El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-08-25

- BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Aug. 81 am
writing this on the edge Of the
- heights that overlook BirminE-
ham. The city lies in the valley.
climbing the hills on both sides. 1t is
a great expause OF green trees. with
vide streets cutting through the
buildings and winding about in every
direction out Of is center rise many
sIzyscrapers. one Of which is 26 stories
high. Beyond the city and above and
below il are the smokestscks Of the
1cundries and rolling mills That have
given the place the name Of the
P1rrs1urE Of the south. As I look I
can see nine furnaces that are max
ing pig iron ] can see a dozen great
manufacturing institutions, and can
pick out huge rolling mill which
has so many smokCstacks that it
looks ike a vast pipe organ rising
out Of the green. Further over are
the buildings of the Tennessee Coal
l-"a E5d Rz-lrosd company. another
branch Of the steel trust They
cover 19 acres and form a great black
spot in the center of the valley.
A Birmingham enthusiast tells me
tnat pls IRON can be made cheaper
right here than anywhere else on the
globe.
Lord Intended Il So.~
1T IS because the good Lord in
tended it so" he said This hill upon
which we are standing is one mass
OF iron. tt Is 1000 feet high. and the
iron goes down no one knows how
deep Il runs all along this side Of
the valley Those hills over there
on the opposite side are composed Of
GOOD coklnE coal. and between them
is a great bed Of limestone. Coal.
limestone and iron are all that are
needed FOR the ma king Of steel and
the Lord has spread out here TO feed
our people mighty sandwich that IS
unequaled anywhere else on the
globe. One slice OF the sandwich is
ms red IRON ore. the other is the
black diamond known as coal and
the limestone is the white meat be-
I'VE can run the iron and coal
By gravity down the hills to the
root OF the furnaces. and the lime
stone lies just at hand There are
IRON and coal mines running for
miles along the two sides Of this val
ley and there are steelmakinE plants
song Up everywhere There are
scores or furnaces, and can stand
on the cupola of any OF them and
with q common Winchester rifle can
shoot into bed OF coal iron or
limestone without turning around"
Let Us now stop and look a little
more closely at the iron mountain on
which we are standing. It is a part of
the new residence section. and il is
tast being covered with magnificent
homes II has houses which have cost
eluysUOp 70 build and they rest upon
foundations OF iron. The ore crops our
everywhere It is mixed with the red
Of the roads and some Of the Streets
are walled with brown chunks whi-h
could be put into the furnace and II
properly treated be finally turned
into armor plate, steel rails or watch
springs.
There is a house just behind us with
q beautiful garden about it. II be
longs 10 q steel millionaire and IL has
cost small fortune. Its foundations
alone were more expensive than many
comfortable home They 20 down
20 feet Why When the man was
eEcavatinE he struck an old iron mine.
and he had 20 build no from the bot
tom Another house iH built Of iron
stone. and down IN the valley are
some made Of limestone. on the o.
poEite side Of the town are some that
stand close 10 the coal mines, and
burn 10 the ground, they might have .
residences made of black diamonds. /
Il City Pounded on Iron.
The greater Birmingham takes IN I.
= valley which is 70 miles IN length I
and about six miles in width. .
It has a population Of 100000. and is
one o. the live up-to-date spots Of our
Industrial empire. The city is founded .
on iron Its biggest hotel, which
cost $500, 900 was built by an old
iron nan. who sold his furnaces and
invested the money in 3 percent .
bonds A few months later the bonds
we're called in and he used three [
fourth Of this sum TO build the hotel.
The big sEyscrapers are founded on
iron Investments the magnificent
homes come chiefly from specuIatious
IA iron and steel and the railroad ton
mage Of the city, which is three times
as great as that OF the cotton crop Of
the south, is supplied by the same
Industry.
The town IS full Of good boosters
and & advertises its speciality in orig
nal ways. As 7 rode over the fair
grounds today 7 saw the great iron
statue Of Vulcan, which Birmingham
sent 70 the St Louis exposition 20
show the prosperity Of its iron and
steel. The statue - as tall as a four
story house and is so heavy that 70
would take 100 horses 10 haul IL II 70
were placed on wheels II is made Of
cast iron and II cost $4,000. Il came
out OF the furnaces here. and was re-
turned TO the city after the show. Il
now rises above the Erandstand Of
the race track, holding in its uplifted
hand a great ball Of iron, TO which
is attached an advertisement Of
pickles.
Before I describe my visit TO the