The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-09-05 00:00:00

- ------ --
LITERATURE.

Tux Barrrea WORKMAN.—The above excellent
publication continues to uphold its high position
as an instructor of the working classes in the
"true and the beautiful." Its illustrations are, as
a rule, marvels of the wood engraver's art, most of
the frontispieces being well worthy of framing.
The reading matter, too, continues to be as inter- t
esting as it is useful, and many a father of a family I
Is given to Copying and Enlarging (even to Life Pig° or mother of a household, have to thank its pages
aoy Portrait, sad noi%hina the ',Arno rith, rin Oil and for valuable hints given which have been acted
Mater-colour, or Oulu bl.ck-ond•white. upon at various times. Such a paper is an weevil-
OIL PAINTING, Miniatures, Cartes de Visits, Glass
salon in any home.
and other Pictures of self or deceased friends, Copied fo
THE FAMILY FRIEND—This is another paper of
the Al
tes
Yieite from 5s per dozen, Wren daily
bum. 1 a similar class to the foregoing, with the exception
Car de .
that instead of being in the form of a four-paged
ARCHER
LrRKE, paper it is a 16-paged pamphlet. It has, too, in
addition, serial tales. The present number con-
tains an excellent tale of this description, entitled
"The Mother's Resolve, and the Home Changes,"
containing many excellent practical hints as to the
hest way of managing children and rendering
home comfortable. These are given in a very in-
teresting and readable form, and are calculated to
do an immense amount of good. There is also a
very interesting article on the invention of print-
ing, besides "The Story of a Horse," and a short
account of the inhabitants of the Tyrol. It is
profusely illustrated with capital engravings, and
printed in a style that cannot be excelled. When
bound, the series will make a handsome and inter-
esting volume.

71, lligh•street,
Stourbridge.

SPECIAL ATTENTION.

71, man STREET, S7OEIE:BRIDGE.

THE IRON TRADE.
WoLvEshaurres, Wednesday.
Tit, current atta actions At rrow-in-Furness,
together with those of the sportsman's rifle, had
their effect upon the market in keeping away cer-
tde of the leading members. The reports
brought in were iii ittititive of tolerable firm-
ness in all the beat brands, whether of pig or
of iloishel iron. The tower is increas-
ing in output, and preparations are being made
for the relightbig of other furnaces, so that when
the better demand, which is confidently antici-
pate], has begun to be experienced, it may be
promptly eupplied The confidence referred to
is dependent upon the reduction in prices being
declared, which buyers assert will be necessary
to their purchasing in:any considerable quantity.
Tho views expressed today by men of extended
knowledge in the industriee of this district were
in favour of such quotations ruling at the lose
of the quarter. It is believed that when Michael-
mas has turned seine Is will c ime off furnace
mid fiiege coal, and that this reduction, conabitied
with the lower wages which will be declared in
the finished-iron department, will lead to a drop
of from 20 to 40s per ton in best qualities of the
varied products of the mill. The conviction
seems to be gaining ground that until marked
Staffordshire bars can be bought at .£lO, mer-
chants will not place the bulk of the specifica-
tious which they are holding over. There is
reason to fear that most of the orders that they
are compelled to give out for shipment this au-
tumn have left th ir hands. Anyhow, finished
iron orders cannot be secured for delivery beyond
the close of September. Common bars, in some
instances, are to be had at as low a figure as £9
15s. The Welsh houses are still competing in
this market for this class of trade; and the gat:-
tations, being now £9 2s 61, are a reduction id
23 Gd upon those of last week. Certaiu North
Staffordshire bare lire likewise beiug tried in
South Staffordshire; hut, like the Welsh quality,
they are declared unable to bear the work upon
the anvil which is practicable in respect of the
South Staffordshire precinct. Most work is being
done this week in the pica., and sheet mills.
Makers of the best descriptions are firm in their
quotations, which are based upon the crucial
figure of l 2 for bars. Common plates they be
had at £l2 155. Earl Dudley is this week re-
lighting a blast furnace at The Level, near Bri-
erley Hill.
The importance of a means of mechanical
puddling being in tie v.tilab!o to the finished
iron trade hereabouts continues to be imich dis-
cussed, and satisfaction is being expressed that
the mill and forge managers of the district
should have investigated the Banks process as
adopted in North Staffordshire. What the man-
agers there sew seems to thive removed ditfical-
ties which cert in of them before have enter-
tained ; but whilst there is now amongst them no
room for doubt that mechanical puddling is
practicable, they hold that much has yet to be
done before it will be suitable to the wants of
the bulk of the ironworks in South Staffordshire
and East Worcestersbiee. That mechanical
puddling must be adopted, there appears to be a
growing conviction, iv reason chiefly of the
difficulty whieh is found in getting enough new
labour in forges. Wiltit, however, is itheitittl
hero is a process by which the small sizes of iron,
such as rods and hoops and strips, can be inauu
faetured. It is laid down that the Danks furnace
works most profit ably when charged with ii
weight of eight to ten ewte. Such a bill of iron
would be most desirable as the means of ivakiii
the heavy samples, would lie verydillicult to deal
with in the case of the lighter. Nevertheless,
the men who have given the most attention ti
the subject do not hesitate in expressing their
conviction that, assuming the fettling difficulty
&multi he surmounted, the dealing with the iron
after it has been made is only a question of
mechanics, which may be safely left to the en-
gineers.
t_

The re-lighting of blast furnaces is causing
fresh discussion upon the height of furnaces and
the dimensions of the bashes. The experience
of North Staffordshire is in favour of moderate
heights and smaller boshes. The Chatterley
Company are just putting up a third furnace.
The two furnaces witich they at present work are
each 54ft. high, and have bushes whose diaten.
sions are, one 16ft and the other 161-it. la the
new furnaces the bosh will be 13ft. 91n. Al-
though 400 tons is the weekly output of the two
farnacesalready hlostiag, still there is reason to
conclude that the use of the smaller bosh will
make the furnace yield a greater proportion than
that which has been got from those having the
large bodies. During the visit of the mill and
forge turn:kg:Ts of this distnct to North St ttfo,al-
- an experiment in the method of economising
fuel in the heating of the furnaces used in the
finished iron department was made with an
apparatus which is know as Root's blower in at
tato back of the furnace and beneath the fire-
grate. Both are well closed in ; and, while the
',he heating is faciiitated, a wiviug of fuel it ef-
h eted. The principle is in operation at both
the Raveusd de works. The furnacemaa ap•
prove the principle; and the blowers enable the
iron to be melted at two caqs. per ton less than
is necess try without them.

ANNUAL RAM SALE AT HAGLEY.