XXXXX Three cars on the Southern Pacific today carried a thousand barrels of cement from the Yosemite Portland Cement company to the dam under construction at Friant.

XXXXX This is the first consignment shipped on the order for 437,000 barrels placed with the Merced plant several weeks ago, the largest single order on record in the 18 years of the plant's history.

XXXXX The Merced plant expects to be shipping on this order for the next year or more. The frequency and quantity of the shipments will be governed by the requirements at the dam.

XXXXX Three companies are supplying the cement - Merced, Calaveras and Redwood City, each having approximately a third of the 1,400,000 barrels that will go into the dam.

XXXXX W. A. McCanless, manager of the Merced plant, said today the Friant order, together with regular business will keep the plant busy at capacity for a year or more. This will mean that both of the plant's kilns will be in operation.

XXXXX The plant has 108 employes - 28 at the lime deposits at Emery, 67 miles up the Merced river canyon from Merced on the Yosemite Valley railway. The other 80 employes are in the plant and office of the plant near Merced.