| Letter to Hon. Chas. B. Mitchell, in
Relation to the Iron Business of Alabama |
| Selma, Ala. |
| Shelby County, Ala., April 26th, 1864 |
| |
| Hon. Charles B. Mitchell |
| of the Confederate States Senate |
| |
| Being informed by a member of
the Shelby Iron Company that you solicit information in regard to the
iron business of this region, with a view to important measures
contemplated, having reference to the military service; and having a
similar solicitation from another source, also entitled to
consideration and respect, the undersigned, constituting the Board of
Directors of the above-named Company, while responding, as they do
with pleasure, to your solicitation, will embrace this opportunity to
set forth as succinctly as practicable the information they possess
and the knowledge they have acquired by attention to the subject
during the two last years. They do this the more readily from the
conviction that the subject is not so fully and generally understood,
and appreciated, as its great and vital importance requires. |
| The present supply of iron is
inadequate for the public service, while the people are generally cut
off from all sources of supply. The agriculturalists are generally
without iron to repair their old and worn-out implements, new ones
being out of the question, while there is danger that railroads, on
which such vital interests depend, will lose much of their already
impaired efficiency, for want of iron to keep their machinery in
repair, and for the construction of the additional machinery greatly
needed. A large and early increase in the production of iron must
therefore be regarded as a matter of the highest necessity; and this
region probably must be mainly relied on for this increase. |
| Before undertaking to show,
as we propose to do, how this increase may be brought about, it will
be proper to take a brief survey of the past, in connection with the
natural resources of this region in the materials for the production
of iron. Probably no country on the globe possesses superior, if
equal, natural advantages for the production of iron of superior
quality on an extensive scale. In a wide extent of country,
intersected by the Alabama & Tennessee River Railroad, commencing
at the city of Selma, on the Alabama river, and completed 135 miles in
the direction of Rome, in Georgia, iron ores and mineral coal, both of
superior quality and conveniently accessible, exist in inexhaustible
abundance. ***** |
| ***** |
| *** We are about making
propositions to the Nitre and Mining Bureau at Richmond, looking to
changes which, as they involve no loss or expense or inconvenience to
the Government, while promising a large increase in the production of
iron, we can hardly doubt will receive the proper sanction. If this is
done, we propose to complete a new furnace, commenced last year,
construct a railroad from our works to the Alabama & Tennessee
River road, about six miles, on which the work is far advanced and in
progress, and make other necessary arrangements for obtaining a full
and regular supply of mineral coal. *** It is estimated that the hands
required in the production and delivery of charcoal for one furnace,
are sufficient to mine coal enough for two furnaces. This Company
propose to mine their own coal, having one mine opened and being
engaged in opening another. ***** |
| The business of mining coal
is being largely extended, and under the arrangement completed and in
progress, the prospects are that the supply of coal will, ere very
long, be ample. The principal difficulty to be apprehended in the
successful prosecution of the plan of substituting mineral coal for
charcoal, in a large degree, is the want of railroad machinery for
transporting the coal. The present machinery is insufficient, but we
understand that arrangements have been made to bring upon the road
considerable additional machinery. |
| ***** |
| The Government own a
rolling-mill on the Alabama & Tennessee River Railroad. It is new
and represented to be a very good mill. It is adapted, we believe, for
the manufacture of small and ordinary sizes only. We are not informed
of its capacity. |
| Arrangements are in progress
for the erection of two rolling-mills on the Central {of
Alabama?} Railroad, which connects with the Alabama &
Tennessee River road. It is understood that one, if not both, of these
mills will be of large capacity, belonging to a large and strong
Company. |
| ***** |
| A branch railroad is being
constructed from the Alabama & Tennessee River road into a portion
of what is considered one of the most valuable coal fields in this
State *****. |
| ***** |
| Very respectfully, yours, |
| A. T. Jones, President |
| J. W. Lapsley |
| J. M. McClanahan |
| Horace Ware |
| E. T. Watts |
| Directors |
|