, 183, 187, 197, 202, 472, 481, 488-89, 491, 496, 553, 692, also Transactions of Ala. Hist. Soc., vol. 3, pp. 123-24.

SUKA-ISPOKA. An Upper Creek village in Tallapoosa County, on the right bank of the Tallapoosa River, probably midway be- tween Welch and Whaley ferries. Hawkins in 1799 says that it was a small settlement and that the settlers had moved, and joined Imukfa, with a few exceptions. He describes the flats on the river as narrow, the land as broken, and the river at that point broad and shoally.

The earliest recorded reference to the town is as Shuckospoga on Mitchell's map, 1755. The town of this name seems early to have been thrown off from the mother town of Okfuski, and it was probably located south of the mouth of Elkahatchee or nearer to the main town. In 1760 it seems to have been included with Okfuski, and is listed with 300 warriors, and as 12 leagues from Fort Toulouse. The English trade regulations of 1761 seem to indicate that there were two settlements of similar name, namely, Sooga- spooga, which was near the main town, with 20 hunters, and Suka-ishpogi, identical with the one here described. The latter is spe- cifically stated to be separate and distinct from the other, and had 130 hunters, both were assigned to Rae and Macintosh. It was in this town that the killing of the traders began May 14, 1760. The word means "hog range," "hog-gathering place," or "hog-kill- ing place," that is, Suka, "hog," ispoka, "I gather." ( ?)

REFERENCES .- Gatschet, in Alabama History

Commission, Report (1901), p. 409; Handbook of American Indians (1910), vol. 2, p. 648; Hawkins, Sketch of the Creek Country (1848), p. 48; Georgia, Colonial Records (1907), vol. 8, p. 523; Mississippi, Provincial Archives (1911), vol. 1, p. 95; Winsor, The Mississippi Basin (1899), p. 31.

SUKINATCHI. A river rising in Missis- sippi, and flowing east and southeast through Sumter County into the Tombigbee River. The first recorded reference to the stream is in Romans, who spells it Sookhanatcha. The creek was historic among the Choctaws, but has no association with special events in American history. Gatschet notes a former Choctaw settlement in Lowndes and Kemper Counties, Miss., of that name, but sometimes called factory Indians. The word is Shukha in hachcha, and its meaning is "hog its river." The word shukha is the Choctaw for opos- sum. After the introduction of hogs among the Indians the similarity to the native ani- mal led them to transfer the name.

REFERENCES .- Handbook of American Indians (1910), vol. 2, p. 648; Ala. Hist. Society, Tran- sactions, 1898-1899, vol. 3, p. 70.

SULLIGENT. Post office and incorpor- ated town in the northwestern part of Lamar County, on the Buttahatchee River, 12 miles north of Vernon, 22 miles northwest of Fay- ette, and on the "Frisco" Railway. Altitude: 323 feet. Population: 1900-303; 1910-619; 1916-1,200. It was incorporated in 1888, under the general laws. All municipal build- ings are rented. It has privately owned elec- tric light plant, and 15 artesian wells. Its tax rate is 5 mills, and its bonded indebted- ness, $10,000, school bonds, due in 1929. It has the Bank of Sulligent (State), and the Sulligent Standard, Democratic weekly newspaper established in 1914. Its indus- tries are a fertilizer plant, a cottonseed oil mill, 3 cotton warehouses, a planing mill, a sawmill, 2 gristmills, a lumber yard, 2 cotton ginneries, brick kilns, and an electric light plant. It has a $10,000 brick public school building. It also has a public auditorium, and a Masonic hall. The town is located on the old Jackson military road. The first set- tlers were R. F. Bankhead and Dr. R. J. Redden.

REFERENCE .- Manuscript data in the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

SUMTER AND CHOCTAW RAILWAY COMPANY. Chartered July 12, 1904, under the general laws of Alabama. Its road ex- tends from Lilita to Choctaw City; mileage operated June 30, 1915-main track, 22.66, side tracks, 2.58, total, 25.24; capital stock authorized-common, $50,000; shares, $100, voting power, one vote a share; and no funded debt. This company also owns 6.78 miles of road which it leases to the Allison Lumber Co., of Bellamy.

REFERENCE .- Annual report of company to Ala. Public Service Commission, 1915.

SUMTER COUNTY. Created by an act De- cember 18, 1832. The section included in

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HISTORY OF ALABAMA

this county was acquired at the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, with the Choctaw In- dians, September 27, 1830. In 1847 two ranges were taken from it and added to Choctaw County. It has an area of 900 square miles, or 521,120 acres.

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 103

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: 724

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: 724