The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-26
FUTURE Is RADIANT
SAYS R. H. EDMONDS
Editor of Manufacturers Re-
cord Talks of Alabama
MOLD WEALTH HERE
Significant Comparison Between This
State and PennsylvanIa-Milllon-
aires viii Soon Be as Plen.-
full as Roses in June.
MOLD WEALTH HERE

| Richard II. Edmond, editor of the Man.
ufacturers Record, who for twenty years
has been one of Alabamas enthusiastic
| advocates, in an interview yesterday said:
1T is gratifying to know that all pre-
dictions made about the future of Ala
| bama are now being proven out. The
world has now come to recognize Ala
bama's predestined domination in the iron
and steel industry.
Shortly before his death Mr.. Abram
S. Hewitt of New York, one of the great
est iron masters that America ever pro-
duced, said to me: Now that the sources
of basic steel making in Alabama has
been fully proven. this state will in the
near future, dominate the basic steel in
dutry of the world
Tendency Toward Basic Steel.
Everywhere the tendency in the steel
| trade is toward basic steel and Mr.. Hew-
it's prediction is destined to come true,
even sooner than he had anticipated.
I'VE have solved our hardest problem
down here. In the future our progress
will be far more rapid than 1t has been
in the past. Alabama. and the whole
south, for that matter, will accomplish
more in the next ten years than we have
done in the last twenty. There will be
| development down here which will match
the marvellous progress of the Pittsburg
| district and many of the vast fortunes
of Pennsylvania will be duplicated in
Alabama.
''The United States is now making pig
iron at the rate of about 1000. 900 tons
month, or 24,0OO,000 tons year, against
| about $500 900 tons in 1880. The limit of our
consumptive requirements, however, have
/ by no means been reached. In fact, there
| is no reason known why the increase in
our iron and steel trade should not be
far greater in the future than it has been
| in the past.
Wonderful Progress.
twenty-five years ago the United
States had population of $4,000, 600; now
we have nearly S4000,O00 The momentum
| of our progress is so enormous that we
can scarcely forecast what the future is to
bring forth. We do know, however, that
| our country is growing in wealth and
population, as never before that our rail-
roads are taxed to keep up with the in
crease in traffic; that throughout the
whole land, farmers and merchants are
alike prosperous and that railroad build
ing to meet the actual needs of the coun-
try is on a larger scale than for many
| years.
I'm 1880 Pennsylvania made /, 6000 900 tons
of pig iron, or just about the same as
Alabama is now making, while now
Pennsylvania is producing at the rate Of
over 100000 tons a year. Based on coal
and iron and steel, Pennsylvania has de-
yeloped a manufacturing business OF such
| enormous extent that the aggregate man.
ufacturing capital of the state at the
| census of 1900. was over $1,000, 000, 900, as
| compared with 81. 200000,000 for the four
| teen southern states, or s300,00O.000 more
| than the whole south; and yet Alabama
! alone is 5000 square miles larger than
| Pennsylvania; 1t has far more iron ore
| than Pennsylvania, for that state has to
bring nearly its entire supply a thous-
and miles from the Lake Superior
| gion; it has many times as much timber
| as Pennsylvania, apd more agricultural
capabilities, when we consider the value
of the cotton crop In all its ramifica-
! tons.
South's Resources.
"With such vast natural advantages.
and with the industrial advance, not only
| of the United States, but of the world
now under way. Alabama ought to be
| able to accomplish more in the next
| quarter of a century than Pennsylvania
| has done in the last. That will mean a
| degree of activity and of wealth creation
| such as we can form no conception Of
unless we study the growth of Pennsyl-
/ vania and see it's advance from 100000
tons of iron to 100000 tons. and its ad-
| vance in wealth indicated not alone by
| Carnegie,s fortune of three of four hun
| bred millions, but by the hundreds OF
| fortunes ranging from a few millions to
thirty and forty and fifty millions each.
| A few months ago Pittsburg man OF
whom few of us had ever heard died leav-
| ing an estate of fifty million dollars.
| Two weeks ago the papers told of how
| the executors of another man, who fit
| teen years ago was bankrupt, found his
estate to be 100000, made out of mesabi
ores and other iron interests. A year or
so ago 1t was repeatedly stated and not
denied that the United States Steel cor
poration had offered sS0000000 for the
Jones & Laughlin company and been
turned down.
Basis of These Fortunes.
"These enormous fortunes have largely
come as the result of the enhanced value
of coal and iron properties. and Of capt.
tai poured freely into their development.
| The south has far greater resources than
| Pennsylvania, and when we find the cap
| ital needed for development on the same
enormous scale; when we turn our pig
iron and our lumber into the finished
product at home instead of shipping
north and west to be returned to us
with big profits and double freight added;
then this section will have found the
magic wand which will turn not only our
iron but all our resources into gold"