Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-02-28
Letter From Alabama.
Correspondence OF the REPUBLICAN.
nynurN,,..u Al. E.h 90 ~

Correspondence OF the REPUBLICAN.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Feb. 90, 1882.
In the new South there is not many
places that could be said to enjoy a
boom, but Birmingham Is an exception.
For half "A century Alabama has been
known to have large deposits Of rich
hc.latite iron ore, containing GO per
cent of the pure metal, and 1t was
also more recently known to have de-
poSits of bituninOus coal in close lrox-
Unity, and plenty Of limestone.
The three ingredients above named,
with some minor additions, are neces
sary to produce pig iron, upon which
the whole iron family is founded. II is
reasonable to suppose that if slavery
had not been abolished they would
have remained where they were until
doonsday, for manufacturing was not
only discouraged, but spnrned, and all
sources OF wealth dsregarled, except
cane, corn and cotton. But freedom =
conqmering power stirred the minds of
men to find the source Of its influence,
which was found to be development in
all that that word means, from the in
dividual man outward to organized com
munties of mind, muscle and money,
turning everything into its highest
value.
When those influences toatrd from
beneath the north star towards the equa-
tor, Birmingham was Il small village,
whose inhabitants were pining ont II
miserable existence where lone Chin
neys from burnt buildings stood from
year to year, it was cheaper TO build on
adjacent inexpensive ground than to
remove the debris for new house. To-
day it is an incorporated city of 10000
inhabitants, having water works and
modern appliances. II is building
houses at the rate of three hundred II
year, and desirable building lots are
worth 30 cents TO 81 foot, and boasts
of three blast furnaces Of the latest
style, with Pittsburgh patent gas heat
ing furnaces ; two large machine shops,
one or more Of smaller proportions, and
one boiler works Of large capacity.
1t is worthy Of note that the engines
in the blast furnaces, standing side by
side in the engine room, are four
whose capacity is three hundred and
fifty horse power each were made Al
home by the Linn Iron Works. Those
wrr, at fine Sln,s furnace. and tlc ones
Al fin. shelley furnace are made from the
sam, raltrrms. Tn, Alice furnace i,
i. no, u,,itr r,,uulrt.d or course. TO
build such machinery requires heavy
.c,.tiuos which are made here in con
merriam vim thc Williams Machine and
Foundry Co,nrapy. and the "Metal
CIV" Machine and Foundry COMPANY.
Tnr nlI BIRMINGHAM Railing Mill.
are. turniur n,t a fair lot of work. but
thc new mills are constructed SO as tu
nxr.ll Them in uuanti,v and kind
R..si,n.r Stool has M, been att.,nut,I
Lut ~ A., unI.rlviup tbourht If is slum.
h.r;n,, mil -, fnture Lov
In In. r,rIv convention If fine lryrl.
,,,,no,,t md conversion NJ thp iron orr.
L,nnvi, If Rod Maintain Jefferson
,,,.nnty ,l,h,,,, III. distance trnn
,.,,Ln, ,v,u , ,rr.,t consideration and
.,ith,,,,,l, i, 40, .,an ,L,t ,iu ;r,n ,oulL
H.. mail. tur 80 ~ npr ton still il woulL
n,,rl, ,.,t !, m, ~ nav fla tr.irb,s IN
IInrinu,ti ar r. the Cities nm the sea
,n,,t
w.. r.l;,y;u,, tLouuht r,s that rho
pr.,t .nuthwrst w,s nn.niuo nm and
N.xicn * I.mnn,iny more and more IF
th,. mann, ,nI ,n,l;arr.. Of nur ciy;li.
zntinn nuL a yr.., market is near AT
j,.rI i, ,l,,t f;r.o,;nm vh;.l, IL III.