Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-05-08

rich In all agricultural products, espe
cially cotton, In lumber, naval stores.
coal, iron, cement and other minera.
wealth. We have four trunk lines
centering in the city, traversing the
richest and most productive states OF
the Union and putting US in touch with
ever section. We have four miles of
water front, anC can enlarge it above
or below indefinitely whenever the
need arrives. We have a 20-foot chan
mel tt the gulf, which we are about to
make q feet, and we are 100 miles
nearer Panama, the West Indian,
South American and European ports
than New Orleans or any other large
gull port.
I'm 1860 Mobile was the second cot
ton port of the south. We expect to
get back there in few years more
Further, movement has been quietly
going on for the last two years that
will make Mobile the greatest coal
shipping port of the south inside of
two years. l mean the Improvement
of the Tombigbee and Black Warrior
rivers by series of locks and dams
which VIII enable steamboats, and
barges drawing six feet of water to
run 50 Eiobile from the Mulberry and
Locust forks Of the Warrior in the
richest coal and iron measures in the
world--a distance of 400 miles. If you
wish to learn more of this, call on Mr..
William w. Thompson, who can tell
you all about this and of another arti-
Gle destined to add not little to Mo-
bile's exports-cement."
We had very interesting interview
with Mr.. Thompson, a man Of con-
structive ability, with all the energy
and enthusiasm necessary to carry
out his plans.
I'VE have had the stone age" he be-
gan, 1.-The age of gold, of silver, of
iron and steel, and now we are coming
to the age OF cement. Wonderful
what is being done just now with this
new building material.
Now, 70 miles up the Tombigbee
river from Mobile, is st. Stephens,
site of the first capital of Alabama ter
ritory, now wholly deserted, and where
cement rock in this country. For
quarters of a mile along the
river bank 1t rises, solid cliff from
rs to 100 feet high, and extending
back from the river no one knows how
far. A company has been formed to
work this bed. 1t will build at st.
Stephens a colossal plant, ship it's
product by barges to Mobile, thence
to the Panama canal and other mar
kets.
There are five separate groups,
one beneath the other, each of three
or four seams. There is the Cobb
seam, four feet thick; the Pratt, five
feet; the American, three and one
half; the Gillespie, four feet; the New
castle or Maryher, four and one-half;
the Blue Creek, four to ten feet; the
Jefferson, three and one-half; the
Black Creek, three and one-half. A
shaft $50 feet deep lately sunk ex-
posed these seams one under the
other The Warrior coal basin begins
at Tuscaloosa and extends thirty miles
north through the counties of Tusca-
loosa, Jefferson, Walker, Blount and
Cullman, and Is interested by the
Black Warrior river, the principal
northern affluent of the Tombigbee
This river has always been navigable
for barges and light draft steamboats,
during high water, but not at low, and
a few years ago an appropriation was
made my congress for securing an all
the year round navigation on the
Black Warrior.
Beginning at Demopolis on the
Tombigbee (from which town there is
now good water to Mobile), a chain of
sc ven locks has been constructed on
the lack Warrior, opening navigation
TO Tuscaloosa. Others have been let
and it is expected that within two
years there will be all the year round
navigation to the Mulberry and Lo-
Gust forks of the Warrior, 400 miles
above Mobile.
when the improvements on the
lower river are completed they will
probably be continued up to Birming-
ham, and 1t is certain that coal, iron,
cement and perhaps oil and salt can
then be laid down on the docks of Mo
bile cheaper than in any other city OF
the south, If not of the Union"