Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-01-30
For the Yorkvllle Enquirer.
THE KINGS MOUNTAIN IRON WORKS.

The re0pcning and working of the Kings
Mountain Iron Works, and the further devel
opment of the untold wealth now locked in
this property, is an enterprise already attract
ing the attention of capitalists and an enter
prise too, which with proper management
would prove to be safe and profitable in
vestment
This property is situated on Broad river
South Carolina, Immediately on the Richmond
and Atlantic Airline railroad, and is, per-
haps, the most valuable of the kind in the
southern country. The great variety and
the high class of its ores, so happily blended
gave to the iron manufactured at the Kings
Mountain Works the excellence of quality SO
universally credited to it. The superiority Of
this iron to all others manufactured in the
sections that found the same markets, is attes.
ted by every one familiar with the irons Of
this country. The quality of the Kings
Mountain iron was so much superior to all
others in the market, that it commanded a
higher price, with orders at all times in ad.
vance of the productive capacity of the works
and the suspension of operations has been a
loss seriously felt by every person requiring a
high grade of iron.
This property embraces many thousands OF
acres of land, valuable water.power, and i'm
mense beds Of ore, in such great variety as to
produce the high class of iron for which it has
ever been 80 famous. Thirty years working Of
the mines did little more toward affecting the
rich and heavy deposits of ore than to make a
surface opening, more fully developing the ex-
tent and magnitude of the EMBEDDED wealth,
than taxing it to supply the constant and in
creasing demand for the manufactured article.
As above stated, these ore-beds lie imme'
diately on the railroad, to an extent of three
miles. The old works on the river are about
four miles from the railroad, and the furnace
on Kings creek about three miles. The tim.
ber for fuel, ready for use, comprises about
one.half of the wood-land-a second growth
of from thirty to twenty years. The remain.
ing woodland will, in few years, bear a crop
ready for the axe. The value of the iron
mines, however, is not dependent upon the
wood supply on the lands which have, up to
this time, furnished the motive power to their
value. The railroad brings into requisition
the immense bodies of woodland on each side
of it for twenty miles, which, for quantity and
quality, adapted to the purpose in question,
cannot be excelled. This vast extend of tim
ber is at the command of the future iron man
ufacturer at triAing expense and the land
owner will be we'll repaid to have it removed
free of cost.
The railroad gives value to the iron mines
and woodlands, and the mines and lands will
give remunerative employment to the road
The original manufacture Of iron at these
works required in the wagoning of ores, an
average distance of three miles, and coal and
fuel five miles. The iron, when made, was
delivered by wagons distance Of from twenty
to one hundred miles and sold readily for Al
and cents per pound. By the aid of the
railroad, the ores and fuel can be collected at
cost comparatively small, while the iron can
be readily sold at the works for 7 cents a
pound, to say nothing Of the facilities the rail-
road presents in seeking distant markets.
That this property will be worked exten,
sively, the writer has no doubt, feeling conf
dent that such resources, so rich in the ele'
ments of wealth, will not be suffered to lie
much longer dormant. Y.