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Show -This Is Our I ) fjU FASCINATING CONTRASTS By Edward Emeilne, WNU Features. to w? piws IJSr "Fl02 ' LtM0l)ViQ ALABAMA Cotton State. l j ) STATE FLOWER: Goldenrod. i (f ( MOTTO: We Dare Defend Our THE mellowness of the old, the bustle of the new, the promise of the future. That is Alabama. The stately ancestral mansions still remain but coal and iron mines nearby now teem with human activity. activ-ity. A forest of virgin timber may surround a forest of active smokestacks. smoke-stacks. The easy-going crossroads genera store is not far from a modern mod-ern highway or an airport. A great oak which sheltered Fernando De-Soto De-Soto holds its hoary moss over a laboratory where chemical magic is performed. Here is a hall where once swirled crinolines beneath thousand-candled chandeliers, and down the same street Is a modern office building where business affairs af-fairs are discussed. That's versatile, gracious Alabama. The word "Alabama" In the Mus-kegean Mus-kegean Indian tongue literally means "vegetation gatherers," or "thicket clearers." And well the word may, for Alabama's 200 types of soli grow more than 4,400 species of trees and plants as well as most of the agricultural products known to the temperate zonel Average annual rainfall is 53.87 Inches, while the average annual temperature ranges from 60 degrees F. In the northern part of the state to 67 degrees F. near the coast. The growing season ranges from 190 days in the northern north-ern part to 300 days on the southern coast. Cheaha mountain, the state's highest high-est point, is 2,407 feet above sea level. Alabama stretches 336 miles from the Appalachian mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. Not only is Alabama the land of corn and cotton. It also grows peanuts, pea-nuts, hay and oats, truck crops and fruits, and in many sections has specialties such as water cress, gladioli and peonies, as well as its famed azaleas and camelia japoni-cas. japoni-cas. There are many commercial nurseries. In 1944, there were 1,255,000 head of cattle in the state, both beef and dairy type. Alabama has over a million mil-lion head of hogs and 17.000.000 chickens. (Southern-fried? Yes, lots of 'em!) Alabama leads the nation In the shipment of live bees and queens. Beneath the rich top soil, too, Alabama Ala-bama has great wealth. Its mines produce coal, iron ore, flake graphite, graph-ite, and clay and shale for brick- readily available for the manufacture manufac-ture of iron and steel. Alabama's state government has been streamlined. The state treasury treas-ury holds a surplus of 40 million dollars. Its industries are expanding. expand-ing. Agriculture is prosperous. Natural Na-tural resources are being conserved and wisely utilized. Rich by nature, na-ture, Alabama is made richer by man's skill and intelligence. Alabamans Ala-bamans travel toward new horizons. Alabama passed through the throes of reconstruction after the Civil war, but emerged into a new era of development which continues steadily. With a temperate climate, fertile soil and raw materials, the possibilities for advancement and progress are portrayed vividly against the mellowness of the old South down in Alabama, where people peo-ple are proud to say: "This is our homeland." ' N , 1 v. - V 1NDIAN MOUNDS, WATERFALLS. . . . Alabama's good highways and all - year - 'round climate bring scenic points close to those who live in the cities. Above picture shows the highest of the many Indian mounds found In the state. On the right is one of the state's famous waterfalls. With a rich historical background, Alabama has hundreds of old mansions and other spots for tourists to visit. The Alabama Memorial building is a treasure-house of documents, pictures and relics of the stirring days of '61 and other periods of the state's history. Every town retains its historical interest. In sharp contrast to virgin forests and waterfalls are the smokestacks of Alabama's industrial plants, the busy life of its cities and its many airports. I 1 1 - dLJ making. It has sandstone and marble for building, bauxite as a source for aluminum, quartzite and rock asphalt. as-phalt. Five oil wells are now producing pro-ducing in Choctaw county. In industry, the state has lumber, shipbuilding, textiles, mines, cement, ce-ment, pipe plants, chemicals, steel, aluminum, hydroelectric plants and dozens of others which use by-products and farm products in manufacturing manufac-turing and processing. The annual value of products manufactured in Alabama is more than twice the value of all farm products. Large industries using the state's natural resources have been successfully operating over long periods pe-riods of years. The largest manufacturer manufac-turer of cotton ginning machinery in the world began its work in Alabama Ala-bama 136 years ago in Prattville. Large textile mills have operated 100 years. The iron and steel industry is concentrated con-centrated in the Birmingham district. dis-trict. Necessary coal and ore are But they do not forget their heritage heri-tage of the past. DeSoto and his Spaniards passed through the lower Gulf country in 1540. Once a part of Louisiana, it was old Fort Louis de la Mobile on Mobile river that was made the capital in 1702. Mobile at its present site dates from 1711. Later Alabama was a part of the territory of Mississippi, Mis-sissippi, formed in 1798, but became be-came a separate territory in 1817 and a state in 1819. St. Stephens was the territorial capital, V and Huntsville was the temporary seat of the first state government. Ca-hawba Ca-hawba was the first state capital site, but the government moved to Tuscaloosa in 1826. It was not until 1847 that Montgomery became toe permanent seat. When Alabama seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861, the delegates dele-gates from the southern states met at Montgomery and selected Jefferson Jeffer-son Davis as president of the Confederacy. Con-federacy. He was inaugurated at the present state capital. GOVERNOR CHAUNCEY SPARKS Elected governor in 1942, Chaun-cey Chaun-cey Sparks, a bachelor, was a lawyer, law-yer, judge and legislator before entering en-tering his high office. He was born at Eufaula, Ala. He is a graduate of Mercer university, Macon, and a member of the Baptist church. , . , . . : 'v : V::.. ' r ' . 1 . .v ;;..; ' ' - ' i 'c-jmt miMttti0mtui-kti'f.i i, j.o;,Miji-.iXlJu,. rr" till f-air.rn'r Vi i .------ft-.-.---.s--M Alabama's Forests The forests of Alabama constitute one of its greatest assets, supporting 2,500 sawmills, 5 paper and pulp mills and 133 other wood-using industries, indus-tries, and giving employment to 100,-000 100,-000 people. The state has approximately 19 million acres of forest growth. As some lands are cleared other lands arc being planted to trees. Pines, cypress, red cedar and hemlock are principal soft woods, while hard woods include oak, red gum, elo. |