Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1869-07-16

Is Of last brought out nlarge glowing Jumps
which are loaded on iron trucks and taken
to huge revolving wheel called Hsaueez.
eF, and this after revolution or two,
thT9ws the iron out in compressed masses
called hloom" iron. The blooms" are
thea aiken to the rolls, which are great
trains of revolving cylinders. and after be.
ing passed through these they come out in
nat slabs Of iron about FIVE feet long, eight
Or ten inches WIDE and about an inch thick.
These are next laid into piles Of eight
or ten slabs, the top slab being of 'granu-
lar or hard iron for the top surface Of the
rail and the bottom slab being Of ibrous OF
tough mou for the under surface. The
'plses are then heated to a white heat and
taken to other trains Of rolling machinery,
throhgh which they are successfully passed
back and forth until each pile emerges
from the last roll perfect rail- something
over thirty feet long. Immediately upon
issuing from the trolls the rails, while still
red bot are placed in front Of circular saws,
| and Te cut to the exact length ordered.
The rails are then left to cool, and then each
ones tested and adjusted BY other maehin-
cry Those that do not stand the test are
sent back to be worked over, and the per-
feet rails are Immediately passed out of the
mill, and at once loaded up on cars, to be
taken to their destination.
The whole place is a wonder. Every
where there is incessant motion, from the
loading up of the cupolas with the dirt-hke
masses of ore to the final issue Of the iron
in a constant stream Of rails that make FIVE
miles Of length every day. Fines are blaz-
ing and cleaning everywhere. Immense
numbers Of workmen and wonderful masses
Of machinery are moving with never oeasing
! energy in all directions. Including the
twelve hundred miners already mentioned
the employees of the Company number
four thousand and these, with their fami-
lies, constitute nearly the whole population
Of Johnstown, a fourishing town about 90,
600 inhabitants The mill hands are among
the most prosperous and coutented work.
men in the State They have no Trade;
Unions and strikes are almost unknown.
The Company encourages them In all kind:
of thrift to promote their comfort and inde
pendence, aud make advances TO every mar
who desires to build a house for his family
To ensure the necessities Of life, at fail
prices, a great range Of retail stores ha;
been provided, where everything Is sold
and this regulates all the prices 10 the town
Here the hands have credit from one month
ly pay day until the next To provide en-.
ployment for the families OF the hands, as
well as to furnish them with cheap and good
wolen cloths a wooden mill has been erect
ed The company also has It's ownraiIways
its own machine shop, lumber mills anG
brick yards, and everything requisite within
itself to carry on its great operations.
/ Space fails US to give a complete deserip
/ ton but we have said enough to give sons
| idea of an establishment Of the most re
markable character, a grand type of the pc
culiar industries Of interior Pennsylvania
aud one fully as worthy Of attention anc
study as those we hear so much about
whether in Old England or New England
-P5Jlic Ledger.