The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-12
LINE INTERESTS OF
ADMISSION DISTRICT
Interesting Talk by a Pioneer
Manufacturer.
"A PROPOSED COMBINATION
President Gable, of the Admission Lime
& Stone Company Says His Com
pany is Not Included and
Will Act Independently
PROPOSED COMBINATION

Alabama is today the scene of a move
ment tending to the consolidation OF all the
Line interests into one syndicate, of which
Mr.. A. NJ. Baldwin of Montgomery Is to
be president. The future success of this
enterprise is now a matter of much discus
sion among lime manufacturers, and 10
throw further light upon the subject, MI.
r. H. Cobb, president of the Admission Lime
and Stone company, one of the largest con-
Germs in this line, was seen yesterday ana,
on being asked If the matter was receiving
his consideration, that gentleman said:
II do not think that 1T can be called a
trust as it does not own options on the con-
trolling properties of the lime trade. AS
president of the Admission Lime and stone
company, L am prepared to state that the
extensive interests. of my company are not
included in this deal. 1t is true that we dls-
cussed the matter with Mr.. Baldwin, and
with Messrs. eager and Mccoy, experts OF
the banking house of SperTy, Jones q Oo''
of Baltimore, who are assumed TO De ahe
financial hackers of the enterprise, Out We
distinctly stated to them that we hold the
key to the situation, as our complho prop
critics are in point of excellence ana railway
facilities, more important than the aggre-
gate of all the lime interests south OF the
Ohio and Potomac rivers.
LAT Cobb CITY, Where our pTeseh. pi'i'
is located, we own properties containing
forty million tons of limestone including
beds or iron ore, and springs sufficient 10
permit the use of steam power Our quarry
is located on a mountain OF limestone 4oV
feet high and one mile in length EXTENDING
north as far as tine property OF the Nooo-
stock Iron company. Our stone Is OF the
highest quality, and superior 10 uiat useu
in other lime works.
This plant is at present the most fnou-
ern in Tie south. 1t consists OF -FOUR lur-
naces, and we are contemplating a consio-
cradle increase in capacity. Inc use OF
steam and other improvements, ana otaer
natural advantages, enable this plant to
produce lime cheaper than any other in
TIE so-called trust. From there We can
supply all the trade to be reached through
the Louisville and Nashville railroad and
its Tributaries.
I'VE also own one-third undivided inter
est in tne Martin & Christopher quarry.
located Two and onelnalf miles from COBB,
and which, it seems, the Ldgarde Lime and
Stone company are seeking to operate in
The face of pending litigation. We also
own options ON the other interests in this
quarry. We have every reason 10 believe
we shall be the sole owners of this quarry,
which furnishes stone OF nigh grade.
I'VE also own tne largest interest in the
Admission Lime and Coal company, which
was operated under lease by the Lagarde
Lime and Stone company, until recently
damaged Dy fire.
Last but not least, we own over fifty
million tons of limestone at Tredegar, Ala,
fourteen miles from Admission. As regards
quality and facilities, this quarry is I'M
equaled by any in the world, and with the
enormous water power at our disposal we
can there produce lime cheaper than any
manufacturer In the country, owing to the
unexcelled facilities for operating plants
for the utilization of by-products.
This property is situated the South
ern railway, which controls the greatest
mileage in the south, and through the East
81 West railroad is also thrown in close con-
nection with the Louisville & Nashville sys-
tenn. We contemplate erecting plant on
this property of such capacity as to be
able to supply one half of the lime now
consumed In the south. The quality of our
product will be superior to that of any other
and we will be enabled to place 1t upon the
market at $1.50 per ton, instead of the pro-
posed price of $500, contemplated by the
So-called trust"
Continuing Mr. Cobb said: II was the
pioneer of the introduction of lime for agri-
cultural purposes in Alabama and the
southern states, shipping train loads, in
stead of car loads. 1 was the first one to in
terest the sugar planters of Louisiana and
the state officials of Alabama in its use
as fertilizing agent. and now that the cost
of fertilizers is high, lime, (which to the
tivation will be used in enormous quanti-
ties, and firmly believe that there is room
for two large companies working in har-
mony. l agree with Mr. Baldwin that there
is much to be accomplished in the introduce
ton of lime for agricultural purposes, and
in improving the present methods of manu-
facture.
1.-THE high quality of our lime is such that
We hold the contract of the American Su-
gar Refining company, of New Orleans, for
a number of years against all competitors
1t is not the object of our company to be
antagonistic to the proposed combination
/ firmly believe the Admission district will
as certainly become the lime center of the
southern states as the Birmingham district
is the iron center of the world. We con-
troll the Admission district; our position Is
impregnable. Mr.. Baldwin deserves great
deal of credit as prime mover of the I'M
dertaking, and no doubt, as a conservative
business man, he will wisely recognize that
more is to be gained by a policy of harmo-
ny than by aggressive compeutas-
LAS a practical lime man, do not agree
with all of Mr.. Baldwin's ideas regarding
the formation of trust. The Admission dis
trict contains more furnaces than any dis
trict in the southern states, and Is the only
dis trict where they are operated In proxim-
ity to iron furnaces, and where the cost OF
quarrying the stone is so low that the lat
ter are enabled to use it as fux1ng stone.
The lime manufacturers who have visited
this district do not question it's superior
limestone and other natural advantages.
1.-The formation of lime trust to con-
troll prices of lime in the southern states
without controlling the leading properties
in the Admission district is somewhat SINH
lar to the tail trying to wag the dog" s'*
Mrs. winsIow's Soothing Syrup
Has been used for over FIFTY YEARS by
MILLIONS of MOTHERS for their CHILL
m With