The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-19

dustrial hive.
1t employs altogether about $500 men,
most of whom are in Jefferson county. and
any one concern which so vitality effects the
lives of so many men and so many families
must be of greatest interest and impor-
lance.
The capital stock of the company is ST.
900, 600, and its recent rise in value, its mar
ket price having almost doubled itself with
in the past six months, has excited the
greatest interest in the financial world On
this account the company has recently been
able to retire nearly million dollars of its
bonds and issue In their stead series of
new bonds at lower rate of interest.
The First Alabama Properly
The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad
company first became interested in this dis
trict In 1888 by the purchase of the Alice
furnaces and the property of what Was
then known as the Pratt Coal and Coke
company, together with extensive bodies of
Red mountain ore. This gave them both
ore and coal in large quantities and placed
them in position to go into the manufac-
ture of iron on a large scale. The four Ems
ley furnaces were built in the same year
and put in operation. The company at once
become one of the largest factors in the
coal and iron business of this section. hav-
ing the most valuable deposit of coal in the
district and owning and operating the larg-
est blast furnace plant.
In the year 1882 a consolidation was effect
ed which resulted in throwing together all
of the furnaces of the DeBardeleben Coal
. and Iron company the Tennessee company
and the coal mines Of the Cahaba Coal Min
ing company at Bocton and Gurnee, to-
gether with all the coal and ore lands be-
longing to the respective companies.
The consolidated company has seventeen
blast furnaces thirteen of which are In this
district and four in Tennessee, coal mines
at Pratt Mines, Bossburg. Johns, Sumpter,
Adger, Gurnee, Blocton and Henry Ellen,
In Alabama and Tracy City and Wnitweli
IN Tennessee It owns the most extensive
and valuable deposit of red ore In this dis
Yrlct. and Is now an important factor, not
only in the iron trade of this country, but,
by virtue of its large shipments of pig iron
abroad every month to almost every coun-
try on the globe, and 1t might be said to the
whole world.
1t has a capacity today of turning out In
the neighborhood of 1000 tons of coal per
day and from 5000 to $4,000 tons OF pig iron
per MONTH 1t mines all OF its own ore,
either on its own account or by contractors.
makes all of It's own coke and to very
considerable extent handles these raw ma
terials over its own line of railroad.
The New Steel MIL
The last and most important step taken
by this great enterprise was to begin the
erection In July, 1898, of a very large steel
works at Ensley, Ala, which will take the
entire output of Its Ensley furnaces. The
capacity of this plant will be one thousand
tons per day, and 1t Is hoped that the same
will DO In operation within the next six or
eight months Below is a-description. some
swhat in detail, of this great plant
& Closely situated to It Is the works now In
m course of construction of the Alabama
steel and Wire company, separate ana
distinct corporation, which will take from
the Ensley steel plant from three to nve
hundred tons of billets per day and convert
tho same into wire and wire nails.
Busy Ensley
It Is estimated that these two plants will
employ, when in operation, about 1000 to g.
900 men, which, together with the various
other industries already located at Ensley
and those assured In the near future will
f.ivo that town q population within the next
twelve months of some eight or ten thous-
and people.
The main line Of the Pratt road of the
Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company
connecting the Pratt coal mines with Bir-
1mingham and with the Ensley, Alice and
Thomas furnaces. passes Immediately north
of this new plant and from 1t spurs and
sidings run off in various directions S,ene-
trating a portion Of the old Ensley town
site, which has been set aside for manufac-
turing enterprises
Advantages offered
II may readily b. seen that these peculiar
" advantageous conditions VIII place Ems