Birmingham state herald., 1896-03-01
SURPRISED THE SECRETARY
The Number of Industrial Plants
 in Birmingham.
HOW HIS EYES WERE OPENED
A Partial List of the Industries Which Make the Magic City-There Are Others
 to Follow.

reporter for the State Herald called on MT. w. J. Boes, secretary of the Com mercial club, and asked for informa tion. He. said:
 "Birmingham's advancement in the past twelve months has been greater than even her most enthusiastic promo ters imagine. l have lived in Birming- nam nearly three years, and serving in the capacity of a reporter on the local press 1 was more or less familiar with the city and to some extent kept posted as to Improvements going on. 1 find however, on a canvass of the city, that 1 lacked great deal Of keeping up. Per maps there are others who believe as 1 did, that they knew what was going on, but l dare say if they would take the trouble to go over the city they would
 find great many concerns here that they know not of The past few days 1 have been collecting data for book on Birmingham, and in order to make it as near complete as possible, l have made and will make a thorough canvass of the city from one end to the other. The first day 1 was out 1 ran across four small machine shops and foundries that I did not know existed here. They employed from ten to twenty mechanics, whose daily wages range from $250 to $3 per day. All four of these concerns had be- gun operations within two or three months of the time I was there. In the same block with these were two other similar concerns getting ready to begin work. The next day went to a different portion of the city and was there greeted by the same surprises.
 "To enumerate all these shops would fill column of the State Herald. The best part of the whole thing is that near ly every one of them is run to it's full capacity and has orders enough to keep it busy for some time
 Tn the past six months no less than a dozen of these small industries have been established, and when you consider these in connection with the larger ones you can readily imagine that Birmingham has made a decided forward movement in that time. Some of the new concerns may be mentioned. Under construction now are the new car wheel works at Sev- enth street. near the Alabama Great Southern and Louisville and Nashville railroads, and which will give employ ment to 150 men; the Commfnge Patent Bolt works, at Sixteenth street and Ave nue A, which will employ thirty skilled workmen; the Birmingham Manufactur-- ing companys cotton mill at Second ave- nue and Eighth street has just been put in operation and 5000 spindles are kept going day and night. One hundred and fifty hands are employed by this com pany. Other and smaller eoncerus are two brass foundries, two blaming mills, broom factory half dozen small foun- dries, mattress factory, stock yards etc.
 "In addition to these I am in corre- spondence with several other concerns seeking desirable locations, some of which l believe we will secure. Among these may be mentioned cotton seed oil mill dry kiln factory and others"
 How about the statistics you are gathering? Do they make a good show ing for the city,"
 "Spend.d Of some fifty companies that have responded to my request for information. over 4000 employees are re- ported and monthly pay rolls exceeding $2n0,000. This does not include the rail- roads ard furnaces nor plants outside of the city There yet remain thirty or forty companies which have not reported -th2~ number of their employees nor the amount of their monthly pay rolls. think the monthly pay rolls of the city, when all are heard from, will aggregate fully $500,- 000."
 "Can you give me a classified list of the industries in Birmingham"
 ''There are F bakeries, 1 basket factory, 1 bicycle manufactory, blank book manufactures 2 boiler making works, nut and bolt works, 3 bottling works, 3 brass foundries. ? breweries, brick manufactures, 3 broom factories, wag on and buggy factories, 1 building iron ia actory, candy factories, 1 cabinet and pattern shop, 3 cigar manufactures, 1 cider factory, cotton congresses, 1 cot ton mill, 3 engine works, IF foundry and
  and 26 in the district, with three in con- tempation 1 furniture factory, grist mills, harness factories, l lithographer, 2 marble works, cornice works, mat tress factories, ? daily newspapers, 10 weeklies, 2 packing houses, l pipe works pump factory, 4 blaming mills 8 job printing offices, rolling mills 1 saw works, stock yards, 2 stove works, 2. trunk factories, 1 wheelbarrow and truck works. l wood-turning and scroll works, 1 yeast factory, pants factory, 2 ice factories, 1 gas works. 1 electric light and power plant, ? gin and press works. 1 cotton seed huller works, railroad shops, etc.
 Have you any inquiries from a dis tance?"
 "Yes; here are letters from Canada, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and other distant tes. One party wishes to esta blish in Birmingham a cordage plant another iron works that make coffee hull CTS, saw mills, etc, another a cotton seed oil mill, another cotton factory, etc."
 Have you any statistics in regard to the number of cars handled in the Bir- mingham district?'
 Tn the month of January there were handled 14,638 freight cars, which Is a considerable increase over the same month of last year"
 How is the Commercial club getting on?"
 "Splendidly. We have received twenty five new members this month and they are among the leading men of the city. The members of the club are very en- thusiastic over the outlook. Several en- terprses are on foot. The Commercial club has done. and will continue to do a great work for Birmingham. It is the most potent influence of all for the ad- vancement of the city. It is the heart of Birmingham's commercial life Its pulsations send the life blood into every artery of trade. It Is so closely entwined with every interest of Birmingham that if 1t should die Birmingham would dle- when falls the Commercial club then falls Birmingham, and when Brming- ham falls then falls the world"
 Iowa's Favorite Son. Des Moines Leader
 Horace Boies is unquestionably the choice of the Iowa democracy for pres ident. It may be safely predicted that laIl l1rrr h inh h1.t cn1