The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-18
SOUTHERN PROGRESS
WEEKLY REPORT OF NEW
 SOUTHERN INDUSTRIES.
Production of Iron In AiaOama Be. ing Kept Up Steadily-Large
 Amount of Iron in Furnace
 Yards.

Chattanooga. Tenn, Aug. 1.-The ab- sorbing subject of pig iron production and prices in the Birmingham district is hand led tn detail by The Tradesman in today paper. It shows that there is a large amount of iron in the, yards of the fur naces in the Birmingham district, an es- hmats being made that something like tlO.00O tons could be gotten together on a search. The production in Alabama is be- ing kept ID steadily. No intimation what soeVer is made of reduction in this line. Ihs month of July showed a falling of of production in that State because of khe blowing out of two furnaces and the banking of three or four others, The Sioss- -Shefield Steel and Iron Company las only five of its seven furnaces in oD- eFation. while the Tennessee Coal, Iron snd Railroad Co. has four or five of its furnaces out of commission. The Ala
 bama Consolidated Coal and Iron Co. has gne of its furnaces down.
 since the first of the present month the Central Iron and Coal Company put into blast their new furnace at Holton, in Fuskaloosa County.
 The Sloss-shefieid Steel and Iron Com pahy are repairing two furnaces. It is reported that the Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron Company will shortly blow m us Gadsden furnace, an entirely new plant This furnace should manufacture something like 300 tons of iron daily. The Alabama Steel and Wire Company are rushing the work on their first furnace at Gadsden. The Tennessee Coal Iron and ailroad Company have one furnace at Alxmocf one at Bessemer and one at Ensley about ready for operation. It is not believed that any of these furnaces are to be started until there is some i'm provement in the iron market conditions and some of the iron In the yards has aANF1 TVnPlrAH Afe Ink l. ton to furnish almost any quantity of iron right nov and for some months to some. The new furnace at Holton, in Tuscalaqsa County. will furnish n rela- tive company with iron needs. During the past fortnight there have been many ru- mors concerning the Southern Furnace Association. The withdrawal of the Chat tAnooRa Furnace Company was talked of, and it become common talk that the Sioss-Sheffleld Steel and Iron Company had withdrawn. However. this was stren- ponsE denied and telsgFams in a brisk tone were sent out announcing that prices were being maintained by that concern. A representative of the company asserted that the. s-Shefiield Company was sIalnt4iptng the prices fixed at Chicago strictly ana that the statement that agents 6k the 'Sloss- -shefIfeld Company had received instructions from the head ofYlce tn Birmingham to advise purchasers to hVtu ofLs hS " Roulu De 10 thetF adNan- taEe to do s0, is also denied. This was a
 matter of considerable comment last week in the iron market. and when the atten- ton of head officers of the Sloss- Shet etfield Company was called to 1t, a prompt de- niat came and a pecuniary ofer was made for q copy of the letter said to have been written from the head ofiee. Of course
 tt is possible that some agent might have been talking a little on his own hook, but at this point there is no evidence that any cutting ls being done by association mem beFs RumoFs of the crumhllng of the Southern Association were heard in the East while Western buyers made inquiry
 Non-assocIation furnaces have not beer able to do much lately In the market. noI manufacturing any great amount of iron The Woodward Iron Company, the Tut weller Coal. Coke and Iron Company and others without the association are nol
 ma nufacturing any iron right nov. and
 have but little, if any. on hand. It is ad mitted that consumers are waitinR fol l further reductions In prices, Three re-
 auctions have been made so far. but nOth' ing has happened since the cbIeago meet | ing. Intimation is given that the con suming element is waiting for No. foun