The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-18
FORECAST OF NEWS MARKET FOR IRON
THE PRESENT BUYING IS IN SMALL
 LOTS.
The Coal Production Tn Alabama Ia Showing Steady Improvement. Nearly AIi--the Mines In
 Full OperntiOn.

| Birmingham, Jan. 17-(SpeciaI. )--Tht I buying in small lots with an occasiona order of some size received aggregate. well so far this year.
 l While the buying that was expected to go on before this has not yet started | there is positive confidence in condi. tions. present as well as future. The quotations for iron still hover around SIS per ton. No. 2 foundry with no con- cesslon being made on that price. Tn other words, inquiry fails to reveal any case where iron has been sold unaei SIS per ton, No. 2, foundry. Considerable iron has been leaving the Birmingham district for points north of the Ohio River, while Western and even Eastern centers have been 1 getting the Southern product right along also. There is no discounting the fact that the home consumption has been healthy Nand the prospects bright for even larger melt in this territory. The cast iron pipe people in this sec- tion of the country have plenty of or- ders in hand and more orders under consideration. The machine. shops and foundries are beginning to enjoy. an old | time trade condition. Rolling mills at Bessemer twelve miles south of Birm- ingham, will start up on full time Mons day morning. Other interests employ ing iron in their daily operation. are looking forward to better conditions also.
 The make in the Southern territory is holding it's own. There is every prep. aration well in hand. though, in case Of more iron being needed. There Is some accumulation of both ore and coke. The fuxing material Is to be had a-plenty while the coal supplies can be improved on just when needed There is nothing in the way to meet better demand While there are no definite figures in hand. the production for the first fort, night of 1909 shows a healthy product ion of iron. Some of the furnaces have been maintaining good pace in iron making, and the furnace masters are watching the iron-makers carefully.
 Considerable comment was made the past week on a heavy train of pig iron which left the Bessemer yards bound for points north of the Ohio River. There are daily shipments of iron in from one tofive and even ten cars tO-the train, but comment was made. the past week on solid train of pig iron.
 Cast iron pipe interests are said to have gotten down to the point of clos ing contracts for pig iron. The sale of 10000 tons of iron was reported the past week by the Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron Company. The sale of 500 tons and under was reported by several
  And yet, the statement is made that the acive buying is not on.
 The furnaces in blast are in good trim. There should be a better product ion during the last half of the month, though the furnace masters are not looking for impossible things.
 The big steel plant at Ensley, of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Com- pany Is on In full force now. The next change for the better will probably be a night shift in all departments. There is a good demand for steel. The ship lnent of steel trimmings from billets. the scraps as t-were, to Italy, was happy announcement of the past week. An order for 1000 tons of this kind of steel has been accepted and is being filled from the plant In this district
 Steel rail is being furnished practic- ally all Southern railroads, lines in the Birmingham territory in particular being served with the product. There will be a steady operation in the rail mill all through the year is the remark able statement that is given out.
 Definite announcements are looked for during this week in regard to the Southern Steel Company. (bankrupt). It is believed now that the various plants of this concern will resume operation between the first and fifteenth of Feb ruary. The reorganization plans will be forthcoming after today. The stock is to be in hand by the 18th, and then comes the statement of the committee which has been hard at worn for sev- eral weeks. Employment will be given to at least 2,500 men right from the start, and this number Is to be increas- ed The plants, as has been stated be- fore, are located in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. including the large steel rod. wire and nail mills at Ensley.
 Something definite is looked for in the way of information in regard to the big company that Dr. c. B. Grove is to head, to build two blast iron furnaces, coke ovens. and power plant, in the viz cinity of Bessemer. The new company. according to the first announcements, will have a capitalization of $1,0O0,OOO, Eigthy acres of land have been pur- chased. Now, rumors prevail that the United States Steel Corporation will take a hand in the development of the property lying between Ensley and Bes- semer, part of which is the property re- gently acquired by pr. Grove and his associates.
 The coal production in Alabama is showing steady improvement. There are very few mines now fin the State which are not In full operation. The miues at Hulga. in the western part of the coun- ty, property of the Birmingham Coal and Iron Company are producing quite tonnage of coal now, and the output is to be increased right along. These mines are the best equipped in the State. There is a demand for all the coal that Is being mined
 Coke In Demand.
 Coke is in good demand. but the out put is keeping up with all needs Very little inroad has been made as yet on the stacks of the product in this dis trict. The improvement in the make of pig iron will bring about better con- sumption of coke. and 1t will not take long to burn up all the coke on hand. Amends Her Compliant.
 Huntsville. Jan. 7.-(Special )-1n hearing before Judge Betts in the law and equity court. the compliment in