Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-11-23
PENNSYLVANIA IRON.
Activity Of the Trade - Great Demand for
Iron Product - Description Of the Busi-
ness.

in the annals Of It's history. The traveller
having occasion to pass through the val
leys Of Eastern p Pennsylvania cannot fail
to note the wonderful business being done.
Through these great belts of coal, iron
ore and limestone country Is where at
least three-fourths of our iron is manuiac-
tured. Upon the tracts owned by the
well-to-do people In that section irOn-ore
is found in one field and limestone 10 an
other. Along the mountain sides adjOin-
ing the premises they mine coal, aud
rushing down from the hill tops is large
stream of water. A railroad tinds its way
along the borders, and for pastlme, these
Pennsylvanians build furnares, and along
with their usual crops Of wheat, oats and
corn they turn ont pig-iron, by way of va
! liety, at the rate of one or two hundred
tons per day Wise farmers, these iron
agriculturists
Through the Lehigh Valley the manu-
facture has grown TO stupendous propOr-
tious, In The Lebanon aud Schuylkil
valleys is made the bulk of all the iron
produced in Pennsy ylvania. Three or iour
months ago pig-lron was worth all the
way from twenty-five to thirty dollars
ton. Now the same iron commands any
where from fifty-four to sixty four dollars
The demand is far greater than the
supply, and IN conse nee of this the
many forges hid away along the streams
and railways of these particular sections
If the State, are roaring, and blowlug,apd
smelling, and moulding bars of pig-iron
night and day to their fullest caIacities.
When England shipped iron TO this
country our resources were able to supply
about -sevenIenths of our natural demand.
Now, England ships no iron TO this
country, our natural demand is very
nearly double that of Il year ago, so readily
can be seen the immense trade In prospect,
when the fact is considered that our ca
pacity has not at all been enlarged prior
to few months. A common expression
now In use throughout the various sections
| have Travelled is ''a furnace for every
five miles" In the iron ore and limestone
country, furnaces are rapidly going up.
Millions OF dollars of capital are being in-
vested in the extension and development
OF this branch of Pennsylvania resources.
Pig-iron can be produced at an average
first cost of from sl3 to Sl7 per ton, ac
cQrdipg to the location. aud s.eonxeniences
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fhentioned Henry 3. EciScH, of Reading,
Penn. MIR. Eckcrt stands among the most
experienced iron men of the common
wealth, and. thinking to gain additional
facts in d. tail, YOUR cOrresp mde 4 Diet r
mined to call upon him. Proce ding tC
his clcgaI residence, situated upon Iul
manding height, overlooking the beautilu
capital of old Berks, Mr.. Eckert was
found to be Mt home, and your representa-
tive was usher,d into his presence and No
, a most cordial reception, After comp l.
., menting him upon the success Of his ptty
I in P,nusylyania, and indugiug in som,
Introductory conversation, your correspon
dent veutured the following, which wa
-ucccs>iul in giving start to the appended
=, conversation.
y Corrcspandent-I have called il palticl
: lar, Mr.. Z ;kcrt, to ascertain your reason
- for this Tremendous cOmmution in the irol
a world.
u This had an effect similar to the expo
n sion Of IA homb-sholl in camp of Iay
1t recruits It was quite unexpected, and
for time, the interviewed INDUCED in
!, series of evasiye answers very difficult q
comprehension, and not at all sutisiaclur
to the intery ever. After few more in
direct interrogatorics, MIR. Eckert replied
] .tI t. fhuf fbfa
try has been suddeAly left to its Ow
/, iesources, England having disccntinuel
- shipping pig metal to this country altC
e gclncr."
!, Corrcspondent-How may this he az
n. counted for
is Mr.. Eckcrt-There are a great man
or reasons given; but presume the principe
one is they cannot afford to cOnsign iro
to America US things ut prestn Mt exist. Til
ron-ore mines of England are old and we
worn. In the cheap times of the Kilt
III dom, ore was plenty, and labor was to
~ had at very little cost. Now, the opposi
" is the case. Native ore is extremely rar
le and labor is Cnly TO be had at advance
Ut rates. England receives most of its iIc
lu ore from Spain. BY the time II reach
ny English furnaces and Is smclted by Eu
ch lish labor the first cost of the material
IlNulftl lAA A'' i'Ni -NhAs "NSfS -
original cost Of produce.
Cor-What is the average cost OF ire
in England
Mr. E.-I think II is fully MS much If n
ca more than it is in this country. At ol
lie time the Eng ish smelted ore and produc
a9 iron at about $40 or Sll | er ton; now I
ID cost may reach as high as SIS or $50.
&c Cor.-Could not England compete wi
.et America at that rate of first cost
~ MIR. E.-Oh, yes but England has 4
as sufficient iron for her own consumptio
an Il is not generally known, but for the fiji
" time in the history Of this country Ameri
llgI has shipped lion to England W
~ advantage.
.lln demand for iron across the watcrl
lc) Mr. E.-rhe increased demand is
on more than the natural result of the la
of trade. The Prussian war, extensi
and development of new railway lints,a
the II stocking and re-railing Of old lin
oy- have been the direct means of hringi
the about this increased demand.
the Cor-IIow stands the mattern AmenC
on, Mr.. Every nearly the same. The
ted of new railroads has apparently just set
the All over the country the iron bands
cen being spiked to the sills. The people
eds nearly tVery State are watching the !
ing gress of one or Two Important RAW
AT highways among them. New manu-
red, turing companies are daily being or
nlt- nized; ci les are being built every fl
me- night trade in all directions is increasl
manufactured iron is gradually finding
cof- way into everything, and supplant
heir wood and stone; but above all these,
ing old railway lines are becoming worn,
nci- new tracks and accomplishments are go
last down. We are producing iion of the '
iged best quality; steel rails can be mad'
his the United States of the finest quality,
ac- and ] see 10 reason now why the
ged, trade should not continue in its deve
N ment until the capacities of the State
ken been doubled. AS to our supply of OF
v Of Is as unlimited as the coal fields of Sch
they kill and Lehgh. In nearly every S
that new veins are being developed, ant
re- almost every case an accompanying
film. covery of coal is announced. The Il
,eas- of furnaces will eventually find its Wa
Western Virginia, thence to Texas,
erse in time we may look to the Tcrrltorl'
avn the Great West for our most valuable
and metal. As England's produce deere
lou- ours will increase, and the day will ey
-ntlv ually come when America will far
man. that county fully one-half Of its consu
ecta- lion. At this point Mr.. Eckeit was