The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-23
GOLD MINE IN IRON.
Southern Experience to be Re.
peated on the Sound.
A RAILROAD MANS OPINION
Ex-President Norton, of the Louisville
y Nashville Here-Manager
Clark Coming.

Mr.. and Mrs. Elk Norton. their two sons
and two daughters, their niece, Miss Maud
Ryan, ana Miss Ward, of New York. and
Mr.. Norton's brother, Judge Elijah III.
Norton, OF Missouri, arrived in the city
yesterday In private car. Mr.. Norton
has been for seven years president of the
Louisville d Nashville railroad, and re-
Gently resigned that Office to retire into
private life. He took the opportunity of
making tour of the West with his fam
lily, never having been further West than
Denver. The party started five weeks ago
from New York and went by the Penn
sylvania lines to st. Louis. then by the
Missouria Pacific to Omaha. where Judge
Norton joined them, BY the Union Pacific
to Denver, by the Santa Fe to Ell Paso, by
the Mexican National to chihuahua. over
the Southern Pacific to Los Angeles, San
Diego, Coronado, Santa Barbara, Monte
rey and Portland. From that city they
came here yesterday over the Northern
Pacific, go today to Victoria, return to the
city on Sunday, to Tacoma on Monday,
and thence return East.
The Louisville 81 Nashville road is a sys-
TEN which owes its growth and develop
ment to the development of the coal and
iron industries of Kentucky. Tennessee and
Alabama during the last few years.
Speaking on this subject to Posr-INrEL-
LIGENcER reporter, Mr.. Norton said
"Seven years ago l took hold of the road,
when the stock was down to "a or 25. 1t
is now at n or IS and has been at SO. Our
policy has been to build branches where it
would reach development. Take for in
stance Birmingham, which has large min
eral resources-coal, iron and lime
stone - within seven miles. We
started the Birmingham Mineral railroad
aid f 1uiitt5s. c ! scEnches-one seven and
half miles north of the mountain and the
other three and half miles south of the
mountain. We have extended it until it
has l75 miles of track, reaching all the
greatest industries, but the greatest dis
lance of any part of it from Birmingham
is thirteen miles. Branches extend in
every direction from the city and others
cut across to connect. The tonnage of
this road exceeds the entire tonnage of the
cotton crop of the South. Birmingham
can produce iron cheaper than any other
district in the country, consequently the
furnaces are always in operation, for when
anybody can make profit on iron, no
matter how low the price is, they can
make profit on it. The best market for
Birmingham is the iron-producing dis
tricts of Pennsylvania and Ohio"
Referring TO the section which he has
just been visiting, Mr.. Norton said: "The
Pacific coast exceeds my expectations, and
/ think very favorably of Washington. If
what is said about your coal, iron and
limestone be true, and have very good
reason to believe it is. the manufacture of
iron is going to be one of your leading in
dustries, and will add more to the popula-
ton than any other you can have. Your
market for coal is almost unlimited. You
are now producing 100000 tons year,
which sells at $3.50 to S. ton. Inside of
five years / believe you will produce TO-
100000 tons, and the price will look high
at $3.50 The policy pursued by the Bir-