The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-20
Interview With c. T. Fairbdirn
By ETHEL ARMIES. Story of Co al and Iron in AIabamaY

mingham district. He has been coming here off and on for the past three or four years, but his visits were strictly busi- | ness" They weren't inspection tours of the golf links, exactly. nor 20-second | dash to Raimund and Spaulding and "back to the club'' at 2:40 clip. It's been Raimund and the rest some thing like out of every "A, and over the
 hills from Goethite to Martaban forever and a day.
 Yes he knows the job.
 He has had an exceedingly interesting career, a widely varied experience. A na- tive of Detroit, Mich., his first field of employment was there in the Wolverine State. In the blast furnace business. He was connected for three years with the Detroit Iron Furnace company, the con- cern in which Senator McMilan was so largely interested.
 On the Marquette Range
 After year at Newberry he was sta tioned at Ispening. In the late 9O's he be- came identified with Mark Hanna's big concern. the Winthrop Iron company. act ing as superintendent of Winthrop mine. In 1901 he planted stakes on Mesabi, and, in the service of Jones & Laughlin company, MT. Fairbairn had charge of | five mines on this great ore range of Min nesota He knew Tom Bacon, Edwin Ball,
 Mike McCarty and all that Minnesota crowd who have since taken such active part in the mining business of Alabama. MT. Fairbairn entered the service of the Republic company in 1906 as manager of ore mines of the northern district. Asked as to improvements, changes, etc., inaugurated during his management, this incorrigible gentleman, like MT. Gordon Crawford, invariably replies "Didn make any!"
 Tt,A fa fI,of noted him in less .than three years to general manager of mines. ore. coal and quarries, with territory in Michigan, Min resota, Pennsylvania and Alabama, and an army of about 4000 men under him, shows perhaps he wasn't just exactly lay ing on his oars He made his first inspection trip to Bir- mingham just about three years ago. and,
 as stated, has been coming here off and on ever since.
 Fair Hopes Blasted "I thought after I got down here to stay that maybe some of our head officials
 would visit Alabama, and me-" said MT. Fairbairn, "a little oftener. But" he sighed, "I flattered myself! They came to
 see MT. Green, but 1t seems they've for gotten me-"
 The first time the state mine inspector, MT. James Hillhouse, met MT. Fairbairn he said:
 Aye, you're Scotch-with that name. That's Scotch for you!'
 Yes, in spite of the western "r," MT.
 Fairbairn is indeed Scotch, both of his parents having been natives of Scotland. | Scotch, and he looks it-tall, straight | shouldered, with twinkling blue eyes and | lghtish hair, fresh. outdoor look, some thing of the open air in his whole make
 up-a delightful comrade in the field, one
 would venture. A good deal of student,
 too, and a wide reader. interested in men and things as we'll as mines and sciences.
 Altogether an unusually interesting and
 a perfectly charming man.
 Quite especially interested in the his.
 torical phase of the mineral development
 of Alabama. he took run down to shelpy Ire other day. just to see that historic old
 nlant. And he likes old Tannehill and
 what happened long ago. and all that sort l of thing.