The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-24
IRON MARKETSTEADY
CONDITNONs ARE sAISsFACTORY
 FUTURE PROSPEC>S BRIGHT.
Production of Pig Iron fin the southern
 Territory will be Improved During Next Four Weeks,

the Southern pig iron manufacturers assert that conditions are satisfactory and the future prospects bright. A few orders are still being booked. The
 quotations show no change, except as to iron to be delivered during the third quarter of this year. This iron is almost considered as spot iron. What little iron there is to be had for de- livery during the third quarter of the
 year is bringing a fancy price almost, or rather consumers who buy in small lots and they are in need of the pro- duct are willing to pay a premium for the same. Iron for delivery during the fourth quarter of this year is to
 be had though indications are there is not great quantity in sight This iron is quoted at $21.S0 per ton, NO. 2 foundry basis.
 Production of pig iron in the South ern territory will be improved consid- erably during the next four weeks. This week one furnace Is on the cal endar to go into blast. the following week a second furnace and within fortnight after that two furnaces are due and before August Is still another furnace will be ready for the month. All work repairing furnaces in this dis trict is being rushed, the manufactur- CTS being anxious to start the iron makers up at the very earliest possi-
 
 panies in this territory are behind in their orders for the reason that they figured on furnaces being in blast which are still under repairs. Every effort is being made to fill contracts. the railorads doing their part to- wards the same The furnace com panies have no complaint whatsoever to make as to the transportation fa- ciIities. As an evidence of the active conditions among the railroads the re- port of the Alabama Car Service As sociation for the month of May, this year, showed an increase of more than ten thousand cars as compared to the figures for the May in 1906. Almost all the railroads in the State report the number of cars handled to the Ala bama Car Service Association and 1t is a fact that the batter part of the b,fsiress is transacted in the industrial sections of the State. The indications are that the number of cars handled by the railroads during the month of June will show a larger increase than did the figures for this May as com pared to the same month Of last year Every request for cars is being filled hy the railroads and the shipments are steady.
 The iron consumption in the local territory continues brisk and there IS indication of but a small falling off during the summer. The rolling mills in this district will shortly have to lay of for repairs. The cast iron pipe makers, the soil pipe makers, the stove foundries, the foundries and machine shops and other works appear to have orders on hand or in sight which re- ouire steady operation on their part for some time to come.
 The furnace companies are inclined
 to protect the home consumers on all their needs and as a consequence the melt here will be great.
 In preparing for a largeer production, pig iron manufacturers are watching raw material supplies. New ore mines are being opened and Improvements
 being made at the old mines. Ore Is
 the only raw material that has been
 giving concern. The coke production
 has been in excess of the needs in this
 district for some time and some of the product Is being stocked to be used
 when the demand is brisker. The sup ply of ore will be better, 1t is figured on, within the next few weeks. Old
 mines along the southern portion of
 Red Mountain which were abandoned
 a few years back are being resorted to again. At Ishkooda, seven miles south of Birmingham, a once prosperous min ing camp, is being established. Houses for miners are being rebuilt and prepa- rations being made to get out ore on a large scale. At one time. Ishkooda
 was famous mining camp in this
 State. The place was the butt of all political jokes and was as well-known
 as any small place in the State. For some reasons the ore beds were aban- doned and the camp deserted The miners houses were torn down and the lumber used in building houses in other camps along the same mountain range.
 Recently the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Dot Ta dAd fn II n
 to the mines, and the place is to be re- inhabited. The houses will be built and the mine tracks as well as the railroad extension relaid- Other places are being improved, every eff fort to be resorted to in order that q
 large output of ore is secured
 Alabama iron has been tested in all parts of the United States and few | inquiries are now being received from the different sections. A recent order l given by the railroads as to tonnage | for each car will not disturb conditions | in this section in the least. The man 1 ufacturers want the largest tonnage | possible to each car. There is not a | great quantity of the higher grades of | iron to be had. Gray forge and No, 4 l foundry can be had in same quantity, | but Nos l, 2. and 3 grades for deliv- | cry at any time this year Is not to be | secured as easily as one would imag- | inc. There Is some talk heard about | the Presidential year coming on and l other causes for weakness of the mart, | but actual experience of such a condi-
 tion is yet a foreign element in the
 Southern territory. ~s .= The Steel Mart. ---*-
 Steel conditions are still ively. The
 various plants manufacturing and
 handling steel in Gadsden and EnsleY
 are working on full time and more
 laborers being given employment as | quickly as they can be secured. The
 steel mart is more than satisfactory Good prices prevail and the manufac- 1 turers are sold well ahead The new
 steel plant of the Tennessee. Coal, Iron
 and Railway Company at Ensley is being worked on, and it is expected that by the end of the summer the
 building will begin showing some form.
 Ii Is not believed however, that the plant will be in full operation at the l time that the officials of the company
 would like to see 1t. but the contrac- ] tors are doing their best to get the big | industry ready for operation as near ] the time as possible.
 Cast Iron Pipe.
 The cast iron pipe plants are busy in
 stttutions. The period of the year ap- 1 pears to be on when everybody wants
 their pipe delivered, Considerable
 work is being done throughout the 1 country ard cast iron pipe is in strong | demand Half a dozen pipe inspectors l are in the district inspecting pipe to
 be shipped out. St. Louis, and other | Western cities, have representatives in | this district, while Northern and East
 ern and also Southern places have in