The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-04
BRIGHT fUT U RE IN MARKETING IF ALABAMA MARBLE
Moretti Lauds Product and and Tells How Hard It Is to Supply
 Demand

as is obtainahle in the Sylacauga, Ala, field than can begin to be sup piled" said Giuseppe Moretti, who. with associates, has organized the Moretti White Marble company, to operate large electrically driven plant at Sylacauga.
 The Sylacauga marble field has been gradually increasing production until last year a business of more than S2,500.000 was done there. Gov ernment reports show the following , development of the marble industry at Sylacauga: In 1910 the product was valued at s100,000; in 1915 it's value was s350,000 in 1920 it's had reached $575,000. and in 1921 is more than s2,500,000.
 The new company will operate on virgin vein of pure white marble. Geologists estimate than on the prop erty to be developed, tract of 190 acres, there are over 30,000,00 cubic feet of this pure white marble. It
 Is near Oldfield station on the Louis vile and Nashville railroad, about three miles from Sylacauga. Orders for machinery have been placed and the new plant will be in operation within two or three months.
 It is stated that the company has orders for output that will call for capacity operations for three years to come. Production is expected to run at about 100000 cubic feet per annum.
 Officers of the Moretti White Mar ble company are: pr. Arthur A. Hamerschlager. former president of the Carnegie Institute of Technol- ct1 ct a Moretti, vice president; W. H. Boyn- ton, president of the Isbell National bank. Tailadega, treasurer; Virger Engstrom, Pittsburg, secretary. Headquarters Is at Talladega. The company lands are touched both by the Louisville and Nashville and Gen. tral of Georgia. thus affording two transportation outlets for production. The capital stock is S250,000. MT. Moretti became interested In the Sylacauga marble field 20 years ago when he came to Birmingham to design Vulcan, Birmingha iron man. who was exhibited at the St. Louis exposition. MT. Moretti pro- nounced the Sylacauga white marble the equal of the best Carrara and he and associates have been oper- ating in the field since that time in a comparatively small way. The demand for marble. which Is coun- try wide, encouraged the idea of real development at Sylacauga. and this, MT. Moretti and associates now pro- pose.
 Equal of Carrara.
 'sAlabamians perhaps do not real ize what they have in this deposit of beautiful marble at Sylaeauga," said MT. Moretti. T sensed it as soon as l inspected the field 20 years ago, because as sculptor l had worked the Carrara marble and was In po- sition to compare the Alabama and Italian product. To my great sur prise l found the Alabama marble equal to the very best Carrara and in unlimited quantities. l have since used it in all my work IS sculptor"
 MT. Moretti designed and executed head of Christ out of Sylacauga marble. which was shown at the St. Louis exposition and awarded sil- Yer medal. A life-siz statue Of Sfegfried won the premier honors in Florence, Italy. Mr. Moretti has re- sided in Pittsburg number of years and his house there is finished with Alabama marble He left Birming- ham Saturday for Nashville, where he has been commissioned to do a heroic group commemorative of the battle of Nashville. He is to be 2 frequent visitor to Birmingham and Sylacauga from now on owing to his new plant operations.
 O O O
 Gift to France.
 Mir Moretti has recently finished commission for the Aluminium Company of America, which has been presented to the French govern ment. It is life-size statue of A French and American soldier. the American soldier supporting an ex-~ hausted French Poilu. It is remi- niscent of the time when France was Died White during the World war and America came in time to save the devastation of France and put courage into the exhausted and dis spirited French troops.
 MT. Moretti said: There Is noth- ing remarkable about the demand for marble when one considers how much of it is now being used in all sorts of buildings. It is used in bank buildings, in office buildings. in churches. hospitals. apartment houses, in homes and schools. In terior marble finish is now called for many times where once it was not thought of at all
 A1abnma's the Best.
 The two quarries now opera ting at Sylacauga cannot begin to supply the demand. The Alabama marble is absolutely certain of a market for many times the quantity which the three of us can produce. There is marble in other states, but there is not that beautiful Alabama white marble which lends itself to the highest finish both for interior and