The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-08-05
NO SIGN OF PEACE
IN MINERS STRIKE
Numerous Reports of Confer
ence Not Verified
Mr.. BACON TALKS OF AUTOS
Tells Ludierous Incidents Of His Re-
cent Trip Over Country Roads.
Tennessee Co. Has Five Fur
naces in Operation.

While there were numerous rumors On
the streets yesterday as to possible
conference between the operators ana
miners regarding a settlement Oh the
strike none of these reports could be
verified and another day of the strike
closed without any advance in the direc-
ton of peace.
President Flynn and Mr.. Farley of the
miners union were out of the city all
day visiting some of the locals around
the district.
Don II. Bacon, president of the Ten
nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company,
returned from Huntsville yesterday,
where he had been with the automobile
party. some members of which had st.
Louis as their final destination.
While he was not disposed to make a
statement concerning the strike situation
or the plans of his company Mr.. Bacon
talked interestingly of his automobile
trip.
Five Furnaces Operated.
I'VE now have five furnaces in oper-
ation," said Mr. Bacon when asked as
to how the strike had affected the Ten
nessee company. land will probably have
another in operation within ten or twelve
days. The furnaces which have been
banked are those at Bessemer and one
at Oxmoor. We are getting out sufficient
coal to furnish iron for the steel plant
at Ensley and there will be no cessation
of work there.
1.-The furnaces are turning out basic
iron now" continued Mr.. Bacon, but oc-
casionally we have a run of foundry
iron"
Mr. Bacon explained that the basic iron
is purer and better in the making of
steel.
His attention having been called to the
reported difficulties accompanying his au-
tomobile trip Mr.. Bacon laughed heartily.
Automobile Punishment.
Talking earnestly, but with concealed
vein of humor in his voice, Mr.. Bacon
said: IF man wants to punish him
self for any misdeed 1 do not know any
better way of doing it than taking an
automobile trip over the roads between
here and Huntsville,
1--WE encountered all kinds of trouble"
continued Mr.. Bacon. land though 1 had
intended leaving the party at Nashville
l had to leave at Huntsville as it was
necessary that I return home today
Mr.. Bacon grew enthusiastic as he
talked of automobiling. He is an expert
driver and operated the machine much of
the way.
ION some of the roads between here and
Huntsville" he said, there are boulders
varying in size from peanut to a barrel.
You can imagine our difficulty in guiding
the machine around these Instructions.
YES, the incident about frightening the
horse of a minister was correctly report
ed While this was not out fault the poor
old man was so disconnected over his loss
that we thought 1t would take $40 to
repair his demolished buggy and l gave
him the money
Ludicrous Incidents.
1--WE were evidently the first automobile
lists that had ever traversed the country
which we went over. Some exceedingly
ludicrous incidents came up that / will
never forget. Sometimes men and boys
would leave their plows and come rushing
across the fields to get a look at our
machine as 1t passed along the road Some
mules would run while others would stick
their heads over the fences with as much
curiosity as the people.
ION one occasion we stopped in a little
hollow and a man came down to see what
we had.
He told is that the women at his house
had heard the machine coming up the hill
and not knowing what 1t was thought II
a cyclone and rushed for protection. At
another place we passed a school house
during recess. AT least twenty-five boys
and girls. some of the boys as large as
/ am, ran after the machine and kept
alongside of us for considerable distance
so great was their curiosity.
"Our greatest difficulty on the second
day." said Mr.. Bacon. was the slippery
and muddy roads The rain had fallen in
torrents and 1t was almost impossible to
keep the machine from slipping We used
a Cadillac machine which is operated by a
gasoline engine"
Mr. Bacon was told of the numerous
stories told in town about the automobile
trip and enjoyed a hearty laugh at the
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