The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-07
MARKET FOR IRON
SETTER PRICES ARel BEING ouOT-
 ED BY PRoECCERS.
Ehere Hhs Been Some selling in Bir- minsham District Already for
 Delivery Daring the Sec
 end Quarter of H009.

Birmfngham, Dec. 6.-(Sp peciai.)- i Better prices are being quoted for pig iron by Alabama producers and indica- 4ions point to the new price. $13.5o per lton. No. 2 foundry iron, will be gem eral before many more days have elapsed.
 The withdrawal of several of the aron companies from the open market as far as delivery during the first three imonths of the coming year goes has brought about a stronger position, and some of the concerns which have placed large business on their order books are holding back for the stiffensd price and are answering inquiries with The S12.S0 per ton quotation.
 While the $l3.50 per ton, No. 2 foun- dry iron, price has not yet become gem eral thereNis no denying the fact that this will be the figure before many days have passed now. There has been some selling going on in the Birming- ham district already for delivery du- ring the second quarter of the coming year. The aggregate so far is not ex- Sensfve and the price of the iron is
 still SIS per ton. The selling, though. indicates that there is a demand for
 the product and that when the pro- lducers desire to place their goods on the market it can find demand.
 The make has not been improved any Iaateiy and no positive statements are made now when furnaces which are in lreadiness are to be blown in, will be started up. There are three furnaces (which could be put in blast within Etwenty-four hours, two which. can be put in operation within fifteen days land a sixth one within a month. Two furnaces at Bessemer and one. in the lSpringf1eld district are ready for the ltorch any time the management sees Fal | A.-n n-NN r.. icreased after the new year sets in just when the manufacturers desire to- The only thing that causes any hesitation lin the starting up all the furnaces that ,can be gotten in shape in this district sis the ore supply and on this score 1t lis announced that every care is being taken to increase the output as much sas possible. At the mines on Red Mountain, in the vicinity of Bessemer, and in the immediate Birmingham sec- Itson, there appears to be scarcity of Habor. Negroes are-wopked almost ex- Iclusively in the ore mines in this sec- 4ion though foreigners are employed lin ore mines in other parts of the iState. At a number of the larger ore s1nines preparations have been made Co enlarge on the number of men given temployment while some of the mines (which have been idle for many months iare being placed in steady operation. two more mines being started up again hthe past week after being shut down I2or many months. Another improve sment that has been made in the past .year and q half has been the enlarge iment of the stock bins at the fur naces so that ore and other raw mate hxial used in the manufacture of pig Hron can be stocked for at least a week Tor ten days and even longer while heretofore twenty-four to thirty-six hours stock could be carried at the furnaces. Tho railroads in the raw material fields In Alabama are giving every consideration to a prompt hand E1ing of the business. Extra crews have kbeen put on along the aRnineral Ebranches and locomotive power has lbeen brought lately from under the iwhite lead. There appears to be no iarouble in getting a full supply of rhinestone and coke also, some of the larger companies still being successful
 in their effort to produce more coke
 than Is needed and stacking some of the same for a rainy day as it were.
 Thirteen of the twenty-three boilers being placed at the big blast iron fur naces plant of the Tennessee Coal Iron and Railrpad Company at Ensley have been placed and the foundations for the ten others are now being put in with all haste. The boiler plant will fur ntSh steam ana power TOT not only the furnaces but also the big steel works adjacent. The boilers will have ca- opacity of no less than 17.0OO horse power. The erection of two furnaces at Ensley to replace old furnaces is well under way while material for the kereotion of a metal mixer in the steel plant is now on the way and win be lput up just as quickly as labor can do lft Other extensive. improvements at NaSv but the.actual work is just now under way.
 [ Alabama cast iron pipe manufactur. ,ers have, orders in hand or in sight Hhat will keep them busy for many months to come. The plants will short Ay find themselves in a position as to need both day and night forces. It is stated with conservatism that all bus Etness will be taken care of and that .orders being sought will be delivered promptly. There Is considerable stock