Birmingham age-herald., 1894-10-17
Is to Become a Great Manufaotur-
 ing Center
AS WELL AS SHIPPING PORT.
Desires the Aid of Birmingham and All Alabama to
 This End.

Ala, IS at tneNMorrls.
 6 MT. Thomas is president of the Union Warehouse company of Mobile, and is largely interested in real estate and in sev- eral enterprises of progressive nature that have been prosecuted during period of such extreme depression that earnest inter- est has been attracted not only to the en- terprises themselves, but also to the reserve power and ability of Mobile.
 MT. Thomas was seen by an AGE-H HER. AID reporter, and as bespoke of some mat ters of general interest we submit them to our readers. He said:
 I have just been over to Montgomery on a second visit, making an effort to arouse sentiment on the part of Montgomery people as to the mutuality of interest be- tween Montgomery and Mobile in the mat ter of transportation of export cotton to the seaboard, and was very much gratified to find that the leading shippers of cotton were in accord with my associates, aud was startled to find the condition of affairs re- garding the present shipping arrange mentS.
 Montgomery export cotton now goes by the way of Savannah or New Orleans, and little, II any, goes by the way of Mo- bile, which is it's natural outlet.
 Compressed cotton is now taken 425 miles by rail to Savannah and 450 miles by rail to New Orieaus-sometimes by the Louis- vile and Nashville directly through Mo- bile. As Mobile Is only 180 miles from Montgomery, and as she has both rail and water facilities, 1t seems somewhat anom- alous that freights should go more than double the distance to the eaboard, and that, too, when there is only railroad com- petition.
 This simply shows that it is to some- body's interest to have such an arrange ment, and as long as tho people of Mont gomery and Mobile bow>their necks to the yoke aud simply deplore the fact that they are not being treated as they should be, just so long will the yoke gall and become heavier. IL has been stated in the public prints of Mobile that the check of one transportation company operating between Montgomery and Mobile for substantial amount has been handled each year by an- other transportation company between those two cities, and that may throw some light on that curious condition of affairs or course this statement has been denied, but think it is susceptible of proof.
 A prominent citizen of Montgomery, whose word do not doubt, informs me that such was the case at one time, but that the amount mentioned was not the correct one. My object in making the abt ye statement IS that the people of Ala bama may be informed as to this arrange ment and govern themselves accordingly. do not believe in handling this matter in an underhand or diplomatic way. When thing is true the sooner the people know it the better. Even if these allegations were not made the natural inference is that something is wrong when it is seen that cotton goes more than twice the distance that it naturally would go were not freight rates manipulated by individuals inter- esled.
 What have said about Montgomery is true as to Birmingl an, except that the Alabama river does not come to flow by Birmingham. However, a glance at the map of abama will show that all of Bir- miugham's finished products should reach the markets of tie world through Ala bama's only seaport, 1t being we'll known fact that trade seeks those avenues where they meet with the least resistance, and between here and Mobile and between Montgomery and Mobile there is DO re- ssance. The resistance is at each end, principally at Mobile.
 When the Mobile and Birmingham rail- road was projected by Mobile and Birming- ham capitalists pledges were freely made that it would give to Alabama's manufac- turing center port Of departure. But combination of railroad men kept the road from being built 10 Birmingham, and it passed into the hands of a large system and lost it's identity, and has failed to carry out the high purposes of its projectors.
 It is still hoped that within a few years this road will be allowed to enter upon the true mission of usefulness in developing the vast material interests of the state.
 l have been wanting to come to Birming- ham for several yeals and talk about the developmen nt of an enterprise that was the pet idea of the Hon. Gaylord B. Clark, de- ceased, with whom MT. T. c. Outlaw, Mir. Henry Chamberlain of Mobile, some Bos- ton capitalists and myself were interested together for several years.
 It has long been conceded generally by metal men that steel should be made at the seaboard to better advantage than at any port inland, for the reason that there was in this country no ores out of which could be manufactured good Bessemer and basic steel, except in the Lake Superior district and the small amount that is found in the south in the Turtle mountains neighbor- hood. To make good steel it is necessary to mix our native ores with imported ores.
 The best sources of supply of these mag netic ores are Spain and Cuba. Mir. Clark and Major Price of Mobile, myself and an associate went to New York in the summer ture of steel at Mobile before Mr. John H. iDman. MT. Clark's idea was that the magnetic ores of Cuba should be brought to Mobile and the Birmingham ores also brought to Mobile, where steel could be made from these cheaper than at any other point in America or possibly in the world. The particular advantage that Mobile had over Philadelphia was that she was nearer the base of supply of both ores and cheaper coal, ard that along both sides of the rivers, witbin 125 miles of Mobile, was an to that used in the Cleveland district in England, which is an excellent huxing material, and that we had even a better material for that purpose in an inexhausti. ble supply of shells at our shell banks all