, 1869-12-04
Tho Coat Of Making Pig iron,

10 The Editor q The EAtca13 4Fisune:
In Saturdays TkIBCSE l noticed m article
from A. B. Aeeker In regard to the cost Of pro-
tuc1pg trcn tfon Like Superior and Missouri
ores With Illinois coal. Nj. Meekes .a.a thst
that 1t coat ts9 per ton to nake iron at the Car
o1delet furnace- This Is = much higher eSiimate
than has ever been glSen me By parties who pro-
fets 10 be well acquainted with the workings OF
the furnace IN question. And as late as 1sst
AuKuat tue bockaeepsr al the furnace aaaured me
that the cost OF making Iron Was no. over t?5 PEI
ton Of 2,ess pounds Tue plea of Al. Meekef Ia
regard TO the uncertainties and contingencies"
attending the working Of 6last fnfu2ce to very
lame ,ndeed AZ u atso his plsa about selecting tee
most favorable weekly run from which 10 make an
estimate Of cost. Every luEEace master, IN mak!a2
an eslnale Of the cost Of producing, caIculases
for tue contingencies OF which Nj. Netkef speakk
aau do not believe any lnruace u1an who reR&.lia
his reputation would preteu0 70 base Al estimate
OF coat upou any one week. As to tue cost ot
uattng 1ron II tie OLD furnace ID C1roncelet It
csunot be tasen ~ criterion, Tor the
reason that II wa built Is "a experiment,
to test the pr1e,!cahl!isy Of smettug Missouri iron
ore with Dig MUDDY coal ow1nR tu the i9uoraEce
Of the epsi4tefa who CONSTRUCTED toe f1fnace, Il
,a,7 !aicymea inxs eiuce Il has been rehn,t, i
sIfi imperfect; consequently, 1t co4ts mose to
entIt ore such faruacs tuan IT does At some Of
the new dnsa when the etfor1 OF Tbs CONSTRUCTION
| Of The 1tst hare been seen md rtnedied. TIE
| cauac,tT Of tho IQtuAce, OF which Mr. Meelet
sptRis, Il from twcttF 10 twenty i've tous OF pig
Hetu per ds3. THIS u also another !stong argu'
| ntns agaiDss se:tctttH 1t from which 10 make n
l6ir test Of cost Of mating i1ou, ~ tue expenses
| OF uuudlLs AAd working Aucn furnace IL ueasly
a. great ~ tnas Of thirty ok forty ton tntnsee
| III. Neekef comp atns that IT. Lauta Of Mtasou1
| lsou u ceiling in Et,sburgn At 81 to s. below ".
] Louis ana Crlcaxo pr.ces. don't knoH now thts
IA kpt haze been iniosIned by nearly al tne rep
| re4entattsea OF the Missouri In5uacet. that they
| had M ccca,iou 70 send their ores Abroad 0*1ng
to The demand from Il. Louis iron-Workefd and
tue superior quality Of the pig fton made there
One Ut The 1rm orbinE the Me1anec Wolfa a.
slred me thxt. not Wtthstandps that their furnace
had not blown Oh for eighteen moths theJ
wefe unable to Ill eastern orle1s 1t Prices aoose
market quotations Tina 81. Laals agents Of the pstn
cipAl Nofsa ID Tennessee Inform me that sheI wert
/ plsbie to keep psce with the deMatd for thell
! etaI, atd inst they realized outside pFtce.-
| have mud q l,ae report :1pm the HsAza works
saould seeE distant asket at a lover pr!ce than
IL realized at home, 70 long Al the demand II tht
iufnace exceeds tue FapplJ.
Below g!se ~ esuE: ate o! masacg pig ifnn a
nres. equns,,r9 the furuace to p.uduce but t~en,
! " ION. per das. In this / have estimated toe
ore 10 yield on!J 70 per cent. 1es II seldon fA.I.
| below ID 10 d per cent, aud trequcIhJ Eeachen Il
sE s'e tee u Tass
| Mf. Meeket COT plains. also tnclife iuterest ol
cspHa', IN order to show clean pEofl Tae est
mate Ii as follows:
Two tprR M.bsnu1s ore as sss.....:-.... .....s 9
Big Muddy cosl or cake and coal.... ,..,.. s "
ItleV6t on ftt.I HfN c8I,7ta1. )
Wtnr Of team, and coming enc:es "...,..... =
Labor and kairIies Of I'll kiads. s...-.......-....
! LneAtotc Ter rn11.--.~.....----. ....--.s'-..
| Totu. .......tI1 81