davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18

geologist, Tourney, records the followin;
curious practice, process called divins
for coal:
"A flatboat is moored parallel with the
joints and near the edge of the coal
long, wedge-shaped crowbars are driver
into the seams by means of mauls ma.
neuvered by the men in the boat. When
a ledge of about two feet is loosened ir
this way across the seam, the men take
the water and dive, two or three together
according to the size of the masses to be
brought up, and lift the coal bodily to
the surface, and place it in the boat.
"As an Improvement on this simple
process, a cane is rugged on the boat
and chain, slipped round the blocks of
coal raises them into the boat. I have
seen. In this manner, masses raised that
weighed 800 or 1000 pounds. The coal
thus raised is free from all shale and
other impurities. for as tho coal parts
along the bands of shale the latter are
tive appearance of this method of rails
ing coal, 1t is nevertheless, under favor
able circumstances, and where the water
Is not too deep, one of the cheapest modes
in practice. and with the addition of a
diving dress, I am inclined to think that
in no other way could coal be raised at
an expense SO moderate"
The first coal used in this country was
not taken from underground but from
the beds of streams.
Tuscaloosa Is Capital
In 1926 Tuscaloosa was made the state
capital and four years later the Roupes
Valley Iron Works were started and run
by one Daniel Hillman. Later this forge
was bought by Ninion Tannehill. and to
this day goes by the name of Old Tame
hill. although a new forge was built on
day known far and near as the most in
teresting and picturesque example of the
odd way of furnace building extant in
the SOUTH
The coal operations in Bibb and Shelby
counties were on a slightly more ad-
vanced scale, though still of the crudest
characters. But rolling mill was con-
structed in 1859 by one Horace Ware,
which was as up to date as any like en-
terprise of that day and time in the
north. In 1860 it turned out Alabama S
first iron cotton ties.
An act of far-reaching influence upon
the mineral region. was the granting of
charter for the Alabama Central rail-
road, or as it was later called the Old
South and North, and now part of the
Louisville and Nashville system. but no
life was ever given this road until 1860.
when the legislature passed law adopt
ing the recommendations of the state
civil engineer John r. Miner and grant,
ed loan of s663. .1s5 on condition that the
entire line be made ready for the rails
in five years.
Soon the civil war broke out and con-
structon work had to stop for lack of
funds. From the time of the outburst
of the war until the four years strife was
ended the products of mine, furnace. mill,
forge. shop and foundry were surprising
to the whole country. The story of the
construction of the implements of war
used by our people is indeed interesting
The Alabama coal supply of the Con-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18

| ASNei"ec toNciiiHenl uurlllS the war De-
riod was chiefly from six counties: Tus-
| caloosa, Jefferson, Walker. ST. Clair, Bibn
and Shelby.
Coal for the Confederacy
The first regular systematic UNDER
ground mining in the state was done in
1856, In the Cahaba field of Shelby coun-
", one mile west of the Montevallo Coal
and Transportation eompany's present
slope. The legislature had passed an act
exempting any man from field service.
who, with 20 slaves, signed contract to
dlg coal for the Confederate government.
Towards the close of the war there were
IL blast furnaces and six rolling mills in
operation, but when Selma fell in the
spring of 1865 they all collapsed, and the
coal and iron business of Alabama seemaf,
quieted forever. 4
The first county to rally from this aw-
full devastation was Jefferson, and the
first furnace that of the Caha,a Iron
Works, or Irondale, In Shades valley.
Every plant in Alabama had been si-
fenced by Wilson's hand and the states
coal and iron business as well as her cot
ton business had been burned to the
root. Every interest in social, econom-
ical and industrial life of the state had
been dependent upon an agriculture that
was now paralized. The young men Of
the state were in their graves. Hum
dreds of families were packing and leay-
ing for the west.
1t was at this crisis that John r. Mil
ner proved himself to be the man of the
.yp Lob =
will be effective" he declared, .or see
our state given over to unthrift. idleness
and weeds, as has been the case in every
other country in the world where slave
labor once formed the basis of agricul-
tural wealth, and was afterward set free.
Go to work. he cried to PROSTATE Ala
ALBANIA. let us now devote our ener-
giles to eradicating the diseases that
are destroying us at home"
Work of Major Peters
As we trace the history OF these days
we see standing out prominently the fig
ure of a man in gray, "A tall. fine look
ing man, with bistered feet, and his uni
form in rags" as he has been described.
He left Selma after the destruction of
that city and tramped across the coun-
try till he reached this region filed with
the one idea of seeing the iron mountain
of jefferson county. This man was Nal.
Thomas Peters. He. with John T. MIL
ner and Baylis Earle Grace. stand out
as the prophets. the visionaries, the
dreamers. at the base of the Birmingham
district.
Construction work on south and north
was again begun, but very much ham
dicapped for lack of funds.
1t was about this time that the vision
of great city came again to John r.
Miner and gave him no rest. Years
before he had seen just the place for
it when he had ridden along the crest
of Red mountain. lie and one Stantou
entered into an agreement in regard TO
this town. Miner took up options on
nearly 1000 acres of land in Jones val
ley, near a stream called Village creek.
The trials that he and his colleagues
Continued on Page FOur)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18

OF writing books about it. But II Is a
story rich in romance rugged and wild
as the picturesque country from which
this business has taken root. The scan.
OIL the story for the most part is in the
woods of the hill country.
Alabama has an area a trifie larger tba n
that of England. comprising $1,000 so,,are
miles, or which one-fifth is known as III.
mineral region.
FROM 1913 to 1920 settlements wars
formed by Andrew Jackson's men IN ths
mineral regions.
First Blast Furnace in 1919
In 1918 the first blast furnace v. ,.,,.
III Alabama In Franklin county. Old
GEAR Creek. The frontier smiths b,d
wrought iron out of imported blooms nd
oars INTO the rude farming implements ~
the day and time, but with the estah,,sh-
ment of this furnace, pig iron making
On commercial basis was begun. This
furnace antedates, by .12 years the frs.
cotton mills in Alabama. II is coinc,-
dent with the first organized effort at
river transportation, with the incornore.
ton of the ST. Stephens Steamboat com
iany, the establishment OF the first banks
OF the territory at st. Stephens and
Huntsville, and with the foundihf> of the
hrst institution of learning beyond the
log cabin schools, the old st. Stepheos
academy From every viewpoint, indus
trial, financial, educational and political.
the year 1915 is of tremendous import In
Alabama history, quite apart from its
significance in these chronicles as the
birth year of the blast furnace.
The year following this ds1s) Alabama
was made a state.
AS early as. 1927 the first coal mining
operations We're executed in Warrior
coal fields, and in the year succeeding a
charter was granted the Decatur and
Tuscaloosa railroad, the first railroad
south of the Alleghanies. By this time
Jones valley had become fairly well set
tied. The first grist and saw mill supply-
ing Jefferson county was built by Will
liam Rose Saddler His great erandsons
are James McAdory Gillespy and John
Sharp Gillespy. citizens of Birmingham
today.
Iron Ore Is Discovered
Between 1920 and 1925 the first school
house of Jefferson county was made-it
does not sound right to say built for
1t had puncheon seats and a dirt floor.
One of the pupils in attendance at this
school was Baylis Grace. and it was ne
Who discovered that the dye-rock of this
region was iron ore. He dug out
wagon load from his ground and sent it
to forge, where it was made into
wrought iron. A few blooms were dis
tributed to Jones valley blacksmiths On
the spot from which he dug the ore,
Spaulding mine, owned by the Republic
Iron and Steel company, is now located.
Beyond this crude experiment, however,
Jefferson county has no record of iron
making until the outbreak of the civil
war. But with Walker county it has
some exceedingly interesting points in the
early history of coal mining.
According to Baylis Grace the men en-
gagged in the first coal operations of Ala
bama were David Handy, Capt j. w.
Hewitt. lothian Steele and James A.
Mudd. Hewitt opened his mines near
the mouth of Turkey creek. Hanby's
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18

run for motor cars from Birmingham.
AS early as 1910 coal was floated down
to Mobile. But no one in Mobile would
buy it. The owner, Handy. had to give
it away and send negro along with
every bucketful to show the people how
to light it and burn 1t. In four years
Handy was shipping 10 boats down there
and later as many as 70 boat loads. At
the mouth of Village creek the first state
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18

were higher up the river. Steele and
Mudd We're located near the mouth of
Village creek. The coal was hoated
down the river to Mobile on fiat bottomed
boats constructed out of the tall poplars.
Iron works were put up near the Turkey
Creek mines as early as 1863, and the
place was named Mount Pinson. The
road to Mount Pinson is the smoothest
in the country today and Is the favorite
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18
BY MRS. PEYTON A. EUBANK

authentic
industry Alabama Peton A. Euank
months gathering the this article and brings inter
esting features which not generally known.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18

(Continued on Page Four)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
NEW ORLEANS HIGH SCHOOL
SENDS TEAM TO BIRMINGHAM

The entries of il. w. Patterson. c. j.
Harvin and G. G. Daley of the Column
bus, Ca, Young Mems Christian asso-
citation for the Southern Amateur Ath-
letic union track meet to be held in thi-
city on June and 7, were received by
Secretary Harry Miles of the Birming-
ham Athletic club yesterday afternoon,
Patterson will enter the discus, 16-
pound hammer throw and the 16-pound
shot put events of both the Junior and
senior meets. Harvin will enter the jun
ior and senior 12o-yard high hurdles and
220-yard low hurdles, while Daley will
enter the 10o-yard dash, oO-yard dash
and 440-yard runs of the junior and senior
meets.
1t is very probable that the Mobile
Young Mems Christian association will
be represented by one or two athletes.
One of the men will most likely be Ste
vens. He is one of the best pole vaulters
in the south and last year won this event
in May Day Invitation track meet held
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
Highland School Easily
Defeats Powell Bunch

The South Highland school won the
senior division championship of the
sixth annual grammar school track
meet by nosing out Powell in the meet
held yesterday at East park to settle
the tie which occurred between these
two schools in the grammar school
meet held on May 16. The final score
was, South Highlands40, and Powell 80.
The first event on the programme
South Highlands easily won this event
by putting the shot a distance of 43
feet and IL inches, or over six feet far
ther than the nearest competitor. Phil
lip Burbage also of South Highlands.
was second with a put of 81 feet 10
inches. while Dan Orr of Powell was
third with distance of 35 feet 5inches.
BY winning second place in the shot
putting event South Highlands cinched.
the senior title. While the running of
the relays were entirely unnecessary
they We're nevertheless run off. In the
115-pound class of the senior division
the Powell boys walked away from the
South Highlanders. The first man
gained lead of, about 10 feet in the
first half lap, While the second Powea
runner increased it to 80 feet and this
distance was heightened until Powelfs
last runner had a lead of about rs feet.
Powell forfeited the unlimited class
relay to South Highlands on account
OF the failure of one of its runners To
show up.
The winning Powell team in the 15-
pound class was composed of orange
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29

British and American Golg Champion IL
H. Hilton in the sixth round of the
worlds championship at st. Andrews
tomorrow, is a senior at the Wor-
cester Polytechnic institute.
His diploma will be waiting for him
when he returns as he passed special
final examination the day before be
sailed for Europe. Schmidt is 23 years
old. He learned golf and earned many
a bright quarter as a caddy at the
Worcester golf club. His playing career
has been brief but unusually brilliant
owing largely, his friends believe, to
his indominable spirit. He began play
ing in open events three years ago and
entered his first national tournament
at Apawamis in 1911 when he failed
TO qualify Last year he was eliminated
at Wheaton by Charles E. Evans of
Chicago. but the next week he cap
tured the Massa achusetts championship.
The young golfer was expected to work
his passage to Europe on a cattle boat
but the vessel sailed without a cattle
cargo. Schmidt went second class, de-
terlnined to save money for a visit to
Paris. His father. Henry I. Schmidt,
tailor here, was born in Germany.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29

under the auspices of the Birmingham
Athletic club
Reports from New Orleans state that
the Boys High school will send team
to the meet II is claimed by New Or
leans authorities that the track team If
the Boys High school is among the best
In the south and It. will be very Interest,"
ing to see how it will stack up with the
one representing the Birmingham High
school.
Harry Satterfeld, the premier hurdle-
of the south, has arrived in Birmingham.
1t was only at the urgent request of the
authorities of the Birmingham Athletic
club that he consented TO take part in
the meet. For the past three years Sat
terfeld has won nearly every hurdle
race that he has participated in and 1t
is expected that he will repeat again this
year. He is hoping to lower his record
of 16 2-5 seconds for the 120-yard low
hurdles this year.
Only three more days are left In which
to enter and Secretary Miles urges thar
all entries be sent in as soon as pos
sible to either him or L. Benedetto et
New Orleans.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
LARGE CROWD SEES
THE EOOKOUTS LOSE

Chattanooga, May 23.-Seven thousand
people saw Mobile win a see-saw, free hit
ting game from Chattanooga today by
a score of to 6. Four pitchers were
used and all of them were hit hard Hogg
ana Hunt being knocked out in the Sec
ond and third innings respectively. Star
helding by Stock and Clark behind Rob-
ertson saved several runs, and the pitcher
Won his own game with a scratch hit in
the eighth, scoring Clark from third.
Score:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29

Totals ............ 60 8 15.**50 26 )
'-Batted for Whitted in seventh.
"*-Two out when winning run scored.
F**-Mowrey out hit by batted ball.
Score by innings
st. Louis ............. .0l0 100 212 000 600 0O-f
Chicago .............. .0o2 102 200 600 900 O1-S
Summary: Two base hits, Archer ., Gri-
ner ?, Mowrey, Harmon. Three base hit,
Mitchell. Hits. off Price . in innings; off
Lavender in | inning and none out in
the seventh; off Cheney, 9 in II innings
off Griner, II in eight innings: off Har-
mon. in s 2-3 innings. Sacrifice hits,
Whitted, Evers, Mowrey, Harmon. Sacri-
flee fly. Evers. Stolen bases, Mitchell 2,
Miller 2 Safer. Double plays, Miller to
t.vers to Safer. Left on bases, st. Louis
10, Chicago 10. First base OH balls, off
Pierce. ); off Griner, .; off Lavender, q;
off Cheney a; off Harmon. g. Hit by
pitcher, Griner Zimmerman Struck out,
by Griner g. by Pierce @ by, Cheney a..
Wild pitches, Pierce, Cheney. Time, 3:45.
Umpires, KLEIN and Orth.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
CHESTNUT RESIGNED BERTH:
ENTERS ALABAMA-GEORGIA
By JOHN L EVANS

Asheville. N. G., May 2S.-( Special. )
Scott e. Chestnut of Birmingham is en-
titled to the fact being. known that he
resigned and was not released as an
umpire in the Carolina league.
Since the beginning of the season
thesnutt has had considerable trouble
all over the circuit and finally he
turned in his resignation. which was
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29

Due principally to the clever pitching
of HardgroVe the Barons annexed the
game yesterday afternoon, which decided
the issue of the series. The score was
to ,.
Hardgrove's brilliance was displayed IN
the early innings when he prevented
Montgomery runs at a time when the
deadly speed of c. Brown made Baron
runs impossible. When in the fifth,
Brown weakened, and in the sixth was
knocked out, Hardgrove' easy time had
come. Phe Barons then proceeded to
annex the game without difficulty. Man
ming, the former Auburn pitcher, was
pie.
Home runs by Kniseley and Mcdonald
were features. Each of the players IN
addition to the satisfaction which they
have in having played a big part In de-
feating Montgomery, will come into pos
session of shoes offered by the Collins
Shoe company for each home run de-
livered on local grounds.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
Reds Beat Corsairs

Pittsburg, May 2s.-Pittsburg could not
mt Suggs and Cincinnati won its second
straight from Pittsburg 8 to /. The Reds
played a brilliant fielding game. Hyatts
Two Dagger, an out and Byrnes sacrifice
lily IN the seventh spared the Pirates
smut out. Hans Wagner was benched
IN the ninth for protesting decision
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
NATIONAL LEAGUE
STANDING
SEASONS LONGEST GAME
DECIDED BY A WALK

Chicago, May 2S.-In the longest major
league game of the season today, base
on balls in the seventeenth inning VITA
the bases full and two out, cost st. Louis
the game. to I. The locals had the
game won until the ninth inning. when
Mitchell dropped McI.ean's fly after two
were out. This followed by a double,
single and a wild pitch, tied the score.
Harmon, who had replaced Griner, and
Cheney, who was the third pitcher for
Chicago, put up a great pitchers battle.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29

Immediately accepted. North Carolina
papers had it that he had been re-
leased.
A Charlotte newspaper editoriallv
says that the president of the league
made big mistake in accepting the
resignation.
Chesnutt has accepted a position in
the Georgia-Alabama league.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
STARS
IN VOL VICTORY

Nashville, May 2S.-Timely hitting off
Rube kissinger gave Nashville the Sec
ohd game of the series with Memphis
score to d Breckenridge did not allow
a hit until the seventh. when three errors
and three hits, including double and
triple, scored all of Memphis runs.
schwartz perfect batting and the base
running of Catcher Gibon were features.
Score.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
Tigers Win Last

st. Louis, May 2S.-Detroit, by win
ming today, 6 to 0, took four of six
game series with the st. Louis Amer
leans. Two st. Louis pitchers were hit
when hits meant runs. Baumgardner
who started for the home team, was
wild. Hall was a puzzle to the locals
and although he gave seven hits he
kept them scattered Score:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
Slaughter of Manning

Carroll, by a fine slide, beat out
bounder to first He was sacrificed and
scored by Marcans single. Messenger
was passed and Mcdonald contributed his
home run. Kniseley singled and went to
third when Mcbride singled. They sue
cessfuly put through the double steal,
Kniseley scoring. McGilvray beat one
out to short, and Mcbride went to third.
Mcbride stole home as McGiivray
swiped the keystone. Mayer was hit by
pitched ball. Carroll up for the second
time in the inning, retired the side on
grounder to knaupp.
The remainder of the game was un-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
CRACKERS AGAIN
DEFEAT PELICANS

Atlanta, May 2S-Atlanta won two out
of three by winning today's game 4 to
" Musser pitching great ball through
out. The hitting of Welchonce, Bailey
ana Blsland and the work of Chapman,
Atlanta new catcher behind the bat,
were the features. Score:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
SOME FUTURE GREATS

Admission. May 2s.-tSpecial.)- )-Gip
Young, the Admission twirler, who
is believed to have pitched a no-hit
game here Tuesday afternoon. is
regarded as one of the phenoms of
the Georgia Alabama league. He
has not lost a game this year and
seldom yields more than five hits
in a game. He is Calhoun county
boy and seems to be in a cair way
to go higher. Two other Admission
boys who will go up are the Henry
twins, who are already being
watched by the big league scouts.
They are known as Me and My
Brother" and pete and Repeat
Pete bats right handed and Repeat
eft-handed, the only way they can
be told apart.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29

chance ,, Long. Double plays, Smith to
Alpermann to Agler, Musser to BisIand
to Agler. Struck out, Musser s, Wilson
4. Bases on balls, Musser s, Wilson 3.
Sacrifice hits, Alpermann, Musser.
Stolen bases, Hendryx, Bailey, Long,
Smith. Passed ball, Chapman Wild
pitches. Musser 2. Time, 200. Umpires,
Pfenniuger and Hart.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
AMERICAN LEAGUE
STANDING
Cleveland Takes Two

Cleveland May 2S.-Cleveland took both
games of a double header here with Chi
cago today. the first to 1, and the sec
ond to 3. The first game was decided
in the first two innings, as neither side
got man past second after that Score:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
Early Innings Hard

The Billikens got the first run across
in the second when Sloan who was passed,
scored on Kutina's triple. Their second
and final run came in the sixth Sloan
doubled to the scoreboard, and hutina 5
punch between second and short, sent
him across.
The Barons scored two in the fifth and
entered the sixth with an even count
against Montgomery. Mcbride was safe
after having been called out when kutina
dropped the ball. McGilvray was hit with
the ball Mayer after attempting to
sacrifice, singled to left, and Mcbride
counted. Carroll then sacrificed McGil-
vray and Mayer, and the former was
squeezed home by Hardgrove. In the
sixth, Mcdonald walked and stole. and
scored with Kniseley when he hit his
home run to deep left
This blow defeated Montgomery. But
Manning, who worked in the seventh
was slaughtered
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29
BROWNS TERRIFIC SPEED
PROVES EXHAUSTIVE, AND
MANNING, WHO SUCCEEDS, is
CRUELTY PUNISHED-BARONS
WIN SERIES
SOUTHERN LEAGUE STANDING
Results Yesterday

Birmingham 9, Montgomery ,.
Mobile 7, Chattanooga 6.
Nashville 5, Memphis 4.
Atlanta 4, New Orleans 0.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29

CnlcaSo ....I.. 49,. 80. .VOo lV- WV
Summary: Two base hit, Carisch
Gregg, Weaver Sacrifice hit. Johnston
stolen bases, Carsich, Chapman. Lord
Hits off Walsh, 4 in l inning (none Out
in second) off White, in innings
First base on balls, Gregg 5, Walsh .
White /. Hit by pitcher ball, White
(Olson). Struck out. Gregg 6, White 2
Wild pitches, Walsh 2. First on errors
Cleveland /. Left on bases, Cleveland s
Chicago 8. Time, 200 Umpires, Dineer
and Ferguson