The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-25
.RAGLAND TAKING
 ON RENEWED LIFE Cement Plant Under Way Will
 Cost S1,250,0OO FINE SAND DISCOVERED Is Only Deposit in South that Can Be Used for Fine Moulding-W. T. Brown Discusses Towns
 Future.

W. T. Brown of Ragland and Oden- vile was in Birmingham yesterday.
 MT. Brown has large interests at Rag land and is president of the Ragland Coal company, one of the most successful small coal mining concerns in the state. The company makes a speciality of black smiths coal and does large mall order business in this line MT. Brown Is also largely interested in other enterprises in his home town and Odenville the new town on the Seaboard Air Line railroad. MT. Brown has just sold a large tract of land near Ragland to the Atlantic and Gulf Portland Cement company which is building at Ragland one of the largest cement plants in the entire country. The tract consists of 2Os9 acres and is said to be exceedingly rich in coal and shale
 MT. Brown said: 'rRagland Is one of the busiest little places in Northeast Ala bama- We have several important in- dustries that the average Alabamian knows nothing about. The Atlantic and Gulf Portland Cement company is build ing a cement plant there that will cost, when completed, about s1,25000O, and will have a capacity of 5000 barrels a day. The plant will be ready for operation by October l.
 'J. s. Herbert is in charge of the con struction of the plant and is pushing the enterprise to completion as rapidly as pos sible. About 4O0 men will be employed when the plant is completed and in op- eration.
 Two 1500 horsepower engines are now being contracted at the Hardie-Tynes plant in Birmingham for this concern. believe they are now about ready for delivery.
 The Clay Works.
 Another important industry at Rag land is the Wnlpcoba Clay works. IThis is also a new concern which, when in full operation, will have a capacity of 1000 brick per oay. Four ovens have already been completed and are in opera ton. Two additional ovens are now be- ing built. c. H. Pittman is general man ager of this concern.
 'The clays and shale in the vicinity of Ragland are very fine for brickmaking and the industry promises to be very largely developed in the near future. A very excellent quality of fire brick clay has just been discovered near Odenville this side of Ragland Preliminary tests show that this clay is superior to most any other that has been discovered in this section.
 Sand for molding purposes has recently been discovered at Ragland and two con- cerns are already shipping large quanti- ties of 1t to foundres in the Birmingham district and elsewhere. You perhaps know that most of this sand heretofore has been secured in New York state and other eastern communities and the discovery at Ragland is very valuable. This is perhaps the only deposit of the kind in the state, if not in the south. The de- posit seems to be inexhaustible and Is said to be of that fine quality necessary in the manufacture of complicated iron castings.
 Rich ip Minerals.
 "St Clair county is rich in a variety of minerals and the building of the Sea board Air Line railroad through it's cen ter and through the heart of the un- developed territory around Ragland and Odenville will hasten the development of this section. Iron and coal are found in abundance as well as limestone, clay, shale and other materials of great value.
 "Odenvile is in one of the most fertile agricultural sections of the state and this section is being developed at won derful rate. Most of the farmers own their own homes and are in a way inde- pendent. Many of them have snug bank accounts and are public spirited. They take a live interest in the development of the country along all lines and are the real backbone of the wonderful de- velopment that is just now setting in.
 "They want good schools, good roads and good churches and are willing to con- tribute money and time to their building. St. Clair has been considered one of the backward counties of the state. but a few years will show some wonderful changes. It is naturally one of the rich est counties in the state and one must see the country to appreciate the im- provements that are being made"