The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-26
SEEK INFORMATION
 FROM THE COUNTIES
DATA FOR HISTORY OF IRON MAKING IN ALABAMA POURS IN FROM MANY oUARTERS-BIBB COUNTY ORGANIZED.

Truman H. Aldrich, chairman of the committee on publication of the Story of Coal and Iron in Alabama, by Ethel Armes, reports interesting progress. Ow- lng to the extent and importance of the history, and the difficulty of securing au- thentic and reliable information from the various mineral sections of the state, Mir. Aldrich has undertaken the organization of county committees.
 These committees, comprised of repre- sentative and influential citizens of each county, men of long residence in and knowledge of their respective districts, are designed with the particular object of gathering information for the history and of revising and correcting any errors re- lating to the county records that may oc- cur before the publication of the book
 The organization of the Bibb county committee Nas just been completed. Frank Fitch of Brierfeld was elected chairman. MT. Fitch, although formerly in charge of the Rock Run furnace in Cherokee county, and associated in Calhoun with Samuel Noble, has been for many years d resident of Bibb. His wife Is a daughter Of the late J. Newton Smith. who, with Jonathan Ware, and the Mahans, was the first ironmaster of Bibb county.
 MT. Fitch has appointed on his commit tee the IOllOWlHB well KuOWu kAldpdiilh men: Judge W. L. Pratt, County Judge Charleton G. Smith, Hermann Pfaff. pres ident of the Southern Mineral Land com pany; K. Cunningham Mahan, postmaster of Brierleld; E. M. Smith, James G.. Oakley, county sheriff; w. w. McCollum and H. E. Reynolds, state senator.
 MT. McCollum, who for several years past has been collecting historical data, has contributed information of importance and interest and an account of the old Confederate arsenal and common foundry at Selma, concerning which there Is So little on record. Several of his sketches were published in fife Centrevile papers and these are now being gathered to- gether for use in the history.
 Miss Armes has just returned from q weeks visit to Bibb county, where not only important data was gathered but a large number of artistic and beautiful photographs of the furnace and early forge sites taken by Miss Anna Pfaff, daughter of Herman Pfaff, were contrib uted to the book.
 As Bibb county was, during the of Bloom forges, the banner county of the state, and from 1916 a center of activity in primitive iron-ma<ing, all facts per- taining to this early time are of interest
 The organization of county committees in Calhoun, Dallas and Talladega are now under way and will shortly be taken up In other localities.
 Through George B. McCarmack histor- ical data pertaining to the old furnace in Lamar county furnished by Walter Ne smith of Vernon, and the record of The Cedar Creek furnace in Franklin, the old est in the state, written by Charles E. Wilson, general manager of the Wilson Mercantile company at Russelville, have been placed before Miss Armes.
 Major Willis J. Milner has given the biography of his distinguished brother the late John T. Miner. and notes and information of rare value
 Through Morris Bush, the interesting Selma has been procured, and through Dr John P. Furniss of Selma commun- ication with Major J. c. Compton, once commandant of the c. s. arsenal
 MT. John F.. Ware has contributed an eloauent article on the life of Samuel Noble. as well as graphical data relat- ing 10 the late Horace Ware and an &C., count of the early forges of the state.
 John H Adams, vice president and manager of the Sayre company, is gath ering the facts about Milton F. Smith, president of the Louisville and Nashville road.
 Alex London, although not identified himself with the mineral development of the state, has a fund of information of exact and specific value concerning the actual workers and conditions, past and present here that Is extraordinary. His uncle was the late Daniel s. Troy, so long associated with Oxmoor.