The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-02-04
From tho Columbus Journal.
Portsmouth and the SciOt0 Valley.


Mr.. Mcfarland, who ably represents the inter
ests Of Portsmouth before the Legislative com
mitteo In the matter of location for anew peni
tentiary. has placed in our hands pamphlet
containing the report of committee Of the Blu
siness Mems Association of Portsmouth,, which
presents very clearly the claims and advantages
of that locality.
We fnd in this little pamphlet much matter
of general interest, which will be found valua-
ble even to persons not prepared 70 copcede the
location of the new penitentiary to Portsmouth.
We invite attention to an abstract Of these facts
and ask that they may be borne in mind with
reference to other enterprises as we'll A rail.
road from Columbus TO Portsmouth lin the near
future may be eregarded as fixed, In the logic oi
events, and 1t is important that we should fully
acquaint ourselves With the resources Of the val
ley.
Before entering upon this subject it is prop.
or to to say that 1t is claimed as one of the pc
culiar advantages of Portsmouth as q location
for the new penitentary that it is easily aecessi-
BILE to large scope of country, lying along the
river and in other directions, which is TO be
reached from Columbus and the Central part OF
the State only by a long and elrcuitous route, SO
that great saving would bemade in the expen-
ses OF transportation Of prisoners bysuch To-
cation. Al this scope OF country would be
opened up 70 our trade by railroad direct to
Portsmouth. Now what are the resources we
should reach2
First. InexhaustibIe quarries Of the Wayerly
stone perhaps the most beautiful, durable and
workable stone In use for building purposes
The committee say:
This stone lies IN strata, at all desirable thick
nesses from four feet to two inches, and almost
perfectly true IN tn ickness, and can be uuarried
10 any dssn9Diy length or width, with the
advantage OF The Ohio river the Ohio canal and
good turnpike roads upon which to move il 10
the location selected; or, should it be deemed de-
slrable, the frison Itself could be located with
its foundation upon forty feet of these strata.
and the laOor OF the convict Is proftably employ
ed, first IN building the structure, and after
wards in preparing The stone for market.
Second. Iron ore, of the best qualities in use,
Is abundant The Scioto or Hanging Rock, Iron
is uehvered at Pittsburg at profit, and is in
great demand there. The committee claim that
all the stone, iron and wood work, of the pen
itentiary, and all work to be done by cenVicts
atterwardi can be done at Portsmouth at a larg-
er per cent. Of profit TO the State than at any
other point in the State. Here is an interesting
extract from Prof Briggss Geological Report
of Ohio Ia 1888; E7ilh Hu'
THE iron region from the Ohio river, near
Franklin Furnace, northward by Jackson to
the Hooking river, occupies an area equal to an
unbroken stratum fifty miles long and six miles
wide, capable Of yielding three millions OF tons OF
good iron ore to each Sqaare mile, and that the
quantity Of ore is SO great that jackson, Law
renee, and Scioto counties, are capable OF pro-
duclng 400, 0OO tons OF iron annually for2, 700
years" This statement is fully confirmed by
more recent surveys. l ft.l. g.|t,a tgu
Third The lumber includes all the most val
liable varieties for building, for making agricul-
tural and other implements saddle-treeS, and
&c, in unlimited quantities. -" "a
IA lpa ba fnl yfu,r
statement with reference TO the marvellous
amount Of business:
There are, at present, in operation in this i'm
mediate region, and in the vicinity of Ports
mouth .Wty-seCen furnaces. Iweaty-si1 of these
are connected by railway with Portsmouth and
make it their depot To the remaining thirty
one Portsmouth is as accessible, by the0hio riy-
er, as any other point, above or below. 4 radi-
us, averaging 30 miles, having Portsmouth as
its centre, will embrace all these furnaces The
productive capacity Of these furnaces is now
equal TO- 2, 6O0 tons per annum, ,Or AL, 500 tons
in the aggregate, of the best material; or over
four hundred tons per day. The demand how
ever large, will meyer oYerpass the supply, ,I' 'Ex-
perienced and practical iron founders author
ize the statement that With but little additional
lnbOr, ,r40O tons OF metal per day, throughout the
year, can be delivered at any foundry orimlll Co.
tabshed in this Vicinity. '+'
All the facilities for reducing the ores are SO
'abundantly supplied at our hands, that iron OF
the best quality, for oil purposes, eau be sup
piled here at less cost than any ether region in
Large quantities of the scioto, or Hanging
Rock iron, shipped, Annually, from here 70
Pittsburg, Wheeling, Steubengllei Columbus
Cine inn6ti and 81. Louis. Large quantities are
also shipped to Cleveland, Detroit Chicago, and
Buffalo, The manufactures Of Cincinnati are
dependent upon this region for their iron.
Your Committee consider that the iron region
of this vicinity Is moi. surpassed by any other in
the United States, In the quality and quantity of
the iron and in the facilities tor its rapid pro-
duction. ffHs iaaw3mys .540If D0fn
Fifth. Charcoal In any quantity, ...,. ..t
1 sixth. Accessory TO these, and In the SAME
hills, are limestone, sandstone burr-stone, fire.
brick clay; aud moulding. sand. st.eI.
Seventh. Coal-equlyalent according to Prof.
Briggs, tO "one solid, unbroken stratum fifty
miles long, five miles wide, aud niue inches
Thick .g Ta.rnH ..-r,...f, fiia.r.
Prof Mathsr endorses this statement of his
colleague and adds; "A single square mile Of
Of this mineral tract will supply Cincinnati with
It's great consumption, for manufactures and
steamboats, az the rate of sixteen millions
t1B 0UU, 000y Of bushels annually, for about sew
enGeen years; and forty sections would supply
Cincinnati and Portsmouth, al their present
rate OF consumption, six hundred years. ''
''The Goals of the beds marked, are remarka-
bly pure, giving but little ash, and are almost
entirely free from sulphur. They are peculiarly
adapted to the manuiacture.of iron (without the
necessity Of coking) and for fuel for steam en-
pines and locomotives" JON b.'H .. iHH
This coal Is brought to Portsmouth from a
distance of thirty miles, by the Ohio river, and
by railway. II can be delivered 70 any extent
requiRd. ''t"'
Your committee are grStf6ed to be able to
state; In this connection, that what these able
geologists were taught upon scientific principles
to hope and believe, Is now being fully realized.
A number of new establishments are now sue
cessfpily manufacturing the best qualities OF
and mill iron by the use of raw coal, as
dug from the mines for huxing and thus geatly
the cost Of production, and securing
TO our locality new element, nOtlonly Of sue
eessful competition but of permanent adyan-
tage over any other mineral regions Furnaces
may, underline anspices of this new discovery
be constructed right by the side ofthe machine
~ that ls TO carry the raw material to its nit-
mate value, by the addition of skilled labOr9d.
The committee also present hets with regard
10 costs of living, and on other points, which 60
10 make very strong wing for that location.
III the location Of the new 'peniteutiary at
Portsmouth would hasten the building of the
sciOto Valley Railroad we should unhesltatingly
lrge the Legislature to send II there upon the
showing of thscommlltee. But II the Pepiten.
,Rry Is 10 20 where 1t Is most needed, we cannot
orget our sister city Of GAINESVILLE,
. . i .