Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-23
AND CHICAGO
Banker Eugene EnSIen Talks
 Very EntertainingIy
TO A LAKE CITY REPORTER
HEls. Interesting Capitalists in Steel Plant 7 and Is Meeting With Much En-
 . couragement

There camo to this city from Cleveland tliE other day a number of the leading business men of the south, and for most offhem it was the first visit, but now that the ice is broken, it will be by no means the last. Indeed, the event is at onces proof and harbinger of closer commercial and trade relations between Chicago and thF south. # Among these representative southern erS who put up at the Great Northern hese is MT Eugene Enslen, high ofIi- clA of one of the leading banks of Bir-2 mihgham, Ala, that Pittsburg of the soHth; indeed the oldest and largest bank ins4he city, the Jefferson County Savings bank. MT Frank V. Evans, who has been foEa long time editor of the Age-Herald of~Birmingham, one of the most infiuen- tiaf journals of the south, is also one or the visitors. A third is Dr. c. E. Ash of Sheffield. Ala, another of the growing cefters of the state. Also among others wtfh the party is Mir May, head of the May Thomas Hardware company, a 10- year-old house that has the largest hard ware trade in his city, and who until now neyer came to Chicago, having always traded in Pittsburg, but he will do no longer. The presence here of these prom inent merchants and capitalists indicates the new attitude and disposition toward Chicago that now obtains throughout the south.
 Planning N CIV Enterprises.
 sf~ know, speaking for myself" said Banker Enslen yesterday afternoon to a reporter for the Inter-Ocean. that it is this new friendliness of feeling that has brought me here"
 MT. Enslen, it should be said although this is his first visit to Chicago. closed yesterday a transaction involving up- ward of sl 100000
 'rhe south Is now" MT Enslen contin- ued enjoying an upward commercial tendency In all lines, and Alabama and Birmingham are progressing nicely in evry respect. Our great iron and coal industries are constantly and wonderful ly expanding.
 .''Yes, 1t is a fact, as recently announced that our home market at AnniSton Se- cured that contract, amounting to about $270,000 for water mains for Yokahoma, Japan. As is was worldwide competi- tion, the outcome shows that Alabama beats the world.
 Famous Iron Center.
 "We manufacture iron at less cost than in any other district in the United States You recoilect that Mcclure of the Phil adephia Times predicted years ago that it would be so, and his visit to Brming ham six months ago, he said, confirmed his early prediction. The reason is the district has ore and coal so cheap. Every ingredient for the manufacture of pig iron Is found within less than six miles of Birmingham; that means, practically, right together.
 since the Worlds fair, and our mu- tual interest in the Nicaragua canal, the attention of the south has been drawn toward Chicago as never before. We had done all our business with the east, Again, the erection in Chicago of a Confederate monument by popular sub scripton has been we'll received through out the south. General Underwood's visit to Birmingham, in this relation, was really the cause of our coming to Chi cago. The generous contributions by the best people of Chicago toward that beau tiful memorial pile. it's completion and dedication, and this link only great force can sever. General Underwood was the guest of our club at Birmingham, and after he had made short talk to the club. by resolution a committee of 100 was appointed to meet the Chicago dele gaton to the Atlanta exposition and in- vite them as the guests of the Commer- cial cub of Birmingham to spend a time with us, which programme will be car ried out regardless of expense, at date durng the exposition, toward the end of october or early in November. The south is taking a great deal of interest in the Atlanta exposition. and the coming of the delegation from Chicago is anticipated witp general satisfaction.
 New Steel Plant Projected.
 fThe question of the manufacture of steel at Birmingham has been mooted there for some time, and prompted by my own impulses as well as by solicitation of a number of our citizens I have un- dertaken to place a 900 investment, and have already interested Chicago parties in the erection of the plant. The new era. for Birmingham is the manufac- ture of steel The experimental stage has been passed. and it has been thIJr ougffry demonstrated that steel of the open-hearth basic process can be sue cessfully made at Birmingham at less cost by a very large per cent than at any other place in the wide world. The field is not occupied at all. The successful manufacture of steel in the Birming- ham district will be followed up by di verSified industries using the product of the well equipped steel plant. The or ganization of such a steel plant for Bir- mingham is assured. Experiments al- ready made have produced steel that has proved commercial success. and it is a fact that on the present basis of the manufacture of steel at Birmingham, what is known as the initial ingot can be produced at an expense of less than SIP per groS ton.
 'In the line which brought me to Chi caeo in> the first instance 1 have been very successful. and I expected to re- turn home without paying any attention to this second enterprise, as I had not fixed upon the present as the proper time: but after looking over the situation | have cOncluQeu that tniS IS the OppOr- tune moment, and I expect to remain over in Chicago week or ten days and can vass the matter of organizing along lines indicated.
 Other Industries Will Co-Operate.
 'sThere is no industry in Birmingham that is manufacturing anything that is the product of a steel plant. For the past few months I have had correspondence with various large and responsible clients, such as the manufacturers of steel" vessels agricultural implements, tools, boilers and machinery applying steel as the basic material, asking the question whether. provided they can ob- tain steel at Birmingham, they will not locate there and esta ablish manufactures, employing a very large number of peo- pie and supplying the southern territory, that Is, south of the Ohio river, as also the South American trade: and the re- plies have been most favorable The future of the whole south, to large de- gree, is dependent on the manufacture of steel, Though we are heavy producers
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