New-York tribune., 1922-12-24
Chattanooga Trade
On a Good Basis;
Expansion Planned
Textile, Lumber and Nom
Metallic Mineral In
dustries Propose Addi-
tiOnal Operating Units
EIns.e.ai ogrr,,ron6rnes

CHATTANOO0h, lenn., Dec Ni.-
The majority Of Chattanooga indus
tries have experienced no let-dovn In
the last three months, but are booking
orders ahead for the spring and sum
mer. Coineident with this has come
projected expenalona In three Of the
major llnes--textiies, lumber and non
metallic minerals.
The Dixie spinninE Company re
Gently let q contract for 100000 OF
machinery for the hrst unit Of Eta large
spinning mill ct Harrison. near here,
and az the sane time announced that
when this unit was In operation II
would begin construction on a second
unit Of 10000 spindles, at an approx
mate cost Of $500 900. A contract Was
Aiso let for the construction Of
soverty-hve modern mill cottages at
a cost Of ff75,o0o. The total cost Of
unit No. / viii be about 100000 and
Of the first two units ei,Soo,ooo. The
two units together win have $4,000
spindles.
Eventual plans Of the Dixie company
ara for seven to q dozen units az a
total cost above s5,000,000. The in-
terests erecting these mills are owners
OF the Dixie MereeriEing Company,
which will take the product Of the
spinning mills. Dixie Mercerizing has
orders on hand 20 insure operation at
capacity through March.
The ver9ienl expansion Of the textile
industries 10 a recent development here,
but seems a popular one. The Stand.
ard-Thatcher-Coos Company, backed
By Philadelphia and Chattanooga cap
ital, with capitalization Of $4,000, 900,
owns is own spinning mills, merceriz-
Ing the yarn, and then selling the pro
duet 70 the local hosiery mills. Thus
far there has been no indication Of the
hosiery interests establishing their
own spinning and mereeriTing works.
Hosiery Plants Near Capacity
The hosiery plants are working on
spring and summer goods, with prices
up from those Of the fall, correspond
ing 70 the advances IN silk and cotton.
Most Of the plants are running near ca
paeity and have good orders on hand.
Two OF the local plants are embarking
on extensive national advertising cam
paiRns. Several Of the textile mills IN
nearby towns are putting on night
shifts, 70 take care Of the demand.
Lumber mills are showing great
activity, the hardwood export business
being heavier than II has been since
the Armistiee. Chattanooga is one OF
the largest hardwood centers Of the
South, following close behind Memphis,
and local mills have been kept very
busy all fall. The italian government
has agents In the region looking for
red oak IN large quantities. Large
domestic orders are being placed, one
being for a million railroad ties. Sew
erGl mills are adding units.
The o. 3. Andrews Company, large
wooden and paper container manufac-
turers, report excellent business from
the Eastern and Central states. Other
box manufacturer are behind In their
ordern. One Of the newer factories
here, the Southern Paper Company
is making making high grnde cotton
bond paper from cotton linters with
considerable success.
Mineral Shipments Improve
Shipments Of non-metallie minerals
from the Chattanooga region are on the
upgrade. Estimates are that 10000 70
$4,000 tons Of high grade bau1ite will
be shipped from this region the coming
barytes are also being exploited in
Announcement was rSeently made By
Gregg a Co., New Yori. engineers, that
large mineral grinding mill would be
erected at Chattanooga by local and
Eastern capital, and that this city
would become the center Of the mineral
grinding industry Of the United States
Feldspar and bArytes, In particular.
would be ground. Within a radius Of
fifty miles Of Chattanooga the main
part Of the nations production Of these
materials is found. The demand for
both is increasing and cannot be salts
fed. The mines are individually Of
too small output 10 justify individual
grinding machinery, so central grind
ing outfits here are proposed.
The middle Georgia clays are being
tried out by Southern tire factories, in
place Of Northern and Eastern elays,
and are proving very satisfactory. Sew
erhl new tripoli mines have been leased
In this region. OF the nations ochre,
30 per cent is mined at Csrtersville,