The age-herald., 1902-03-02
BY HOMER GEORGE.


 Demopolis March 1.-(Specal Corre- epcndence )-1That transformation is the lever of progress in the industrial world Is an axiom. Were it not SO only visit to the llme-rook clT,ent plant at this pls ce would be required to prove it, should the statement be given as an hy pothess. Also it is the underlying force cf all luccc css, that which makes of bar Ter ness plenteousness The same exam pie proves this,
 2 he scene of transfo rmation to which I refer ih the above paragraph is known to students of old Indian lore and French American history as the "Choctaw Gal Iery." This gallery is made up of high, white limestone bluffs through which the Tombigbee River has cut it's channel. These bluffs have stood, glary in the sun- shine, slippery in the wet, the object of innumerable. anathenas since the very beginning of history in this country. They have stood cursed as a curse from some avenging hand. yielding no return ffcm attempted cUltiN ation, with not a soul more than suspecting they were made lp of that which would give much profit
 But all the time they have been filled with riches. The fact was never more than guessed and these who even guessed failed to make an effort to prove their assumptions were in the least correct, few years ago an earnest college pro lessor decided to investigate the quail tics of the limestone. His investigation resulted in the startling discovery that cement of the portland variety and of high grade could be made of the stone without mixing any other ingredients' that from one quarry all that was need ed to make the commodity could be ob tained eatf
 Work of ceolosist.
 This discovery was made by Dr. Eu' gene A. Smith, professor of Geology at the University of Alabama and State Geologist To him the State of Alabama owes debt she will never repay fer that one discovery. even if his other work is never considered. for 1t has opened Q new industry which gives promise of as eumlng even greater prominence than It now possesses.
 Following the discovery by Professor Smith, the creot for making use of that discovery must go to Thomas c. Cairns. now general manager of the Alabama Portland Cement Company, limited. For it is to him that Demopolis is giving her thanks for the expenditure of $5OO,OOO in the establishment of his factory that The Stste is extending praise Cor inter sstinE capital here and retaining much money which has been going elsewhere. as well as bringing much money from ether states tc this. Associated with MT Cairns in the ownership of this plant and the working up of this new industry are English capitalists. who are at the same time large stockholders in a company owning a plant at Salt Lake City with which MT. Cairns was connected.
 What Transformation Is.
 The transformation which is being made by this man is simply the chang ing into fine portland cement the con tents of those limestone bluffs known as .'Choctaw Heights" It is merely the manufacture of a much demanded com modity from stone, the possibilities Of which has passed for years without at tracting a particle of attention. It is the opening of a new channel for indus trial development in the State, which is rapidly attracting much other outside capital. IL means that before many months pass the South will get all her portland cement from this part of the State.
 The bluffs which have been bought by the company now operating a plant con- tain only 46O acres of land. The depth of the limestone strata being made use of however, is 450 feet It contains enough of the cement ingredients to fur nish the necessary cement required to build q sidewalk to gir1le the entire hemisphere, or build a wall about the world.
 The story of the discovery of the pos Ebilities of the height dates back to the appointment of Dr. Smith as State Geol- oeist. Previous to this appointment the professor had made several investigations into the mineral resources of the State which had attracted attention. But 1t was not until after this time that he began this work with the interchangeable .nsrgv which has marked it for the past few years
 Attracted to Demopolls.
 Only few years ago was the atten- tion of the yeologist at tracted to Demop- olis and the possibilities of the limestone wbich made high bluffs of the river hanks. Then he secured samples of the roc,, and made his first analysis. These tended to show portland cement could he made of the stone. Not satisfied with his first experiments. he made others, tbe results of which made him positive of the worth of the rock. He referred to the experiments and the results of his analyses in his annual report about two yeers ago.
 This report fell into the hands of MT Cairns, who was at Salt Lake City IJtah. He immediately began to investi- gate the story told by the official. About the same time H. l.. Connard then in Philadelphia, took up the question of