Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1867-10-25
from the Richmond Dispatch.l.
CINCINNATI, October 49, 1867.

from the Richmond Dtspatch.1
CINCINNATI, October 10. 1867.
Editors, Dispatch, Richmond w.:
The greatinterest which you have mani.
tested in the completion of the Chesapeake
aud Ohio railroad, and the developcment Of
the material resources Of Virginia, induces
ME to furnish you for publication the follow
ing letter from one Of the most Intelligent
iron men of the great West The facts con-
tanned in this letter are more valuable and
will have a more important influence upon
our great scheme than any which have thus
far been brought before the public:
OFFICE G.. & G: MESDrSnALL & Co. )
s..:-... Noi27 Vine street,
CiNc1NNITI, October 10, 1867.
j. G. Patton, Esq., Lexington Ia: Z.
DEAR SIR:-Your note making inquiry
respecting the character of kanawha coal as
a blast furnace fuel is received, and in reply
/ may briefly say that We have thoroughly
tested its quality for this purpose in our fur
mace near Wheeling. witt, the most satisfac.
tory. results, regarding it 'as better adapted
to. smelling iron than any known coal of tho
,Alleghapy field. We used. the, Campbelrs
creek and Coalburg Goals with about equal.
results The estimate in which our furnsce
manager holds those Goals is evidenced by
the fact that am authorized to contract for
a supply to becarried up the river to Wheel
ing for use in our furnace there $50. Z iis.
{ An extensive acquaintance with nearly all
partslof our Allegheny coal field, justfies
me in saying that know of no coal equal to
it in every respect, and that there il no por-
ton Of the field SO richly developed as on the
waters of the Great Kanawha, or where it
can be brought into use at SO cheap rate
The coal in the Mahoning valley, which
is now used by the works of Governor Todd
and others there. bias hitherto been regar-
ded AS Of the finest qnality known " the
works which use it; but our founder, sawho
has managed furnaces many years in that
valley, places the Kanawha coal unquestion-
ably before it; and the extent to Which the
seams Of that coal are developed bear no
comparison, with the seams on the kanawha
while the cost of mining the former must al
ways be two or three times the cost Of min
ing the latter. dl 8a
Since the trial Of Kanawha coal BY us in
April last, two furnaces. of large size have
been or are about to be commenced at Iron
ton. Ohio. designing to use it as fuel. and
one near this city is also provided for, intend
ing to use the Kanawha coal, Missouri Iron
mountain ore. and the lime stone of this
vicinity. A careful comparison of the cost
of making pig metal with these materials il,
this place proves it to have very decided
advantage over any other iron district in the
Ohio valley an advantage which cannot be
superseded until you can by railroad to
connect with the Virginia Central railroad,
or an improvement of the navigation of New
river, bring together the rich brown hena-
stite ores existing along that railroad and riy-
er, and the Goals of Kanawha. and also the
limestone ofthe Grcenbrier am informed
that the brown hclnatite ores to which | re-
fer can be mined and placed on the Virginia
Central railroad at a cost of about one dollar
per ton; if so, by a reciprocity of freights
between this district and the Kanawha coal
region, this ore can be laid down at the
Kanawha salines for So per ton, or for
ton of iron, So; three-quarter tor Of lime
stone from Greenbrer, $l.5o: and two and
half tons coal (seventy bushels), at not
over four cents per bushel, 50, 80; making
the total outside cost Of material per ton Of
iron 5000. These appear to me to be the
highest cost for materials at the present high
prices of labor, and is less than half the cost
of similar materials in the most favorable of
the districts where iron is now made in the
Ohio and Mississippi valley.
Intelligent iron men have seen clearly
since the trial OF the character of your Goals
that if the materials | have referred to arc
thus brought together, the Kanawha valley
and the ore region will be at an early day
tecming hives of industry and wealth, and
one OF the most important centres of the iron
manufacture of the United States must be in
this portion of the interior of the State of
Virginia.
= Yours truly,
/. Cyrus MENDENnALL
4 The cost Of manufacturing pig iron at Gin
cinnati may be stated as follows:
OHo t'i'u q Ift' 'oilo u AlssouIl iron mountain
ore at 80, 90 per TOM. IS
Seventy-fve bushels Kanawha coal, at II
cents per huslel.. Observation-Disclosures. 9 90
Half ton of limestone. Observation-Disclosures. IS
Cost at Cincinnati Of materials for ton Of
IRON. $22 SO
Add labor for the Manufacture of ton of
90
Total cost Of one ton of iron ............. S2s so
At jackson, Ohio, the ore and coal of that To-
calits being used the cost Of making iron is Sta
ted as follows: =
Two and three-quarter tons Of ore required, at
81 per ion ST. 90