The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-01-30
HAMDEN, Jan. %, 1878.

We take the following from an article
in the last number of the PhrenoLogicaL
Journal 1t is of special interest to the
people of jackson county at all times,
and more particularly SO at this time:
The progress of iron industry in the
United States has never been, in so -four
ishing a condition as at the present day.
In Pennsylvania more iron is now pro-
duced than by all the combined furna-
ces of England and the Contin9nt of Eu-
rope and yet the demand is far greater
than the supply. 1t is stated that in the
valleys of Eastern Pennsylvania there
averages a furnace for every five miles,
and still millions of dollars are being in
vested in further extension and develop
ment of the iron industry. All the iron
workers are reaping golden harvests. Pig
iron can be produced at an average first
cost of from $13 to SIT per ton, according
to location and Oonveniences at hand. "A
clear profit of from $35 to $45 per ton is
made, and when the produce ranges from
one to two hundred tons per day, the ag-
gregate gain of days business can be
readily calculated. This very encourage
ing state of affairs is considered to be due
in part to the fact of the country being
thrown upon its own resources, England
having discontinued shipping pig metal
hither altogether, because under the
present state of the market in Europe,
she can not afford to do so. In the cheap
times of the Kingdom, ore was plentiful
and labor was to be had at very little
cost. Now the mines are old and well
worn native ore is rare and labor at adj
vanced rates. so that Spanish ore is i'm
ported, which, by the time it reaches
English furnaces and is smelted by Eng
lish labor, is advanced fully 100 per cent.
over the first cost Of produce. One OF
the most prominent operators in Penn
sylvania publishes the information that
for the first time in the history of this
country, America has shipped iron to
England with advantage.
Our supply of ore is unlimited. In
nearly every State new veins are being
developed, and in almost every case an
accompanying discovery of coal is an
nounced. The track of furnaces will
eventually find its way to Western Vir-
ginia, thence to Texas, and in time we
may look to the Territories of the great
West for our valuable pig metal. Proba-
bly, the largest iron ore beds in the world
are in Wyoming Territory, which are not
yet touched. This years produce of iron,
there is every reason to believe, will ex-
ceed that of last year by fully million
tons, and it the producing capacities con-
tlnue IN ike proportion with the present
increase, the following years will swell
the figure by two or three millions more.
1t is stated on the authority of recent
statistical reports that the annual value
of iron manufactured in this country is
0O,000.000; the wages of labor engaged
upon it must exceed $4,000 0000; and
the number of workmen employed in it
is 100000 Allowing the usual average
of members to the workmen's families,
one-tenth of the entire population of the
United States may be said to be depend
ent upon the production and manufac-
ture Of iron for support.
We shall not only build our railway
tracks of iron, we shall yet build our cars.
carriages, all ships, and even our dwell
ing-houses in great part of iron. so that
BILE material than now.