Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-11-03
American Railroad Iron.

III hiiuuihg, Oh yestcrhay, 10 tue purchase Oh
iron from the Mt. Savage works in Mary and. by
the Orange and Alexandria Company--for the
purpose of laying down the extension to Lynch
burg-wc referred to the fact that there was q
growing disposition in the country to purchase
American rails, instead Of sending abroad for the
cheaper, though much Inferior article. Though
it may cost little more in the beginning, expe-
rence has shown it to be more economical, in
the long run. to buy rails made Mt home; besides
the very important sidcra,ion that there
by encouraging American instead Of foreign in
dustry.
We had no idea, until VIC saw the statistics in
the last number of the American Railroad JOURNAL
thai our capacity for manufacturing rails in this
country was great. What is better still. it is
increasing every year; Notwithstanding the de-
preston in the iron business, and in almost eve
ry other branch Of industry. In 1854 we manu-
featured in this country one hundred and eight
thousand tons Of rail, and in 1857 we had carried
the quantity up to very near two hundred thou
sand tons. In those three years. not less than
seven new iron mills, for manufacturing rails, wcrc
established in the United States, trcc Of which
were in the South.
But we are too sorry to sny, the dsproporton
between the two sections, in this matter, is entire
ly too great. There are Just twenty rail mills in
NIL in the Unon-of which the..South has only
four. One of these is in Maryland, one in Virgin
in. lat Wheeing) ono in Kentucky, and one in
Georgia. Tho mill in Georgia situatcdat Atlanta
is however, the third ono in capacity of all Of
them. In 1857 it turned out eighteen thousand
tons of rnil. The Montour works ut pnnvillc,
Pennsy lyanin, which turned out twenty-five thou
sand tons--and the Phoenix works. in the snme
State, which turned out eighteen thousand six
hundred-nre the only two which exceeded the
capacity of the works ut Atlanta.
Mt Of these ral mills are Of curse situated in
Pennsy lyania- where iron and coal ARE both
so abundant and cheap, We find, vrycr. that
Boston has one-Troy. New York. one-Trenton,
New Jersey. one-Clcaveland, Ohio, two--and
Detroit, Michigan, one. Tho remainder of those
situated in the North, aro nil in PENNSYLVANIA.
Tho question may well be asked. if Boston and
Detroit can carry on rail mills. why may not the
cities OF Virginia do the same thing? Why may
not our own town of Lynchburs, do it? Is Bos-
ton any better situated in respect of either iron
ore coal. than Lynchburg isY On the contrary.
is il not an evident fact, that with the exception,
perhaps, Of certain points in Pennsylvania there
is no other place is in the Union more happily sit
uacd for just such an establishment than Lynch.
burg? We have tho iron ore and the coal almost
nj our very doors. We have the capital 1--WE don't
the word I'VE" in its editorial sense, and we
have watcr-power. We have railroads and ca
nal to transport the products Of such cstal,-
lishment to my point that may be desired. We
have projected new railroads in various quarters
of the South and Sonth-west--anl even our roads
that nrc already built, are constantly requiring
new rails every day. Why may not establish
great rail manufhctory at this central ind CON
venient point, for tho purpose of supplying the
Southern and Southwestern Roads?
Let our capitalists revol,e this sui ,ect in their
minds-and, we doubt not, they will conclude that
such an enterprise, besides comforting innumcra-
Bile benefits upon the town. would also he highly
remuneratiye az mn investment.