The age-herald., 1901-04-06
CHAIRMAN BACON
 WILL ARRIVE TODAY
His Coming Said to Have No
 Particular Significance
CONSOLIDATION RU M 0RS
Reported That -Shef- field CombInatioQ Will Acquire Alabama Properties of the Re-
 public Iron and Steel Co.

Chairman Don H. Bacon of the Tennes- see Coal. Iron and Railroad Company is expected to arrive in Birmingham today, but his coming is not supposed to have any connection with the proposed con- solidation of that company with the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron and Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron Companies. When he left here several weeks ago he stated to an Age-Herald reporter that he would probably be back in few weeks, and his return has been delayed somewhat beyond that which he sug- gested as the probable date.
 Mir Bacon ,is quoted as saying that the subject of a consolidation of the three companies has not been discussed by the directors of the Tennessee Company and that no proposition looking to consoli- dalton had been made his company
 Two or three agents of the company have been in Birmingham the greater part of the time for the past two or three weeks looking over the books and inspect ing the properties, but just what they came for has never been stated so far us the public knows.
 Proposed Consolidation.
 Reverting to the proposed consolidation of the principal iron and coal companies, it may be stated that a new feature was added yesterday to the rumors in circula- tion. It is now stated that the proposed consolidation does not contemplate taking fin the entire properties of the Republic ,oI, properties as are located in Alabama. The Republic Company owns three pig iron furnaces, two rolling mills and several thousand acres of coal and ore lands in this State, mostly in Jefferson County. It was stated yesterday that these proper ties would be acquired by the Tennessee Sloss- Sheffield combination and that the new consolidated company would be capi- talized at something like s100, ,00o0o0. Fol towing immediately upon the organization of the consolidated company would be the establishment of community of ip- terest with the United States Steel Cor poration, and while the two would be operated separately and as distinct com panies they would in reality be closely united in the control of the iron, steel and coal trade of the United States.
 What truth there is in this new rumor time alone can tell as the local officials apparently know nothing of the deal if such deal Is pending.
 The stockholders of the Sloss Iron and Steel Company, out of which was formed the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron Com pany, will meet in New York on April r to wind up the affairs of that company and finally transfer all the business and properties to the Sloss- Sheffield Com pany. This meeting will merely be a for nal one, as the actual transfer was made sometime ago, but the final ratification of the stockholders is necessary.
 Walker County Coal Companies.
 The purchase of the Virginia and Ala bama Coal Company by the Mononga- positively to have been accomplished. The sale is said to have been effected in Penn sylvania last week. It is understood that the Monongahela Company has options on all of the principal coal companies whose mines are located in Walker Coup- ty, and that as soon as a few necessary preliminary arrangements can be made the formal transfers will take place.
 In this connection a rumor was in circu- lation yesterday to the effect that when the Monongahela Company got possession of the Walker County mines they would be clcsad in so far as the Mississippi river business is concerned. 1t was stated that the only object the Pennsylvania Company had in acquiring these proper ties was to take them out of the market and to give that company the Mississippi business without having to meet compe- tition.
 This part of the rumor can be positively denied according to a person who is largely interested in the coal trade of the Mississippi river. This person stated that the Southern Railway had contract with the Walker County coal companies to haul so much coal to New Orleans and the lower Mississippi for them, and that if sale of the mines should be effected this contract would have to be respected. This the Southern Railway Company. he said, would attend to. and should an at tempt be made to violate the terms cf the contract the railroad company would force them to live up to it in every par ticular.
 Woodward Company Now.
 Until yesterday the Woodward Iron Company had not been mentioned in con- nection with any of the proposed consoli- dations or combinations of southern iroa companies, but a report from Baltimore published in an afternoon paper yester- day states that the Woodward Company is to be included in the consolidation with the Tennessee, the Sloss- Sheffield and Alabama Consolidated Companies.
 Charles I. Rader. manager of blast fur naces for the Republic Iron and Steel Company, is In the city to make a peri