The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-28
MANY OPINIONS ON TIE STORY IF IRON Book Will Soon Be in General
 Circulation
ALDRICH TALKS OF WORK
Some Interesting Examples of Troubles the Publicity Committee Had In Dealing With Facts of the
 Early History

Coal and Iron in Alabama" by Miss Ethel Armes, said yesterday: Although the official announcement of the comple- of the Chamber of Commerce. was made by MT. Frank Nelson some weeks ago. and nearly all of the first subscribers have received their copies, the book will not be publicly launched in Alabama until the new administration of the Chamber of Commerce-otherwise President Ford takes up the matter, as he will do inn mediately. Mir. Ford is exceedingly inter- ested in this work, which was started some time ago under the auspices of the Commercial club and enthusiastically in- dorsed through three successive adminis- trations of Sterling Wood. John l.. Kaul and Frank Nelson, Jr.
 ''It has become throughout this period a matter of statewide interest and im- portance. Hundreds of Alabamans have assisted Miss Armes in it's making, in the matter of giving data never before pub lished, and 1t Is felt by those concerned
 in the worok that the book fills a long felt need in the south
 The publication committee, which will not be formally dissolved until the next meeting of the Chamber of Commerce comprises the most prominent and infiu- ential men of the Birmingham district Truman H. Aldrich president Montevsllo Coal company; George B. Mccormack, president Pratt Consolidated Coal com pany and also president of Alabama Coal Operators association; George Gordon Crawford, president Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company; Frank Nelson. Jr., president Empire Coal company; Guy R. Johnson, vice president and general manager Alabama Consolidated Coal com pany. Frank P. O'Brien. Mayor of Bir- mingham; W. A. Green, treasurer Repub- lie Iron and Steel company; James w. Mcqueen, vice president Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron company; Henry r. De- Bardeleben, vice president Alabama Fuel and Steel company; George M. Cruik shank, editor Birmingham Ledger; k. w. Barrett, editor Birmingham Age-Herald; Erskine Ramsay. vice president Pratt Consolidated Coal company; Fred M. Jackson. president Jefferson Loan and Trust company; Edwin Ball. manager ore department Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company; Gen. Louis V. Clark, commander of National Guard of Ala bama.
 Said A. H. Ford, president of the Bir- mingham Railway, Light and Power com pany, and the recently elected president of the Chamber of Commerce: Cooper ation and concentration are the two words I hope to make the watchwords of this administration. The very first matter to be taken up at our next meet
 ing is to be this history. and we will con centrate on that. Every member of the Chamber of Commerce is to be informed of the appearance of this work and the inducements of various of the most prom
 met men of thes tate will be publicly an- nounced.'
 When l.. Sevier of the Alabama Great Southern railroad suggested that the can men who have read for themselves ev- cry line of the book be given the Cham Der of Commerce, MT. Aldrich sighed pro- foundly: Well" said he, the book weighs three pounds and is near 600 pages long, and I've especially suggested to the author that she ask no man if he has read the whole thing all the way through There are those of us who have survived, must confess, but we are very few. There are but two other gentlemen in Bir- mingham besides a few of the committee members (who had it to do), who, un- derstand have been sitting up nights to read the history from cover to cover. patrick. Perhaps we will ask them if they also have survived.
 You see, there are in the nature of things a number of special expressions appearing in this book. notwithstanding our strict censorship. Take, for exam pie, the statement In the history that George Gorden Crawford, president of the Tennessee company. is sober in office, ct cetera. Now, Mir. Crawford made, as I understand, a particular objection to that phrase, because he said If that went in, all of his friends might think he was drunk outside We objected, but-no use Then l am being frequently asked If Governor Conner actually made that re- mark about the Tennessee company att tributed to him in the book The fact of the matter is-he did. Everybody did The whole thing is only too true. In the matter of Governor Comers suspicious there were extenuating circumstances, to be sure. We were about to go busted . But indeed I'd no idea the matter was going to be stated in public print as 1t was. I was simply telling it to Mir. c. B. Compton one day up here in the office and supposed the historian was studying Michael Twomey at the time.
 When a young lady starts out to write a book about men and the affairs of men tho situation becomes SO altogether seri- ous so problematical, so altogether pug zling and impossible tsdt we don't know what to do. We sireply don't know. Be- cause. you see, We have not the remotest possible conception as to what she might say next! Take, for instance, Colonel Shocks account of what M H. Smith said about DeBardeleben. The whole thing was actually put down In black and white. The only way the day was saved was by William F. Pinckard s diplomacy. MT. Pinckard saw the author personally about the matter and sug- gested that instead of saying "DeBardel- eben Is the man I ever knew in my life. to simply use the one word ''darndest," which was just as expressive and quite as southern, said MT. Pinckard
 as all the rest combined.'
 This isn't circumstance to the trou- bles of the committee. There were some expressions just captured in the nick of time by MT. Gordon Crawford. MT. Me Cormack and myself. We substituted the word deuced' on several occasions"
 Referring to certain of these "expurga-