The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-27

4 . IRON AND STEEL REVIEW. 
 Birmingham. Dec. 2s.-(special )-- The holiday season wip soon be over now and then will begin the buying in the Southern pig iron market. De- spite the fact that the usual holiday Hull set in a little earlier this year than usual there was quite an amount of iron disposed of in this section and the year Is going out with considerable activity noted.
 The make Is little off compared to what 1t was during October and No- yember. still 1t was most satisfactory. There will hardly be anything doing the last week of the year in the iron save perhaps the receipt of a number of inquiries as to the coming year.
 The. expectations are that there win be a big demand for iron and that buying will start in immediately. The taking of Inventory, according to in- dicatfons, will not take up much time. Many of the larger consumers. the cast iron people, the foundrymen and the machine shop pfoprietors. know pretty we'll now what. they have in hand and what they have reasons to expect dur ing the coming year. These men, therefore. will cofhmence~ on their in quiries early in the game. 1t is fig- ured, and make attempt to get cheap iron as well as promise of punctual de- 4 livery. N
 The delivery of iron sold several months ago at prices much, under those prevailing at present has been kept up steadily, some companies still having few orders to fiji. having delayed as much as possible on part of this traf- fic. However, before the buying is well on these companies so situated with cheap iron or product sold under the cheap prices, win be right in the fray and will be able to handle their share of the trading. There is positively no apprehension felt In this section that the demand is not going to be brisk. that there is not going to be demand for a large quantity of iron and that the quotations are going to remain high and firm. Everything points to a most active condition in all lines.
 The actual conditions of the pig iron market increased the good cheer of the holiday period in the Birmingham dis trict. While things have been a little quiet for the past few weeks. said a prominent iron man. "there is noth- ing to cause special disfayor and the grouch is out of place in this district. There will, be need for all the iron that can be produced here right. along and all the furnaces are warranted in put ting their iron makers In shape for a lengthy and steady operation. The furnaces which are not Ni commission now are being worked on so that at the moment they are needed they can go to work. The furnaces which are in operation will lose but little time through the holiday season. The min CTS at both the coal and ore mines have promised to celebrate the minimum length of time. A large number of the coal mines operated up until Friday of this week and an effort will be made to resume the operations during this week, at the coal mines either Monday or Tuesday.
 At the ore mines the employees. most ly coiored. are being urged to return to work as quickly as possible The ore proposition is the most serious of the raw material supplies question in this district. A break of water in the larg- est ore mines of the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron Company, for instance. made shortage of ore that was felt. However, arrangements are being made by Introduction of machinery and the further development of ore lands to bring about relief.
 The approaching new year brings fur ther good cheer, The new plant of the Southern Iron and Steel Company. To-
  Is nearing completion and should be. ready for operation within month or two. The repairs on the big steel plant of the same company at-Alabamat City are about finished and 1t will not be long now before there will be some steel coming out at this point. Charcoal iron continues to hold strong position and ali through the holiday season held on to the new quo- tuf Ennn1FV has been firm between $l4 and $14.5e, per ton with the furnace companies still mentioning SIS per ton, No. foundry. The HEtie charcoal furnace at Attalla, north of Birmingham, about 50 miles, is ready for the torch. It has capacity of about thirty tons day and 1t promises to continue in operation, when once good started, for quite a while. l v a
 There is to be no delay on the con structioT of the dam for the big lake that is being established by the Ten- nessee Coal. Iron and Railroad Com pany, the erection of the power house near the same and the construction of the big by-product coke oven plant. The contracts have all been let for the con struetion of the $3.oO0,oO0 steel rod and wire mills of the American Steel and Wire Company. so it Is learned. and there will be activity on the site selected for this industry.
 The old year is passing away with the best of cheer prevailing in the iron and steel circles in this section of the country and the prospects the brightest in many a year. There Is work for several thousand hands and steady stream of workingmen is being worked up by responsible agents throughout
 the country.