The age-herald., 1901-01-29
COL. A. M. SHOOK
 MAKES STATEMENT Explains His Connection-With the
 Steel Mills. HE MAY HIVE MADE ERRORS But the Ex-Vice-President Says if He is Criticized He Should be Given Credit for Establishing the
 Great Plant.
HE MAY HIVE MADE ERRORS

Col A. NJ Shook, who was a few days ago retired as vice president of the Ten nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company, was asked by an Age-Herald reporter last night for a statement concerning the affair at the Ensley steel mill which is stated as the reason the directors of the company abolished the office. Colonel Shook said:
 T have had connection with the Ten nessee Coal Iron and Railroad Company almost continuously for thirty-five years, and have been in the service of the com pany longer than any man now living, without regard to the capacity in which the service was rendered. have had some- thing to do with its development since its beginning at Tracy City in 1866, when it was producing less than ten tons of coal a day, and it's entire product was handled by one mule I have assisted in all the nego- tiations that have resulted in it's growth from that time, when it's nominal capital stock was s2Oo,O00 to the present time, when it's capital stock is $23,O0O,O0O
 "Whatever I may have done in connec- tion with the growth of this great enter prise from 1866 to the present. time will prove that the construction of the steel plant at Ensley was of greater importance and more value, not only to the company but also to the south than anything with which 1 have been associated or connected in my long business career
 Realizing nearly ten years ago that in order to make great success of our com pany, it was necessary that should con- vert large part of our raw materials into finished product, 1 began to urge upon our company the necessity of building a large steel plant at or near Birmingham. This continuous effort resulted in the officers and directors of the company providing a fund of $1, ,0OO, 900 for this puspore in 1898. What was considered the best engineering firm in the United States was employed to prepare the plans and supervise the con struction of the plant. I was placed in charge of this work made every contract in connection with the construction of the plant, and it is today one of the best plants of it's size in the world.
 And while this is true, I do not pretend to claim that there were no errors or mis- takes made, either in the design or equip ment of the plant. But do claim that the mistakes and errors that were made are no more serious or numerous than is a.- ways the case in the construction of a large plant under similar conditions. l say this much in justice to the engineers who had
 charge of the designing and construction of the plant, they were entirely responsi- ble for the designing and equipment, from the drawing of the plans to the completion of the construction. And notwithstanding the mistakes and errors, the plant has
 been, and is today, regarded as the most complete, modern and up-to-date plant or it's size on the globe, and when completed in all of it's departments it will be the most
 valuable property owned by the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company.
 "I am more than willing to be charged with the mistakes and errors that have been committed in the construction of this plant, if, at the same time, I am accorded
 the credit of the benefits that have and will accrue as the result of this work"