The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-02-20
Iron in the South.

Following Michigan, Missouri can lay
claims as to the quality of the ore pro-
duced, but in quantity she cannot COM
pete. She is rapidly developing her
iron, and will supply largely the de-
mand for high-grade ores IN the south
and west. Virginia, Kentucky, Tennes-
see, and Alabama all have large depos-
its Of both coal and iron. Virginia and
North Carolina and New York have
large deposits of magnetic oxydes, and
are commanding the attention of manu-
facturers. Both iron and coal were
known to exist in large quantities in
some of the southern states. 1t is
doubtless true that they were not de-
veloped, because the habits of the old
land and slave owners led them to have
no relish for the busy conflict and strife
by which the wealth and power of the
northern states had been SO rapidly ac-
quiFed. Since the close of the war,
however, a change has come over tue
spirit of their dreams looking forwar
to bright future, and capitalists are
invited to invest in both iron and coal
In the different states.
None, SO far as I can see, can compete
with Alabama in producing cheap iron
of good quality. / have In my posses
sion samples of coal and iron of fine
qualities one specimen from lands
owned by d. Thomas & Son, of Penn
sylYania. on Red mountain, near Gun
ningham, Alabama; also some very fine
specimens of what is called needle ore
(which resembles the crystalline or
grape, of Lake Superior), which is said
to contain fifty per cent. metallic iron
comparatively free from impurities.
They are from lands in Jefferson coun-
- l. A IL
Navigation company. This company
own large chartered rights and several
thousand acres of mineral lands, and
propose operating on an extensive scale
It requires about two tons of ore as
mined to work one ton of iron in the
small furnaces of that region, which are
said to be imperfect in their construc-
ton, or much better results might be
obtained. The territory of the Alaba-
ma Coal and Navigation company
counts portions of Black Warrior and
Cahabo coal and iron fields, where may
be found In close proximity coal, iron
and limestone in inexhaustable quanti-
ties. The quality of iron produced is
satisfactory, and rates high in Louisville
and Cincinnati markets. The opening
of navigation up the Black Warrior will
enable them to develop the mineral re-
g1On ana make IL accessible 1Of JDo MIS-
sissippi valley and gulf COAST by cheap
water transit, and will tend to reduce
the cost of both coal and iron to manu-
facturers in that region. Several thou
sand tons of Alabama ore which were
shipped to Louisville and the north in
1873 gave good satisfaction, and this
will help to eqUalize prices by fair com
petition in the future. 1t has shut out
the market for Lake Superior hemetites
in some parts of Southern Indiana and
Ohio and bids for the hard ores to some
extent. The gulf trade in coal and
iron can be entirely supplied from this
region. The utilizing of these vast
mineral resources must be a matter of
value and interest to the near future.
English capitalists are investing in coal
and iron lands in various localities.
There never was a better opp rtunity
than the present. Values have been
much reduced by the great panic the
demand for iron has fallen of, but time
will resuscitate these, and when reac-
tion sets in prices may advance rapidly,
and such opportunities as are now offer
ed to the capitalist and the manufactUr-
er may not occur again in our time.