XXXXX Said to be the largest single load ever carried by a western railroad, the first shipment of two huge kilns for the Yosemite-Portland Cement company's new Merced mill has arrived over the Southern Pacific.

XXXXX It consisted of a steel tube 10 feet in diameter and 82 feet long carried on two flat cars. This member is but one-third of a kiln as the total length of the kiln when assembled will be 240 feet. The shipment weighed 131,000 pounds and because of its extreme length was routed by nine railways from the Allis Chalmers factory in Milwaukee where it was made.

XXXXX The two completed kilns will require 12 cars for shipment of the tubes alone, and eight cars of additional equipment. A total of 50 cars of machinery is entering into the plant. Large Limestone Deposit

XXXXX This new 2500-barrel cement mill is expected to start manufacturing about April 20, according to George A. Fisher, who is erecting the plant. Limestone of high quality is to be obtained from a large deposit near Jenkins Station on the Yosemite Valley railway, where quarrying equipment is being installed to handle the rock.

XXXXX Foundations are in for the kiln and other machinery and a 60,000 barrel silo for storage of cement has been completed. Work is progressing rapidly on two cement stacks, each 200 feet high. The stacks will be illuminated by flood lights making them visible at night for many miles away. Two feed silos for storage of rock are built adjoining two inclines for elevating loaded cars 20 feet above the ground level to facilitate dumping and handling rock by means of automatic conveyors. Dozen Storage Tanks

XXXXX Twelve oil storage tanks each with a capacity of 400 barrels have been installed for fuel oil to be used in the plant.

XXXXX The new cement plant is a San Joaquin valley enterprise owned by San Joaquin people with the San Joaquin valley as an immediate market. A. Emory Wishon, vice president and general manager of the San Joaquin Light and Power corporation is president of the Yosemite-Portland Cement company. Other members of the board of directors are W. A. Sutherland, vice president of Pacific Southwest Trust & Savings bank; Murray Bourne, general counsel, San Joaquin Light and Power corporation, and John B. Olcese, Bank of Italy, Bakersfield.

XXXXX We stood atop the incline of the Yosemite Portland Cement company at Emory station yesterday and glimpsed the side of the mountain that holds deposit of lime rock sufficient to keep a plant double the size of the one at Merced in operation 100 years. We were indebted to Bill White and George Fisher for the party, the other guests being John Simonson, Pete Barcroft and Elmer Maze. Bill took us all up to Emory in his private motor car over the Yosemite Valley railroad, and after getting there we were guests of Superintendent George Fisher of the cement company.

XXXXX It was a keenly interesting trip. Leaving Merced at 9 o'clock, with Jimmy Leonard at the wheel of the motor, we were quickly on the new line of the railroad skirting the upper upper works of Merced Irrigation district. A stop was made at Exchequer station whence we walked down a mile to the base of the dam, saw the powerhouse machinery turning out its daily quota of over coupla thousand dollars worth of "juice" to the power corporation and exclaimed and marvelled at the magnitude of the mass of concrete that sets there in the river.

XXXXX Resuming the way up the canyon we rounded a turn and there was the vast, placid sheet of water of the reservoir. From here on for a dozen miles to Horseshoe Bend the railroad skirts "Lake McClure" and crosses it at the famous "Big Bridge." It's worth a trip up on the Yosemite Valley railroad to get the thrill of crossing this bridge. It gives one the best impression obtainable of the extent of Exchequer reservoir. The motor speeded on, and we arrived at Emory station at 1 o'clock. Here we were ushered into the dining room for luncheon. We all managed to get enough to eat. All we had was oyster soup, potato salad, asparagus on toast, deliciously broiled catfish, roast beef bordelaise, peas, peach pie, tapioca pudding and a cup of coffee. All splendidly cooked. We were introduced to the chef, Tom Brown, from the north of Ireland.

XXXXX While we're telling of the eats, it is interesting to known that the whole camp at Emory is electrically equipped. Electric range in the kitchen, electric hot water heaters. The bunk house is built to accommodate an operating force of 40 men. The present force is housed in temporary quarters. It is equipped with shower baths, toilets, two reading rooms. The cook house contains an electric range and a refrigerating plant which embraces a vegetable room and a meat room and will also make ice required in the operation of the camp and quarry. The camp is fitted with a sewer system and septic tank.

XXXXX The lime rock deposit is on Jenkins' hill, six miles above Briceburg. The railroad station is called "Emory" in honor of the president of the cement company, Emory Wishom. Seven hundred acres there on the hill is owned by the company. The lime deposit starts right at the railroad and runs back on the company land two miles. A narrow strip leads from the tracks back through to the main deposit which embraces a whole mountainside. An incline host rises 800 feet from the railroad and is 1800 feet long. The incline has a maximum grade of 72 per cent. From the top of the hoist a standard gauge railroad is being built 2000 feet long around the hill. At the end of the railroad the quarry starts. It is possible to get a quarry face opening of 3000 feet in length. The point of the hill projects in a way to prevent putting the railroad round it.Here an interesting piece of dynamiting will be done in about a month. Instead of shooting the point away with small shots and then steam shoveling it over the hill, they will bore a small tunnel through the point and set the blast off with one operation. Fifteen tons of powder will be used in this one blast. By doing this the majority of the rock is thrown over the hill and will not have to be touched by the steam shovel.

XXXXX A Plymouth gasoline locomotive of 14 tons weight will draw the side dump cars loaded with the lime rock by an electric shovel out of the quarry to the crusher at the top of the hoist. From the crusher the cars are lowered to the big bunkers at the railroad where the final gravity process drops the rock into the cars of the Yosemite Valley railroad for the shipment of the 62 miles to the plant at Merced. As has been said before, the whole investment in the company project runs to a million. The amount being spent at the quarry is $200,000. At present there are 102 men working at the quarry, and if we're any judge those birds are certainly working. The force at the mill at Merced now runs about 125. George Fisher said yesterday that when the plant is in regular operation 75 men will be employed at the Merced mill and 30 at the quarry.

XXXXX The first shipment of limestone from the recently opened quarry at Jenkins hill will probably arrive at the Merced plant of the Yosemite Portland Cement company Saturday, George A. Fisher, manager, said today. The stone is shipped 60 miles over the Yosemite Valley railroad to the plant north of town, at more of a saving than in many places where the plant and quarry adjoin each other, Mr. Fisher declares.

XXXXX The quarry at Jenkins hill is extraordinary rich in limestone, it is said, and when the plant is operating at full blast, from 300 to 400 tons will be shipped daily.

XXXXX Mr. Fisher discounted street reports that the shipment Saturday would mark the opening of the plant, saying that it will probably be operating more fully the following week. Shipments of clay from Carbondale and fuel oil from Bakersfield are at present being received.