The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-16

State. The limonites are considered the best ores and they command the high est prices.
 Deposits of Iron Ore.
 The most important deposits of lim- onites occur in the Alabama geological formations classed at the Knox Dolo- mite, the Weisner Qnartlze, the lsaud. erdale chert of the Lower Carboni- ferrous and the Lafayette.
 The Lafayette ores of this class are the principle ores of the iron indus- tries of the northern counties og Franklin, Marion and Lamar. It is worthy of note that the first furnace ever built in Alabama and which was built on Cedar Creek in Franklin coun. ty in ISIS was supplied with this kind of ore. To this day Jumps of malleable as well as cast iron are to be found near the ruins of the old forge.
 That form of iron ore known as the Lauderdale chsrt has ineVer been ex- tensively used in Alabama.
 The Knox Dolomite is of much more value to the industry of the State and Dr. Smith says of that. in general, 1t is the best ore in the State The most important mines and develop ments of this ore are in Cherokee. Calhoun. TalladeEa, Shelby, Bibb and Tuscaloosa counties. In some of these
 
 100 feet and the ore found good at the bottom.
 The Weisirer Quartzite and the gray ore or magnetic have not been mined and at present have brought no finan- cial return to the state. Of the gray ore Dr. Smith says that it Is probable that that desirable ore will soon be added to the commercially important resources of the State. a prediction k.. eli hnf tfarIffad since the making of his report. a com pany with ample capital, has been formed to mine this ore in Talladega county and already work has gone far on the big undertaking.
 The fourth class of iron ores, the black band or clay Iron Stone has never been mined to any considerable extent in Alabama. It is, just now commercially unimportant.
 At some length the nature Of the hidden resources on which Alabama has built up a great wealth has been described The extent or the limit of these deposits may not be defined. To this day they seem inexhaustable
 Supply Is InexhaustabIe.
 It has, however, been estimated by geologists that the amount of ore now In sight in the Birmingham district alone will supply double the number of furnaces now in existence TOT the next $50 years. This does not take into consideration the use Of ores, which may become important through new discoveries, or through the invention of improved machinery, which may make unused ores available for com mereial purposes.
 It Is declared by Birmingham writers that the life of the ore supply in other iron making centsrs of the United States Is estimated at thirty to fifty years. The red ore lying between Birmingham and Bessemer Is part icularly rich for its class, averaging in metallic iron between thirty ght and fifty-two per cent. MFucn of this ore Is self fluxing. The brown ores of the same district averages five per cent.
 One feature of the wealth producing qualities of the ore in the Birmingham district should by all means have at- tention drawn to 1.-the growth of the manufacturing of the pig Iron into various uses. This development comes as a natural consequence of the cheap pig iron and the eonveniences for working Iron. It Is estimated that