The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-11-12

in prices.
| While the mineral resources of tn,
United States, SO far as the usefu
minerals arc concerned, are create
than in any other country in th'
world, and in fact greater than al
other countries CON bined, they ar,
but partially developed. We hav,
the Allegheny Mountain range, that
contains Iron and an abundance o.
coal deposits, and extending from
Pennsylvania to- Alabama, nearly
nineteen hundred miles in length and
one hundred miles in width. Still
farther west in the Rocky Mountains
and Sierra Nevada ranges, and Of
still.groatcr extent are tho great
fields Of the precious metals. Mid
way between these rich deposits is an
incxhaustiblc field of mineral wealth.
OF coal Pennsylvania has ID, 12G
miles. West Virginia $4,000 miles,
Kentucky 13, 700, Tcnncssc 3, 700, Al
ALBANIA 4, 300, Obi, 10000, Indiana
100, Illinois "A, 900. Iowa $4,000
Missouri $1,000. The known work.
able coal area of the United States
is over 200, 900 square miles while the
workable area Of all the world beside
amounts to no moro than &c, 600
square miles. Great Britain with all
her immense power Of production has
less square miles of workable area
than the state Of Kentucky, the ut
most amount being 6l95 square miles.
Upon as grand . basis is the ex-
tent. richness and diffusion If tho
iron orc in the United States, and in
the same districts where these mex
haustiblc coal beds abound. The
most noticeable Of these arc Iron
Mountain, Pilot Knob, and Shepherd
Mountain in Missouri, Sterling Noun
tain in New York, Cornwall in Penn
sylvania, while our Lake Superior
copper is uncquallcd for extent and
richness in the world. .,.#.s n
The iron ores Of Great Britain'are
the mcrcst t,ife when compared to
those of the United States and yet
the rail road and other irons entering
into our consumption arc largely inn
ported from Europe. To enable us
to compete successfully with England
in its production, We only need cheap
capital, and skillful labor. This is
the Iron age, every year increasing
the uses to which it is applied in the
mechanical arts, and other branches
Of industry. Plenty of cheap iron
made in the west where it is used and
needed would do more to develop the
country than any one other thing or
branch of industry could.
In the precious metals the United
States now supply nearly one half the
amount of gold the amount being
$40, 000,0 600 annually and one third
the silver the amount being $50, 600
900 annually. For the ostensiblc
purpose Of cheapening production ana
encouraging its use high tariff Was
laid upon all kinds Of iron, and man
ufacturcrs of iron, early in the adj
ministration Of Mr.. Lincoln. Under
its operation rail road iron that be-
fore cost $55 per tou Immediately ad-
vanced to 1856 per ton, and locomo-
tives and other rolling stock for rail
roads were correspondingly increased
in cost. Indeed every thing entering
into the construction of railroads "a
we'll as oil implements for their con-
struction were enhanced in cost, with
out enhancing the production in the
United States to any apprcciable
amount.
The consequence has been that
railroads have been compelled. to re-
alizc former profits, to advance
freights to correspond with tho cor
responding increase in cost Of con-
struction and operating their roads,.
and whatever theories may DO prcva.
lent, the truth is, every FIVE cents adj
dcd to the cost Of transportation Of
Western products to the place Of con-
sumption, is SO much deducted from
their market value where produced.
All these things should combine to
unite the agriculturalists Of the West
to demand cheaper freights, through
tho medium Of lower tariffs upon iron,
cheaper capital through The increase
Of tho circulating medium Of the
country, and better paid labor through
the consequent higher prices Of its
products.
Below may be found carefully re-
viscd price list of the articles Of
Merchandise aud farm products Of the
country. The reccints nf What -
Milwaukee for tho last week in Octo-
Der was S07. 400 bushels; correspond
ing week in 1868, $50, $50 bushels;
s;neo Iannaru 1860 IL n&l 800 hnsh.