The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-04-22
lKON MANUFACTURES.

in an article we take from the louisville !
Journal. All il says about Kentucky in con-
nection with this subject, will apply with
equal force to Indiana. The question OF
whether railroad iron ,saot be aade in this
country to the advantage Of both manuiuc.
turer and consumer, viii coon be solved
We presume that IN Ten SET r. from this day,
half il not threc-fourtl+s OF The railroad iron
demanded by compaLies in this country, Will
be made at home. AT this day, there is FL
orally none manufactured in this conntry.-
England cannot make railroad iron even ut
now fast enough to supply the demand
Under this condition Of things, railroad iron
manufactures must be started in this country.
But we ask the attention of our readers to
the following article:
IRON MANUFAcTUREs.-We have long
been surprised at the supineness Of our CAPT
talists in regard to this vast and important
branch Of domestic industry. No single
State in the Union presents greater facilities
for the manufacture of iron than Kentucky.
Immediately contiguous TO the many in'-
mense coal fields now being opened in vari-
Gus portions of the State are inexhaustible
bodies of rich iroE ore. In many of these
localities all he other materials requisite for
the manufacture of iron are within cOnve-
nient reach. Nothing is wanting but the
erection of furnaces and the application Of
labor to produce an article for which the de.
ma nd has already increased to an almost In.
credible extent, and 10 still increasing daily.
A few years ago it was considered difficult,
without the aid Of protective tariff, for the
iron manufacturers Of this country to COM
pete with the furnaces of England. 1t was
| not because iron could not be prodr ced a.
cheaply here, even at that time, as in Eng.
| for here all the materials for its production,
except labor, could be procured more cheap
ly than anywhere else, but the demand then
was limited, and it was in the power Of the
English manufacturers to supply all that was
needed, while their immense capital enabled
them not only to raise and dePress prices as
circumstances required to break down com.
petition, but also to sell upon such terms az
to offer nducement TO railroads that could
not be afforded by the smaller operators in
this country.
Now, however, the times are changed
The demand tor manufactured iron has be-
come so vast that foreign competition need
} ing in this very profitable pursuit. During
the last few years the uses of iron have been
greatly multiplied. In building ocean steam
ers, houses, machinery, aud oil the various
articles of Domestic use, in which iron ha,
!. lately been introduced, when we calculate
the grand aggregate Of its application
, throughout the whole extent Of our great and
growing country, il seems marv elous indeed
Taking into con >ideration the single item oil
> railroad iron, the present and prospective de-
mand is far, very far beyond the capacity oil
all the furnaces in England, Norway and the
United States to supply far many yean.
There arc now in operation in this country
$4,000 miles of railroads.. ii has 5cen estiui.
ated that by January, 1860, we will have com
pleteG Of roads already constructed and pro-
r jectcd 10000 miles, making 1900 miles Il
be furnished with iron in less than six years
The rails for these roads vii consume al
least 100 tons of iron per mile; giving :,
700 900 tons Of rails required TO be Furnished
by January 1850. This amount, at seventy.
: five dollars per ton, the present price Of rail
road iron, will cost Sl27,O00.O00, to which
should be- added at least $IO,OOO,OOO Tor re
/. pairs and renewals on account Of wear ant
). tear, and probably S4O,OOO.OOO for locomo
q tives and other necessarirs for railroads, max
e ing an aggregate Of SlS0,0OO.o manufac
J.. tured iron required for railroad purposes ia
this country in the next six years.
. These railroads must and will be built
The advantages OF railroads in promoting
i the agricultural, manufacturing and all 9th
er industrial interests have become so appar
emit that railroads are demanded in every di
rection. The cost of their construction j,
: amply and many fold repaid in the increased
, value Of the adjacent lands and their pro
n ducts. The means 10 build them will b,
r forthcoming at the proper time, and the ma
terials for their construction must be procur
ed. For years pact we have been payin;
~ tribute TO foreign iron manufacturers. Sine,
D the introduction Of the railroad system int,
. the United States, we have doubtless contri
,r buted to foreign producers not less thai
Sl00, 100000 for railroad iron alone. 1t j
.. time that ~e should cease to depend upo
al England for this commodity, aud expen
among our own operatives this immense DO
d nus thus paid 70 foreign labor.
1t has been suggested that a certain mum
- Der of railroad companies should form com
~ bination and proceed to manufacture thei
" own iron. We have no doubt that this or
" rangement, if actively engaged in, would en-
W able the parties to procure all their iron in
shorter time and at far less expense than b
g. any other method. 1t would be the mean
n of building up in our midst an iron manufac
ture whicn would render us altogether inds
pendent of foreign aid and xempt fr ON fol
eign extortions. We hope to see thi 8 don,
g. We are satisfied that no section Of the cour
n try can present greater advantages for TIT
E. location Of such q work than many parts
~ Kentucky, and we believe that il capitalist
would turn their attention to iron ma mn IN,
:" lures in this State with The same eagernes
~ that has been evinced in the i'm prove ment
he our coal fields, source OF profit would thu
es be opened to them greatly SURPRISING an
20 other investment. In Q national point
view, every possible effort should be made
e retain among our own laborers and mechaI
les the vast sum fo he eynended for mann