Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-02-25
THE IRON

In view of the movement on foot
here, to build m extensive hot blast
furnace, and believing that such n
movement may be materially aided,
thereby, we reproduce the able let
ter of MIR. Geo. I. Lewis, to the Pres
ident of the Montgomery Farmers
Club, dated April 10Th, 1870. This
letter embodies facts and arguments
that must carry conviction to the
minds of all inquirers into cost and
profits of iron manufacture in this
immediate locality; the quality and
supply of the ore. 1t also proves, by
undisputed estimates that iron, of a
superior quality to that made in 9TH
er States north of ns, costs ten dollars
per ton less than in Ohio, Indiana
and Pennsylvania. Bat we will
leave the letter to speak for itself:
C~LAResvILLE, April II, 1870.
j. b. Eiycbrep, Esq, President c( .Nonf0om-
cry TURNER'S Cub:
DEAN SIR: You have undertaken to
make known, as / learn, some of the re-
sources of this section of the State, with
The view of attracting hitler, those from
the sterile lands and frlgid climate of the
North and East, who may be seeking
homes In the Southwest. In an enterprise
so laudablc every II called upon should
contribute what he can therefore, | cheer
fully add my mite upOn the
IRoN TER OF THE VALLEY OF THE
CUMBERLAND.
You are aware, sir, hat from the time n
test was made by the Funklin Institute,
of Philadelphia, In lSi2. when Tennessee
Iron was pronounced equal To the iron of
sweden, in ductility," to h present. it
has had II reputation superior TO all other
makes in America.
Through the foresight and enterprise of
samuel ana John Stacker, of Lafayette
Furnace, in this county, the making OF
su~gar-kettles for the Louisiana market was
commenced in 1925. At that day all the
kettles used by tho sugar planters, of that
state, were made in Scotland; and the i'm
preston was, hat Scotland the only
country that could produce kettles of sur
| Htltnl ht1tlRln W WlllNldlli lllt IN pun
sion and contraction they were so FREE
quently subjected to, during the boiling
season. But aftcra time, Tennessee meta
the product of our county, triumphed 1t,
superiority was acknowledged, and the
kettles made in Scotland, as well MS those
made In Pennsylvania, were no Longer
sought after. The Tennessee kettle, now
made by Woods, Ycatman a Co, in Stew
art county, is yet considered superior I,
all Others.
Through Icatnipn, Woods & CO., hon
orel pioneers in the manufacture of ba
and boiler plato iron, in the valley of tn
Cumberland, Tennessee iron Inns becum
celebrated for its toughnesS and strength
and has maintained its superiority 70
nearly forty years in southern market,
I'm competition with Swedish iron. 1t is NJ
out of place here, Ia remark that, althoug'
there have been many casualties. result
r ing in the destruction of thousands of live
f by the explosion of boilers upon wcster
and southern steamboats,, yet, sir, not on
, boiler made of Tennessee iron has eve
I exploded,
Before the war, there were I'm operatio
= On the Cumberland river. twenty furnace
/ ten FORCES aud two rolling mills. producin
A annually 5000 tom of pig metal, 100
tons of blooms, nnd 5000 tons of bar n ,
u boiler plate iron, the value Of which Nj
81 $4,000; capital Invested, 81 | ,OOO; me
employed, 3,S1 No branch of industr
, suffered so much in this vicinity, duriu
the war, as the iron business. Many
I the works in good condition then, are no
G Idle. AMI rapidly falling into decay; h,
q the rich beds OF hematite ore and CNtel
Sive forests of timber, which abound
this valley, must attract capitalists M
u practical men, so soon as they learn a
fact that irou can he modo here niue
@ cheaper than I'm Pennsylvania, Ohio an
Indiana For example, the cnst of col
blast charcoal metal IN the States nam,
Is about 10 per ton; the cost Of making
y on this river Is $50 perton.
|Stone-coal pig iron Is madoat PittSburp
alta cost OF so 20 per ton, VIZ;
A ~ tons Lake superior Ore, co per
q at sll SIG
Y 50 bushels Of coke nt c..,...,,....... 8
a ton of limestone, NJ - J0....u.......
Suporintcndence aud lnhpr per ton, 4
4 cost OF carrying u months stock Of
ore per tor....,.,, ,..,...... ...,..,...,. ....,.
= Interest on Investment pes ton--,-...
- repairs. .s-',t.,,.r' .,''..',.,,.. ...,.,,',..,.,
lnciuNnihlS ..,t.. -rt..-. ss.nr..,.. ...s....,s..s
sa
> \ hr'tcr grade eft metal cGu De mpde