The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-17
Largest Holdings Are in Walker and Jefferson Counties-Extend for Several Miles Along the
 Warrior River
ENORMOUS HOLDINGS OF
 RAMSAY X MCCORMACK

%~-%%%<~%%-%%+<% What is thought to be the last large body of valuable coal lands in mineral Alabama was secured yesterday by the Pratt Consolidated Coal company, when it was officially announced that the B. NJ. Long estate holdings in Walker county, comprising a body of between S5000 and 10000 acres, had been purchased by Ram- say & Mccormack, controlling the Pratt company.
 The Long estate has been in the hands of heirs for some time. but some of the properties have been operating under the Corona Coal Land and Improvement company. This company has developed two fine mines, known as Ruby and Bar ney mines. They are great producers and are included in the purchase made by the Birmingham men.
 The acreage has as an approximate cen ter Cordova, in Walker county, and runs in all directions from that point. The Warrior river Is a boundary on the east of the land for several miles.
 It was not announced yesterday what Dl1ce ndQ DctH pdiu lOI tiiC teeiie'S NY et'S Birmingham men, but it is said the hold ings are worth conservatively s1,oo0,oOo. The acreage is known to be as valuable as any in the mineral district. Control of "Bfg Seam' The purchase of this land gives the Pratt company and Ramsay & McCor- mack control of what is known as the '.big seam'' of coal which Is held to be one of the most valuable in the district. The seam is now being operated at sew eral points. while the Pratt company has also touched the seam at places. In addition to touching the big seam, the coal property included in this pur- chase includes what are known as the American. Jefferson, Black Creek. Pratt seam, and others.
 This coal property has not been lying wholly inactive, and in addition to the Ruby and Barney mines in operation there are number of small mines which are strong little producers. These mines will probably be rearranged and operated on an extensive and at the same time conservative basis
 On account of the fact that the Long property is the last large acreage of any great value in the mineral region of this state, the progress of the sale to the Ramsay cCormack interest has attract ed more than ordinary interest. The sale. 1t is understood, places the Pratt com pany in probably the strongest position of any operator in this district from the point of coal land acreage.
 The Company's Holdings
 It was stated yesterday that coal lands controlled in this state by the Ramsay Mccormack interest equal and are as good in producing as those of any com pany here.
 The Pratt company owns 7500o acres in the district. The owners of this company also control the property known as the Gulf Coal and Coke company lands, com prising 15,O0O acres. They have 7500 acres at Carbon Hill, 5000 acres individually, 33o0 acres near the Holt furnaces at Tus- calcosa, to which the Warrior locks are directly adjacent, in addition to the 35,O00 or 4O,0OO purchased yesterday
 The entire Alabama holdings of the Ramsay-McCormack interest embraces over 140,OOO acres while in Tennessee the holdings of Ramsay and Mccormack are estimated at 25,000 acres of fine coal lands. In that state extensive operations are be- Ing carried on
 To Be Operated Commercially
 The immense acreage of the Ramsay Mccormack interest, which includes fine brown ore properties, suggested the pos sible eventuality that some furnace com pany or steel mill would be started oy that combination However, the state ment was made that nothing was behind the purchases by this firm except the op- eration of their mines along commercial lines. It Is, however, probable that with such great coal tonnages at their conl- mand some wider developing will be start ed by Ramsay & Mccormack at some future time. They however would not hint at the suggestion being a possibility.
 In addition to being one of the largest sales of coal lands in this district in many years, the purchase by the Ramsay Mccormack interest of the Long estate yesterday forms a great, unbroken area for their properties on the edge of this county and into Walker. The properties of the Pratt company, and those of the Carbon Hill holdings dovetail into the Long lands without any breaks to speak of The entire control of this land gives unbroken title to the Pratt company of seams they nave DccH WOTklnB III lue past and will enable the company to make further extensive developments without having to consider a possible encroach- ment upon the holdings of other con- cerns
 Ramsay Makes Statement Erskine Ramsay of Ramsay & McCor- mack, and senior vice president of the Pratt Consolidated Coal company, in speaking of the purchase by his com pany of the Long properties, said:
 "The acreage involved in our purchase of the estate of the late B. M. Long is about s, GOO. However, no one knows the exact acreage until the attorneys figure out the transfers. It will, however, be between 5000 and 10000 acres. The pur- chase gives our company control of ap- proximately 10000 acres of very valuable coal lands and places us in a better posi- ton than ever to broaden our develop ments in the commercial trade. We in- tend to assist as far as is in our power to make the Birmingham district as great and as productive as possible. 'The recent purchases by our firms do