Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-02-25

anu destroyed LnaG. Alter the war ne came
back to Chattanooga and rebuilt bis mill,
and it is now in successful operation,
making car axles, bridge bolts, railroad fish
bars, plates and bolts, merchant and bar
iDos, aud light I rail for narrow gauge roads.
He has recently completed four miles of
this light rail for narrow gauge road from
lockwood to the Tennessee river. The
Vulcan Works are monument to the skill,
enterprise and indomitSble energy of s. B.
Lowe. Commencing in 1866, Witha capt.
tai of only $780, 900, be has built up mer-
chant mill superior in all its appurtenances
to any in the South, and surpassed by few
in the country, worth at the least valuation
100000. lie is still adding new machine
r., and while he lives he will never be salts
fed until hs does the biggest business in
the South. ~W &
THos. WEBsTER's FOUNDRY.
The Chattanooga Foundry and Machine
Works, Thos. Webster, proprietor, are
monument TO The enterprise and industry Of
the proprietor, no less worthy Of note than
the Vulcan Works. Mr.. Webster Is one of
the Oldest citizens of Chattanooga, having
lived there about fifteen years. Before be
went to Chattanooga he was employed In
the Nashville and Chattanooga shops in this
| city as Master Mechanic, and if Nashville
had no. at that time offered even less en-
couragement than now to manufacturing
| enterprises, his extensive works might have
been located in this city. After the war Mr..
| Webster renewed his works and was re-
| building an extensive business, when in the
spring of 1867 his foundry and machine
shop were totally destroyed by fire. Scarce
| " had the embers cooled than be set to
work and rebuilt with double his former
capacity. he is now engaged in building.
three upright blast engines, Of 300 horse
power each, with steam cylinders three
| feet in diameter and four feet stroke, and
| blowing cylinders Z feetin diameter. The
bipht of the engines is about 25 feet, and they
each weigh complete nearly 100 tons. One
Of these engines is for the Roane Iron CON-
pany's new furnace, at lockwood, and the
other two are for furnaces on the A. & G.
| r. r., near Birmingham. Mr.. Webster OBJ
! tanned the contract for these engines by
agreeing to do the same quality Of work at
| the same price as they could be obtained for
in any shop in the United States and trans
ported to Chattanooga.
In addition to building these engines he
is doing large amount Of other work. He
has Just completed one of Forbes morti-
cling machines. 1t will be re membered that
| the inventor of this machine had it on ex-
hibilion at the saw mill, of Sutherland &
Co, in Edgefeld, and the Nashville and
-Chsttauooga Railroad shops in this city last
| October, and endeAvored TO get up COM
pany here to 60 into its manufacture. He
| failed in the attempt, IS we are sorry to say
that most men have failed who have tried
to start new manufacturing enterprises in
Nashville, and went to Chattanooga. He
saw Mr.. Webster, observed the capacity of
his work, made his propositions, and in ten
DAYS a company was organized with the
| right to manufacture and sell the machine
in the territory South of the Ohio and West
| of the Potomac rivers. Now the first ma
chloe is nearly completed and will be on
exhibition here at the next Industrial Ex-
position. .--
OTHER IRON NIANUFACToRIEs.
In addition to these large works Chatta-
nooga has several small iron manufactures.
There is the foundry.of Kuhn & Pryor,
who make all kinds of Hollow ware, stoves,
CRATES, ETC., ARCHITECTURAL and mechanical
castings, etc the Lookout Machine Works
of Laird s. Wright who found themselves
| unable to make living at McMinnville and
moved to Chattanooga, where they are
doing well, and building up first rate bus
mess; and the Chattanooga Car Wheel
Foundry which is not low in operation but
will be reopened next summer in all prob
ability. .ss- E.ss e-5-sss.-. q. 50.
1t is not only in the manufacture of iron,
however, that Chattanooga is attracting at
tention. We learn from recent number
of the Times of that city that the Lookout
FIGURING Mills have been recently sold to
]. E. Whitney s. Co, of Atlanta, both
practical millers who have been Ia Atlanta
but became satisfied that TO use the words
of Mr.. Gee, one of the partners, TO the edi-
tor of the Times, ''they could make -four
so cts. cheaper per barrel in Chattanooga
than in Atlanta" The reason of this is
seen in the fact that Chattanooga is one Of
| the leading wheat markets of the State,
some 1900 bushels having been brought
to that city in fat boats in the recent rise
| on the Tennessee river alone, which was
sold at sn average Of s.. 15 per bushel.
| Moreover coal is convenient and cheap.
OTHER INDUSTRIES. ,---
Although it has been shown above Chat
tanooga excels in iron manufactures, she
ia not deficient in other manufactures.
Tie furniture mandatory of Charles
Sunduuist, has been built up since the war
from a very small beginning to one of the
largest in the State. Mr.. Sundquist is
Swede ard as he has recently returned
from a visit TO his native country will no
doubt be instrumental in bringing to Chat
tanoogs many of the better class Of bis
| countrymen who are famous for their il
dustry, intelligence ano sObriety,
There are four or five planning mills,
among which we mention those of Smith
g. Childs', Gillespie & Co., and McArdle &
Co., Loomis g. Bennett and A. Handman
have extensive saw mills and S. II. Win
chester & Co., are now building a very large
one at the foot of Market street.
The total amount of property employed
in manufactures, which pays no taxes, an
ordinance of the city exempting all manu-
factares employing steam from taxation for
city purposes for ten years, Is reported by
the City Assessor at nearly three million
| dollars. Nashville has never deemed it
worth while to offer such inducements.
Judging from results, which has adopted
the Wisest policy, Nashville or Chattanooga
THE FUTURE OF CHATTANOOGA.
What Chattanooga has already accom-
plished has been partially indicated above.
| The same industry, enterprise, go-ahead-
iveness and cheek (for Chattanoogans have
the most cheek of any people in the world,
as was shown by their recent efforts to steal
the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad
shops from Nashville,) which, with suffi'
Gent capital, have made such astonishing
progress in the past six years, will, with
| the ample capital which now seems TO be
flowing to that city, enable it within the
| next decade to become the second, if not
| the first, city of the State. Nashville now
has greater population than Chattanooga,
but take away the capital, and
let our people be dependent upon
their own resources, as Chattanooga, and
how long would it be, with our present lack
of enterprise and Of interest in manufac-
lures, before Chattanooga, with her enter
prise and energy, would completely out
strip Us? q. -s-. y rr
COTTON FACTORY, .."' Oh
We understand that the foundations OF
an extensive cotton factory will be laid at
| Chattanooga as soon IS the weather per-
mits. This factory will employ 200 hands.
| The practical men of the enterprise are two
| Swiss gentlemen who were induced to come
| to Chattanooga by MIR. Joseph Ruohs, him.
sl!f native of Sutherland and one of tie
oldest and most respected citizens of that
city. Among the stockholders is Mr.. j. c.
Warner, OF this city. The capital is $780,
600, bat the company will increase this to
| ar,v dasjrad amount when deemed cess