The age-herald., 1901-10-20
IRON PRICES
 ARE MA|NT TA|NED
 IN FINE SHAPE
Representatives of Local Com panies Expect Prices to Ad-
 vance in November
COAL CARS VERY SCARCE
c. A. Stlilman Says There Is a Per sistent Strength In the Iron Mar ket and Furnaces Are Com
 fortably Sold Ahead.

The pig iron men all agree that the shape. Prices could not be better main tained than they are
 | While the representatives of some Br- mingham companies look for an advance of 50 cents in November, others more | conservative. say present quotations will remain unchanged for several months. | c. A. Stillman, resident manager of | Rogers, Brown 6 Co. at Birmingham in | reply to questions about new develop | ments in the iron and coal trade stated that there was persistent strength in the iron market which was well war ranted. Furnaces, he, said, were com | fortably sold ahead; and some time since l they ceased to probe selling agents for | orders. He further stated that the most serious difficulty which had recently con l fronted shippers was the inability of l some of the railroads to furnish coal cars. The scarcity of coal cars at a time of the year when domestic coal orders are heaviest is working a serious hard7 ship on all domestic mines in the district
 
 South who were late in placing their domestic orders.
 Rogers 6 Brown Letter. Rogers. Brown & Co.'s Birmingham cir cular letter issued yesterday says: There is no new development in local l conditions over previous reports. The 1 conditions noted the past two weeks | have, if anything, been intensified in the past seven days and all the features of the local metal market are as satisfac- tory as one could wish. The market is absolutely firm on basis of $11 for No. ?, and practically all the output is sold up to January 1. fA
 Movements of coal out of the district are as heavy if not heavier than they were a year ago, but the fact remains that were 1t not for the annual car short age now existing there would be twice the quantity moving. Coal will not stock, and no cars simply means no mining, with discontent among the miners, dissatisfac- | ton among the operators and disgust | among the consumers.
 New York. | Under New York date Rogers, Brown & | Co. say:
 There being no longer any question as to the iron trade for the remainder of this year, interest begins to center in what the year 1902 has in store. The com- | mon view Is that the current heavy de- mand Is hardly normal, and can scarcely be expected to last. It can be said that the facts, so far as known. do not war rant this view. We are informed that in some of the largest lines. such as loco | motive building, bridge building, etc., the capacity of the shops is already engaged | for nearly year ahead. Nearly one-half of the prospective output of steel rails for the new year is sold. All the different | branches of the iron business that depend upon the farming comm unity, are look ing for another prosperous year. Cincinnati. Under Cincinnati date:
 ''The conditions prevailing in the pig iron market during the week just closing have been almost identical with those ex- isting during the past month and it is somewhat difficult to say anything new. If a man in perfect health is asked how he feels, he can hardly express 1t more clearly than to say he is "all right.''
 
 an inquiry in relation to the pig iron situation. All organs of trade are carry ing on their functions in normal manner and there is nothing particular to de- scribe. The demand continues good, prices are firm. stocks are not accumu- lating and everybody Is reasonably hap py The only apprehehsions are those felt by the people who are constituted so that they think good times can not last long. The majority of iron producers and consumers are sanguine of a continuance of present conditions during next year" Chicago. Under Chicago date:
 This week has developed no changes in l the pig iron situation. Buying continues to the extent of fair tonnage and prices remain firm. Some large deals have been closed and others are under considera- ton, with fair prospect that the de- mand will continue.
 'The reported output of pig iron for the month of September shows that we are | now producing at the rate of 16.0oO, 900 tons per annum. and yet the total stocks of pig iron in the United States amounted to only 347.957 tons on october l. or a lit- | tie over one weeks product" Cars Scarce. The scarcity of cars referred to in the Birmingham circular Is not exaggerated. Coal operators that need twenty cars a day are doing well if they get six or eight. ,s~,ea 2 f
 The transportation companies have been receiving new cars at what they consider a pretty fast rate. but traffic has far exceeded their expectations. One reason that accounts for the scarcity of | freight cars is the demand made upon