The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-29
IRON, GOAL ANDSTEEL
REVIEW or TRADE IN THE MIN
 ERAL DISTRICT.
Market is in Splendid Condition With Demand strong and Prices Good.
 Immense Investments
 are Contemplated.

Birmingham, April 2s.-(Special)- The first month of the second quarter of the year is about to close ana mas the iron market in splendid shape. There is a strong demand for iron ana prices are looking ur some; in fact' there is an advance for such Iron as Is wanted during the third quarter or the year
 The production in Alabama Is im- proving also during the past two weeks two furnaces having been started and furnaces which have been in blast for some time increasing thelr make right along.
 Inauiries are still being received as to iron to be delivered during the com ing year. and while no new business has been consummated for next year, the indications are that consumers VIII need iron after this year shall nave passed away Some healthy sized or" ders for iron were booked during the past week and the statement Is made that if there is a continuation for any length of time the make during the balance of the year will have been covered and all iron that can be ob- tained will be considered spot Better prices obtain for spot iron also Tn this State. $23.50 being the quotation now for spot iron, delivery within thirty days. No. foundry, to be delivered during the earlier part of the third quarter now commands $19.50 per ton, while the fourth quarter iron Is bring ing s1850 and $19 per ton, while the frurth quarter iron IS bringing Slo'oV and S1D with ease.
 The inouiries that are being received indicate further that much iron will be purchased in the near future in this district
 Reports as to production show that furnaces which have been in blast for some time are beginning to do better, much to the satisfaction of the com panies. The Shelby Iron Company is getting good results from the two fur naces at Shelby, one on charcoal and the other on coke iron. The Wood ward Iron Company continues to do well with two furnaces, the third iroa maker fast getting into shape for op- eration. The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company will be able to blow in one of tkeir Bessemer furnaces by May 18th, and two others at the same point by the end of the coming month. The company has given up the idea of placing skip hoist to one of the fur naces at Bessemer with the idea of get ting the iron maker ready for the torch at the earliest possible moment The skip hoist takes time to complete and the statement is made that 1t is de- sired to put the furnace in>blast rather than wait and make the improve ments.
 An interesting announcement made the past week concerns the Birming- ham Iron Company and the Atlanta. Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad. which interests are identical Immense Investments are being made in this section by the Birmingham Iron Com pany. As is known. this company Is an assembly of properties of the old Tut weller Coal, Iron and Railroad Com pany. the Short Creek Coal Company, Sligo Coal Company and other concerns, formed by the Messrs. Adlers. who, in turn. sold to the present owners. One furnace is in blast and another Is un- der construction. Since the last deal. the new company has begun developing the coal lands and recently purchased the ore properties of the Birmingham Mining and Contracting Company, near Bessemer, this county, and has secured options on other mining properties.
 It is understood. though there Is no verif1cation, that the Birmingham Iron Company has under consideration the erection of a steel plant and other in- dustries and in the near future steps will be taken in that direction. The company appears to have plenty of working capital and IS entering the dis Ir1ct WlIH Il as the railroad named is owned practi- caIly by the same interests, the conJec- ture Is made that the object in in creasing its coal, iron and steel produc- tion is to furnish traffic from the dis trict to Brunswick and to foreign countries.
 Home consumption of pig iron Is increasing also The rolling mills. cast iron pipe plants, the foundries
 al. fxn, switch works. the bridge plants, and other industries, not overlooking the stove factories all appear to have plenty of business ahead and there will be an extraordinary melt of iron this year. The local consumers. or rather those in Alabama, have made contracts for their supplies pretty well in the future The big cast iron pipe people. with plants in Bessemer and Anniston. Ala. and Chattanooga, Tenn, have been watching the iron mart, buying as they got the chance. and the report is current that they are pretty we'll covered. This con cern, however. is supplied with nu- merous orders for pipe and are making efforts on future contracts of some magnitude with prospects of consum- mating the same.
 There are three cast iron pipe con cerns in the immediate Birmingham district, one in Anniston and one at Sheffield, in Alabama, while soil pipe plants are located in Bessemer, Gads- den and Anniston, not to mention two casting and pipe plants in Birmingham and North Birmingham. This means that there is a large demand for iron right here. Good prives obtain for cast iron pipe right now and the prospects are very bright for a continuation of conditions for sometime to come,.