The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-27
SATISFACTORY
THE PIG IRON MARKET IS PICKING
 UP.
Two More Furnaces in BirmtnghaHa District Are Ready For Torch
 and VIII Be In OpeFa-

Two More Furnaces in Blrminghan
 District Are Ready For Torch and VIII Be In Opera-
 ton Soon.
 Birmingham, Jan. 26.-(Special.) )-At every office visited, the statement Is given out that the pig iron market is more satisfactory in the Birmingham district than it has been for the past four months.
 Sales of iron recently made and the line of inquiries coming in, some of which is sure to result in business, are encouraging to a degree. The produc- tion has not yet been improved and the same statement is again made that two furnaces are ready for the torch and should be in operation by the end of the week. The accumulated iron on the furnace yeards in this district, es- timated before the turn of the year at ninety thousand tons, is being worked down right along, less than halr the amount stated being reported now. The demand is little better than the make, which means that the surplus stock has been called into use.
 None of the manufacturers in this district, large or small are selling iron now under S13.50 per ton, Number foundry. Up to couple Of weeks ago there was a report heard that iron could be purchased one dollar and fifty cents under this quotation and there was no denial. The announce ment that one of the smaller com panies had withdrawn from the market because of strong. sales is reiterated. The statement that the Alabama Com solidated Coal and Iron Company had secured some healthy business Tor de- livery during the first half of the year Is repeated and preparations have been made for an immediate improvement of the make by this concern.
 The Tennessee Coal Iron and Rail- road Company has five out of six Fur naces at Ensley in blast but only basic iron being manufactured here. Tn as- much as very little basic iron is placed on the open market, the product being used mostly in the manufacture or steel, 1t Is evident that close attention is to be given to the production of steel. The big plant of the Tennessee Com pany at Ensley continues to do well. Improvements will be made shortly about the steel rail mill which Will cause a short shut down. There will be need for steel in other directions it is assured and therefore the big plant will be kept in full operation as much as possible.
 Great quantities of raw material for blast iron furnaces have been stocked at different points in the Birmingham district and when the iron manufact- uring Is again at It's top notch there Is no appreh ension that the raw material supplies will not be sufficient to meet every possible demand. At the ore mines in particular there has been a large amount of stock put aside for use when the iron manufacturing starts up again. The coke accumulation has been going on for several months. in fact there is more coke on hand, con- sidering. than the other products. The coal supplies have always been ade- quate for the Iron masters. all delays heretafore being when ore and coke were short.
 Replies to inquiries in the offices of the iron manufacturing companies in- dcate that when the production does pick up again it will De for a lengthy spell There are some who do not be-