THJ; ALABAMA OPPORTUNITY. 149 



North of this, the county s'eat, within the County of Bibb, 

 is the astonishing town of Blocton, a place which might be 

 called a huge mine. A dozen mines there have formed a 

 nucleus of four separate towns. Two of them are incorporated. 

 All are one settlement and practically one town. There are 

 probably some four or five thousand people living in or around 

 the mining town of Blocton. 



It is famous for the excellence of its fuel coal, the Blocton 

 and Cahaba brands. The Cahaba coal fields have made it, and 

 the outcroppings' of these same Cahaba coal fields have run 

 down to within six miles of Centerville, and the veins and seams 

 come even closer to the town. 



The Cahaba River runs along the coal seams, past and close 

 to Centerville, through Dallas County, into the x\labama. And 

 en the other side of Centerville and alongside of the Cahaba 

 River are the big plantations and the rich farms. And here 

 again, within sight of each other, are found the civilization 

 of plains and the civilization of the hills. One can stand upon 

 the farm of the hill dweller and sweep his eye over the planta- 

 tion of the big land owner as it slopes gradually to the river. 

 H-re again is found the source for speculation upon the strange 

 iiatural law which leads the small farmer to the hills for the 

 building of his home and the establishment of his small farm ; 

 the law which persuades the planter with means to dwell upon 

 t)ic plains and widen his holdings through the years until in 

 tiiiie he becomes the holder of thousands of acres. 



THE PLAINS AND HILI-S. 



It is not to be considered strange that in the younger days 

 of the State the plains' were the richer and the plantations were 

 the more prosperous. Tt is hardly to be doubted that on the 

 cotton, plantations the richer and the fuller life was lived. The 

 plantation decayed in later years in the same proportion as the 

 n'hite man left it. In agriculture, supposedly the strong suit 

 of the negro, he has only partially met his trust. 



The small farms' of the white man have grown faster than 

 the plantations have increased. The small farm and its white 

 owner have always been prosperous. The small farmer has 

 nnt only widened the field he formerly occupied, but he has 

 Ditched his camp in the new counties, the new section. 



