The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-28


AsaSana's Hnssssest Hssa lAissesy-Cssvsst
Lahss n Csas MaasA
BnuNaHAl6, Ala, Jm. ia great deal
has bsen written about the prosperity OF
Georgia. She hes been held mp 10 Northern
eyes a. the Yankee State Of the South. tits
true that In 0eoWisthere 10 moro personal lib
erty Of political thought and action than in any
other cotton State. But - for thrift and the
ability 10 seize on the natural wealth that has
lain idle for generations. and use II to Dor
sonal Advancement the mon Of Georgia areonot
moro advanced than their neighbors In north
ern Alabama
The iron industry Of Birmingham has boon
created By Southern capital almost exclusively.
There are i've improved blast furnaces In opcr-
Ation. or shortly to blow In ct this point. There
are three largo and well-souipped machine
shops. three foundries. two woodworking e.
tablishments and several brickyards. There
10 also an extensive rolling mill In successful
operation. In the near future Il 10 probable
that Birmingham will have.About 80. 600 inhab-
itants. That 1t will ever be . second Pittsburgh.
a. II confidently claimed BY the hopeful mon
doing business here. do notbolievs.
Tho quality Of the iron produced 10 generally
No. and No. foundry" Iron IL manufac-
tured hero cheaper than ct any other place In
the United States. am told that this most ex-
cellent pig iron 10 produced at . cost not to
exceed 90 Der ton. This Ii . remarkable state
mont. but believe Il to be true. The wages
paid 10 tho unskilled black lsborers are very
low: indeed. none Of the men employed around
the blast furnaces are paid enough to enable
them to live decontly. The skilled labor en-
ployed In tho rolling mill. such a. puddlers.
heaters. and rollers 10 better paid than In any
northern mill. This Ii also true Of the mo-
chanics employed In the machine shops. was
surprised to see that ono Of the great blowing
engines used In the blast furnaces was built in
one Of these shops.
Iithink IL Il. Fourteen years ago opened
somo iron ore mines on the tanks Of Tussey
Mountain. In Pennsylvania. The seams were
commonly known as the rcd and yellow fossil
ores They were really the Levant iron ores.
The history OF the mining Of the fossiliferous
iron ores along Tusscy Mountain. in the Black
Valley. about Bedford. and on Wills Noun
tain. Is that when depth was gained the seam
OF ore changed its character and became worth
less. From q good. ee-working iron ore. 1t
changed into . hard limestone or into soft
sandstone. I can recall no exception to this
rule. The outcrops Of the seams were alone
OF value. and they were liable to exten-
sive faults. Tho seams OF iron ore be-
ing worked at this point are identical with
those Of the Levant sandstones In Pennsyl-
vania. Already the miners working on these
thick seams at this point complain that the
seams change and grow leaner as depth
Is gained. In addition to the fossiliferous iron
ores. the No. 2 limestone next above the shales
on tho Levant sandstone invariably carries
hematite ores. These ores are OF fairly good
quality and easily worked and are present In
large quantities at this point. The coal IL
abundant and Of very superior coking va
riety. Tho coke saw drawn from the ovens
at the sloss furnaces was fully equal to
any have seen In the Northern States. One
ton Of 1t will make ton Of pig iron. 1t was Of
surprising uniformity OF texture.
point Of the Allegheny Mountains juts into
northern Alabama and the lower seams Of the
Allegheny coal field are In place In these noun
talns. The upper seams have been washed
away. The coal extends. with . few breaks
and some small throws throughout Walker
county and along the Warrior River for many
messqres o9ly are in place. Much Of che coal
the nstional Goye,nment These, lands Arc
Oc the aaS Se
sss,s q. .hS enter as AR Ss qn ds
really desired the coal and the timber. caring
AZ fraudulent 4 true; 81. IL Is also true that
the fraud d. sannot b pr0yed .,-o, =, thu
ores viii supDy sSssS 81
many years. The hematite deposit y practi-
o. Is i
AZ a:
tho furnaces and mills. Many coke ovens are
lying Idle. and the founders were uncertain IS
them in blowing In their new furnaces The
coal mines arc six or seven miles from town.
main line, These. mines, are. without any ex :
the %Gss haS
that is the natural outgrowth Of the system
| Of leasing mines. Of employing conyicts. and Of
the Southern States. saw working rooms that
were eighty feet and q the
slight pillars: II Ventilation & yrstshed. '.'
ca BE- nd. ad sa
prise Of that character would BE-. advisable
Before the war-this Is the new date In the
doubt II the negroes were ever sent to prison
In Ala5ama: negro vas "a. valuable piece Of
%ds
mouthed bloodhounds that tore him sayagoly
Me9w who owned slaves took good care Of thSIl
ventilated coal mines TO work. The abolition
Of slavery has created class OF black CON
these these men would have been soSndly whipp sy
and set to work, In the cotton fields
| Now they arc tried and sentenced to long
terms Of hard labor. The policy Of the State
y to make the prison system seff-suDporting
the ny sf and
The highest bidders are the workers OF the
Pratt and Elyton coal mines near Birming-
tion Of AIabama is to Be Transferred to tho Plat
coal mines. The price paid for this convict
nre forced to cut an average OF from six to eight
tons OF coal per day. II they work over time
| they arc paid the same rates per ton, As cents.
| that the fFO0 min8ra r0e6iye. Their food IA