The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-06-28

From the New York Tribune

/ At the recent meeting Of the Ameri-
can Institute of Mining Engineers in
this city, IL was noticeable feature that
a considerable share the production of
iron in this country. Large, however,
as was this share Of attention. it was not
dispr0pOrtioned to the actual Importance
of the subject as compared with our
elOther great industries. In a speech last
month in Congress, the Hon. w. Ill.
L psOn. of Ohio, placed i'm a striking
light some Of The facts connected with
this subject. Taking up the detailed
statistics furnished by the annual report
OF National Association of Bar Iron
Manufacturers, which show that tho
annual value Of iron manufactured in
,lthis country is $9OO,UO, EO; that the
wages Oi labor engaged upon ii must
lcAcecd $6UO,UOO.OOu, and that the num-
lbcr OF worknen employed in 1t is 94O.-
0UO, Mr.. Cpson proceeded to show that
calculating the consumption of agricuI-
raj products by these workmen and
their families upon a much smaller csti-
mate than that which the figures of the
census establish. it yet amounts to more
than three times the value Of all the
brcndstuf aud grain which we sell
abroad. II is simply putting these fig
ures in another shape to say that, max
ing the usual estimate as 10 the size Of
wOrkmen's families, One-tcnth of the
entire population Of the United States is
dependent upon the production and
manufacture OF iron for support.
In an industry SO extensive and of
such vital interest amy great movement
lof progress becomes OF extreme impOr-
ltance. While the general advance of
iron manufacture in this country has
been very great throughout the districts
where its earlier successes were accom-
Iplished. decidedly the most promising
developments are those which have
originated in new localities. The one
of these which has attracted the most
attention is based upon the supply of
Us hat is known as Block Coal. mined in
indiana. \ paper upon this subject read
before the Institute OF Mining Engineers
ny john ;. Alexander. Of Philadelphia,
OF which u synopsis was given in the
Tribune, elected, we Judge from a re-
port in :hc Engineering and Mining
I Journal. a very lively discussion among
he members of the Institute. in which
liIie merits of block coal in iron manu-
iacturc were compared with those Ot
other fuel. and the Indiana coal certain
lily did not suffer by the comparison.
! Our readers have become somewhat
familiar with this branch of the subject
Through the letters of DR.. J. W. Foster.
'of Chicago. originally addressed 10 the
Tribune. by the exact logic Of indis-
putablc facts and figures. these letters
show that the district known as the
Block Coal Field OF Indiana. which a
series of railroads are now penetrating.
offers advantages for the manufacture OF
iron and Bcssemcr steel that are at least
uot surpassed elsewhere. Tables added
To tho letters. whcl, have recently bcci,
published in pamphlet form, in6icatc
! the rapid progress in iron manufacture
) which has already been made in the
J, Brazil district of Indiana, and justify the
hope that il will continue to increase III
Is great. or even greater. ratio than tina;
Iof Cleveland or ST. Louis. although in
! the former city il rose in five years from
six 10 fifteen million dollars annual pro-
duct. A liberal spirit Of enterprise has
been displayed by Mt least one Of tho
). new railroad companies in this field, in
offering tO manufacturers who will es.
,ablish iron furnaces on the line of ths
road handsome gifts Of land and mining
privileges. The immediate prospect o
building a Bcs scmcr steel works in In
!, LLAMA is also announced: the establish
y tnent will be the tenth in this country
the Others beiug one in New York State
three in Pennsylvania, two in Ohio and
,hrcc in Illinois.
1t were waste OF time to point on
how the farmers OF Indiana must benefi
: 10y the influx Ot manufacturing popu
lation, by having an immense market fo
their products brought TO their very
doors. They will soon realize il in tn
increased prices of farm products and o
farming land. We have only 10 con
gratuiatc them. But not least anon;
\ the agencies which have brought thi
good fortune to Indiana are the pcrse
W. vcring efforts which men Of e,minenc
lin scientific pursuits have made 10 plac
before her citizens and the public
knowledge of the wealth that lies be
meath her soil. Among the names q
II. those 10 whom the State owes lastin
nc debt Of gratitude for this service, that Q
..ee-lDr. Foster has already been mentioned
es, and that Of the State Geologist, Prof. j
I. Cox Of indianapolis, must not
! forgotten while prairics are newly lai
q lout in town lots and the tall chimney
Of manufacturing establishments bcgi
to shadow the plains which already NJ
trembling under the tread Of the iro
=. horse, the harbinger Of prosperity.
~ When Wilson was President OF