The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-06
FIRE DESTROYS
 LUMBER PLANT Four kiIns and 100000 Feet
 of Lumber Burn TENNESSEE IMPROVEMENTS New Electrical Plant Is Said to Be One of the Finest In the South. West BIocton Bank Shows
 Good Years Business.
TENNESSEE IMPROVEMENTS
By H. D. CULLEN.

Blocton January 5.-(Special )-Fire de- stroyed four large dry kilns and about 9o0,0oo feet of lumber at the plant of the Holmes Lumber company situated at Scottsville, about six miles below here. on the Mobile and Ohio railroad, Monday morning. The origin of the fire Is un- known at present The loss is large. amounting to about s15,000 in all, with about $10,00o insurance. The company is not likely to rebuild at that place. as they have only limited cut left.
 The improvement work now under way by the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad company on their property at this place is going forward at a good pace, and will work great changes here. They are now installing what is said to be the finest electric plant of its kind in the state. It will be situated at No. 2 Blocton mine where they already have some of the finest machinery in the south. and will furnish power for all the mines, both for hauling and lighting, and also, it is expected, for lighting all the other property. Most of the machinery, which is of the latest design, is now on the ground for installation. The power lines from the plant to the other mines are rapidly nearing completion. It is not known whether they will furnish power and lights for outside parties and mu- nicipalities, but it is to be hoped that they will, as this would mean much to the entire Blocton section. The com pany is also otherwise improving all the property. by repairing, painting and grading where necessary. The output of all the mines has been greatly increased. and will continue to be increased when the present Improvements are finished.
 The West B1octon Savings bank makes ment at the close of business for the year 190e Total deposits are $147, ,762. .S5. of which about S3e,OoO is time deposits. Cash on hand and in banks is s43, 2S6. 6S, showing several times the legal reserve of 15 per cent. The capital stock is s25,- 900, with a surplus and individual profits of more than s15.0oo. This snows a large gain in deposits over any similar period of the banks history, and indicates both the confidence of the public in the in- stitution and the more prosperous con ditions in this section. The bank is pre- pairing to move into its new quarters "a splendid brick building. to be hand sonseiy equipped with new fixtures throughout This bank has prospered exceedingly we'll since local capital pur- chased the interest of outside parties last summer
 The business outlook for the coming year in the Blocton district in all lines is very promising.
 The Bessenfer Land and Improvement company is opening new mine on the noted Thompson scam near here that will soon produce some fine coal A spur track has already been built to the property and operations arc in active progress.
 The new opening of the mine of the Hills Creek Coal company, made necessary by the discovery of a fault in the seam after the slope had been driven some 300 feet, has been driven over 700 feet and active mining has begun, rooms having been turned last week. and the produc- ton of good coal will begin at once. A spur from the Birmingham Mineral road win be built to the mine as soon as pos sible. Another large boiler is now be- ing added to their power plant The mine is located west of town on the western outcrop of the No. 1 Blocton seam and will produce some of the best coal in the district Messrs. John T. Miner Jr., and Lawrence Miner are in active charge of the work