The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-09
CORPORATION PARTY MOST OPTIMISTIC CROWD EVER HERE Was Composed Mostly of Salesmen Looking Over
 New Wire Plant at
 Fairfield

In the past seven years during which in this district. it was said yesterday, there has nevep~ appeared party of officials as optimistic as the members of the American Steel and Wire com pany party that spent Saturday and a part of Sunday in Birmingham
 There may be one exception to this statement, for when William Ellis Corey, then president of the Steel cor poration, visited Birmingham in 1907 he expressed a truth which has been worked out by the Steel corporation every year that has passed.
 MT. Corey said then: 'If we see that money can be made in Birmingham we will spend money to. make money. ' That is the whole story. We are in vesting money to make money. Show what you have and we will spend money for you if we anything In it for the company"
 That statement has been appreciated by men here for the reason that much has been spent here by the corpora ton. Following the statement of MT Corey this is significant.
 
 pany officials have returned to their homes, with the exception of Ernst Bolly, assistant to the vice president and general manager in charge of op- erations. He will be here several days, 1t is stated. The officials that came here Saturday spent a rather busy time of it. yet there is some inter- esting data that they either unthought- < fully or by design let drop here. To begin with it is stated that the plant at Fairfield is to be made the basic point for prices steel wire products in the south. For years the southern trade has been trying to break through the idea that Pittsburg is the basic point for local products.
 It was stated further by members of the party that the plant in Bir- mingham would Be the greatest sur prise that has-y yet been given the peo- pie of this district. It is presumed that the company intends to create great CT volume of output and employ many more men than was expected hereto fore
 principally of salesmen for the corpor-
 
 terest. They came here, looked over plant which is said by the experts to be the best plant of it's kind in the world and saw the social side of Bir- mingham all within a day. The sales men, 1t is believed cannot have failed to grasp a very definite and clear idea | of the general situation in Birming- ham.
 Frank Baackes. vice president and general sales agent for the company, who headed the party, said that he had spent a most enjoyable and in- teresting time. After looking over the plant at Fairfield the party was taken for a drive about the Highlands and then to the Newspaper club for dinner. They first stopped by the Southern club for a few minutes and after the dinner the party went to the Country club for the dinner dance
 The official list of the visitors as shown at the Newspaper club register follows:
 Frank Baackes, vice president and general sales agent Chicago.
 D. A. Merriman, assistant general sales agent, Chicago.
 George F. Rummel. assistant general sales agent, Chicago.
 H. G. Baldwin, superintendent order department. Cleveland.
 P. H. Tayloer, assistant general sale: agent, New York.
 George A. Cragin assistant general sales agent, Worcester Mass.
 Walter Stone, district manager Chi sako.
 Ernst Bolly, assistant to vice presi- dent and general manager, Cleveland B. L. Miller. vice president and gen eral manager, Worcester.