The Washington herald., 1914-12-18
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Rolling Mill Built by Gen.
Sherman.
Written EIpressIy for The HeraldD
BY DIR. L. J. EDWARDS.

BY DIR. L. }. EDWARDS.
At the time OF a strike in the anthra-
| cite coal region Of Pennsylvania, l had
an opportunity, in a conversation with
| the late Abram s. Hewitt, to learn from
him OF an incident in his career which
was associated not only with civil war
| days, but with the development OF what
has now become the great iron and steel
industry OF the Birmingham district Of
! the South.
| Mr.. Hewitt was intensely concerned
over the issue OF the anthracite coal
strike. He feared that it might result in
! testing the very foundations of the gov
| ernment He went on to describe what
| he thought would ultimately prove to be
satisfactory adjustment OF the re!a-
| tions between skilled artisans and Capi-
| tai saying that If gradually these aru-
sans acquired interest in property as
| holders OF stock they would in time look
upon themselves as employers. and he
| believed that the day was not distant
| when the great body Of skilled artisans
| Of the United states would be in the ag-
greGate the owners OF the great proper
| ties in which they worked or. as he put
| II, Just as the depOsitors in our savings
| banks are the owners OF those institu-
tions and are constantly careful TO see to
il that they are well managed so that
they may earn regular interest upon their
deposits"
In some incidental way the conversa-
| ton turned upon the development OF the
| iron and steel properties in that great re-
| Cion of which Birmingham. Ala, is the
| center, and Mr.. Hewitt said that any
young man now beginning active life
could reasonably expect to see, before
he reached a middle age. the skilled
artisans employed in the iron and steel
industry of the birmingham region par
tiaI owners Of the capital stock.
Il suppose there are very few persons
| now living who know that was at one
| time the owner Of large iron and steel
property near Chattanooga" said Mr..
Hewitt "Wcll. I was, and IL I had not
| been so greatly occupied with business
| interests in the North, I should have dc
voted nv life to building up what 7 knew
would --,Omc one OF the nations great
est industries.
"CuriousIv enough. this prOpertS which
bought had been built by Gen. Sherman.
He realized that IL was vital for the sue
| cess Of his campaign in Georgia that his
| army have an abundant supply OF rails.
He had In the army n good many mon
who knew how to operate a rolling mill
and 10 make rails. He therefore decided
to build rolling mill for the government
where iron rails could he rc-rolled so
that there could be an adequate supply
for the use OF the army. Sherman got
one Of the best of men for that work
and found him in a Pennsylvania regi-
mNnt. His name was Fritz. His brother.
John Fritz, is widely known as one OF
the greatest OF American manufacturers.
well, after the war the government
had no need for this mill. and my atten-
tion was called to it, With some friends,
I bought 1t and We operated it for sew
eral years successfully. 1t turned out a
splendid article of iron rails. And I
should have remained there and expand
ed the business-for I knew well what
the wonderful resources Of that region
are-if had not been compelled to look
after my business In the North. I sold
that mill to a company that made a good
part Of the iron rails with which the
railroads of the South were rebuilt. The
steel rail in time so greatly superseded
the iron rail that at last this mill was
sold. I remained interested in that prop
ertv long enough to be able to predict
that within twenty-five years the Birm-
ingham district OF the South would be-
come one of the greatest iron and steel
manufacturing districts to be found any
where in the world"
Copyright 1914. by E. ]. Edwards. All rights -
serTed.)