THE ALABAMA OPPORTUNITY. 163 



thousand* to twenty thousand as well as many minor country 

 towns. The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway 

 passes through Madison County from North to South, cross- 

 ing the great main line of the Southern at Huntsville and 

 thence south passing through Marshall. It also enters Jack- 

 son county connecting with the Southern at Stevenson. The L. 

 & N. connects also with the Southern at Florence in Lauder- 

 dale. The North Alabama and Birmingham Mineral rail- 

 way traverses the county of Colbert from the famous city of 

 Sheffield, crossing the Southern at Tuscumbia. Limestone 

 County has both the L. & N. main line and Southern. -So 

 railroads abound and freight rates are very low. 



FREE PIKES ABOUND. 



The condition of beautiful pikes, free pikes, adds a wonder- 

 ful attraction to our country. Being a country of natural pic- 

 turesque surroundings, it is by no means strange that this 

 garden spot of fertility and beauty should be greatly enhanced 

 as the home of man by splendid public roads. These beautiful 

 hard macadamized pikes, are specially an attraction to the en- 

 terprising, as no man likes to bury his family in the country 

 beyond impassable mud-holes. Therefore it is with pride that 

 the people of this country point to their free pike system, and 

 say to their Northern brethren, you see we are not unmindful 

 of the blessings nature has showered upon us, and we have 

 shown our appreciation by building a road system which would 

 justly excite the admiration and envy of the world. Perhaps 

 to many Northern people it is a surprise to know that' four 

 counties in the Tennessee valley have perfect hard stone ma- 

 cadamized free pikes. The Counties of Madison, Jackson, 

 Colbert and Lauderdale have free and beautiful macadamized 

 pikes. There is more free pikeage in the Tennessee Valley 

 than in any similar sction south of the Mason and Dixon line. 

 These roads are beautifully kept up by honest labor. While 

 the public roads in the other counties are not so fine as those 

 mentioned, still for nine months in the year they are splendid. 



EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. 



The educational facilities' have been greatly advanced in the 

 last six years, Alabama having greatly increased her school 



