The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-05


 n printed form anywhere but have beer 1 gotten by months of research and by ;.ersonal investigation and interviews by the writer of the book and the members of the committees.
 "Details relating to the work of Coionei DeBardeleben have come in from many sources. and his great enterprises in this district will be fully treated.
 In the final chapters or the book will 9u given the account of the work of Frank Hearne Crockard and George Gordon Crawford, who, with Erskine Ramsay are among the most remarkable of the younger men in the coal end iron buN- less in the south today.
 Dr. Thomas NJ Owen, director of the department Of archives and history. is continuing to assist in the work of re- search. The following letters have been received recently from Dr. Owen and MT. William c. Swanson:
 Montgomery, March 26. 1908.
 My Dear Miss Armes-A copy of the old Alabama Reporter of June 12 lS45 has just reached this department On examining it I find three advertisements. which seem to me to be of service i'll connection with your history of iron, etc., in this state.
 While in Talladega I was told that MT. Riddle of that place was interesting him self in your work. Possibly he has al ready sent you the data concerning the Maria. forge.
 If the copies Of these advertisements, herewith enclosed. duplicate material al ready in your hands, they will not be amlss. Otherwise the items may be of some little service. Very respectfully.
 THOMAS NJ. OWEN.
 Montgomery. March 20, 1908
 My Dear Miss Armes-Under separate cover. I am sending you a copy Of the 1907 edition of our Official and Statistical Register. l hope you may find it of some little use and interest.
 Kindly acknowledge receipt. Very truly,
 THOMAS NJ. OWEN
 Montgomery. March 20, 1@S
 My Dear Miss Armes-I wish to ex- press my appreciation of the very import ant and interesting work in which you are engaged. I am pleased to learn that you consider the London pamphlet valuable one, as I only acquired 1t re- gently. and in fact have not had the time to examine it carefully.
 In connection with the subject. I will call your attention to another pubiica- ton, which. if by any chance you are not aware of it already, may be of serv- ice to you. I refer to a series of ar tleles which appeared in "Scribners Monthly in 1875 from the pen of Ed ward King a Seotchman, who spent all Of 1873 and part of 1874 travelling with an artist through the late southern slave states. He QeNOIeS three CHdpteiS to Alabama, the last being an account of what he saw in the mineral section of he state which he travelled in the winter of 1S73-74 The contents of the series was issued in book form after revison) in London, 1878. under the title "The South ern States of North America. If you would care to consult the magazine ar ticles and cannot find them in Birming- ham, they can be had in the public library in this city. Very respectfully
 'NOSNvMs Q NyTT'IIM
 George B Mccormack, president of the Pratt Consolidated Coal company, and one of the members of the central committee, continues most active work in the enter prise.
 We are especially desirous." he re- marked recently, 'of giving full accounts of any changes and Improvements made by the furnace superintendents and tine furnace men in this district. We cannot make the history a success unless those who are in possession of the facts arc willing to help us Tn the preparation. The work that has been done by MT John Bowling Mir. F. B. Keiser, MT shannon, MT. J. Warner Shook and several others is most deserving of record, to my notion Not only have these men superintendent the work-they have done the work.
 T have written to MT. Bowling and also to Mir Keiser. There is a growing inter- est in the work throughout Tennessee, particularly in Nashville.
 For that matter there seems to be in- terest all over the south, even way out in Texas. There has been considerable correspondence with various Texas peo- pie. some of those whose folks were pioneers in the iron business of Alabama. Mrs. RocKett, a daughter Of the man who built Camps forge, in Bibb county, way back in the early thirties, has sent 8 good deal of information to Miss Arines"
 MT Mccormack has lately gotten to- gether biographical data relating to Col. A. N. Shook and has written MT Inman and MT. Percy Warner
 The following note has been received from MT Warner:
 Nashville. March 30 19JS. MT. G. B. Mccormack, care Pratt Con- soldated Coal Company. Birmingham: Dear Sir-Your letter of March came during my absence fin New York and as I expected Colonel Shook to shortly re- turn from Florida. have awaited his ar rival and requested him to prepare an ar ticle which will be mailed you in day or two.
 Am very much obliged to you. Very truly. PERCY WARNER Speaking of the history, Erskine Ram say said:
 'I don't know as any work of just this character and scope has ever before been attempted in any state or anywhere Certainly it has never been done in Penn sylvania, with all that has been written of Pennsylvania. And I know it has never been done in England or Scotland