Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-06-01

ct classes In some sections dIc reQucCd limos, Il
a state q: starvation b. he enormous prices o
| Greads.ufls, which, indeed, can scarcely BE- Chain
Ell al any, price. The Sun, Is evidence u The suffer
ins in Charles county, publishes an endorsement
on The letter bill by Postmaster in that county
which says that many we're begging from door IL
door, and that corn could not be had al any price
We trust however that The progress ofihis dire ca
lamiiy will lie speedily checked, i, moi entirely at
rested, and we leel confident that those who have SC
generously extended helping hand TO The needy
Of the Emerald Isle, will promptly relieve The dis.
ressed and suffering poor oil their own land
We extract the following interesting Ssice
from Hunts Merchants Magazine. II disclose.
The important FACT that the first railroad iron
made in The United States was manufactured Il
The Tredegar Works 10 this city. We always
take great pleasure in recording the fruits OF Vir.
sinia industry and skill, ana The gradual Gevc.
| lopement of her immense resources. For this
reason we cheerfuly transfer 10 our columns the
excellent sketch OF a very fine establishment in
our city:
| MANUFACTURE OF RAILROAD IRON
In THE UNITED STATES.
| We give place 10 the following communication
| from an intelligent correspondent residing al
Lynchbure, Virginia, and large s,ockholder in
The ''rredesar Iron Company" OF that Stale. Our
correspondent, il will be- seen, refers 10 an extract
from The "alinsTs Journal" published in The
Merchants Magazine Tor January, 1916 in
which il is stated that he firsi railroad was made
in lSii; and to correspondent in a subsequent
number. OF our Journal, who states thai the
Great Western Iron Company" on The Ale
eany river, produced in 1912 Two hundred tons
of railroad iron:
To the Editor If The Mvchonrs Magazine and
Commercial Reriec:
SIR-lD The January number ol your truly val
liable work, find an article on The manufacture
Of railroad iron, taken from the Miners Journal,
in which il stated that only TWO years have elaps-
ed since The first ton oil railroad iron was made in
this coun,Ty; and again in your February No.
This subject is noticed, and the expressed that
The credit is due 10 The "Greal Western Iron Com.
pany" OF Pennsylvania. lor introducing This i'm
poltani branch OF The iron business into our c0un-
try.-Boh or these statements are erroneous.
doubtless unnlenlionaly 50. have no doubt
that The first railroad iron made in lie Uni'cd
States was manufactured by the Trcdcear Iron
Works. al Richmond, Va. The evidence will
offer 10 sustain he claims Of Richmond, is, ! think
pretty conclusive. give il in an extract tiom a
letter OF John F. Tanner, Esq, secretary OF the
'Tredeear Iron Company, daIed Richmond, Isl
February 1916, 10 whom | made application Tor
accurate Information, after reading your January
number, lest my memory should mislcad me. Mr.
Tanner, SAYS. 'the first railroad iron made these
works was manufactured In (lS31l eighteen hum
bred and lhiiiY. seven. In 1898, We made con
siderable quantity tnr the Richm nd, Frederick ks
burg, and Potomac Railroad Company, and other
roads in This State" Ever since that period oc-
cas'onal orders Tor railroad iron have been execu-
ted at these works. The Tredegar wolk ks were
erected in 1886 7; commenced operations, think,
the Sh May. 1897. They were built By Edward
Cunningham, John A. Cunningham, and Francis
B Deane, Jr, who conducted them Oh private &c
count ill Isl January, 1888; when joint stock
company was formed, under a charter obtained
from the legislature, a, the session Of 1878; 10
which company Nessrs Deane & Cunningham
sold their works. So il would seem that he indi-
vlduals who projected and completed the Trcdc
gar rolling mill we're The pioneers in The manutac-
lure OF railroad iron in the United States.
The capita stock Of the Tredeear Iron Com
pany is $3.50 600; the annual product turned our,
about Ssoo ooo cal f ff5S, sSr 4Bvj 5a M
arnual raymenls Tor labor. rom $4,000 10 $50,
000 This establishment manufactures 4. great
d variety .. sizes vi hal H. II, rods, Eouls, bands
extra siz.s, rounds AM square, locomotive en-
siucs. screw moulds, boat plates and rods iog
ron vessels, as any other in The Union. The qua
lily Il is production is equal 10 Tie best iIun
found in our markets. OF English Or American
manufacture. Besides the extensive works Tor
making maeahle iron, of almost every desrfip
lion which The wants OF commerce require, there
is attached 10 them very large foundry, with
machine shops, fitted up in The best manner with
lalhes, &c, Tor building steam engines, sugar
ills, and indeed machinery cf every description
Also large boring mill, and all necessary Az
palatus finishing ordnance OF The largest size
ordinarily used, either IN our army " navy
From The Trcdegar non foundry, sings OF cI-
cecut quality and great variety ale annually
turned out The ordnance made there is regard
ed equal 10 The best which the Government pro-
cures elsewhere, OF which fact the records oil !he
War and Navy Department will afford ample
estimony.
feel much confidence in claiming for ,helTIe-
degar works the credit of introducing several 9TH
er important branches OF iron manufacture as
well as railroad iron. believe locomotive roll
ed axles were first made there; and il my inior-
nation be correct, they have 10 great extent,
superseded the English and American hammer
| ed aYles. The same may be said OF boa-rib
irons; these we're also first made at The Tredeaar
works; and am told that even now there are de-
.cfpions II his important article used by 60
vernmonl in building iron vessels which can on
| ly be procured al these works.
Without intending ans disparagemeni 10 other
works, OF hc enterprise of nv feliow-cl'izrns N
the Northern States, | am induced 10 make lhl'
communication, first, lha. correct Information
may be placed before he public; aud secondly
that il may be known tina the unrivalled advan
isses possessed by Virginia Tor The manufacture
OF iron are not 50 emil ely neglected as many be-
| leve them 10 be.
A Stakeholder 81 HE TIedegar Company.