Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-08-08
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Letter from West Virginia.
CHARLESTON, W. Va,
ATGTST 8. 1871.

<A''N u ~ 49, L.
DEAR Observation-Disclosures and
things are beginning to bear the indi-
cation Of business in this place. We
ARE to lave large steel works in our
midst. ""Swift's Steel Works" now
located in Newport, Ky, is to be NOV
ed here. Negotiations were entered
into some weeks ago with Mr.. Swift ;
on the strength of representations Of
the advantages Of this place for MAX
ing iron and steel Mr.. Swift made a
visit and a personal examination and
agreed to acceptan offerof titty-thous-
and dollars bonus which was tender
ed him by our people and remove his
works. Meetings were called, sub
scriptions taken, and the amount rails
ed. At one OF the meetings, MIR:
Swift being present, he was asked
when he would make the removal.
Hisreply was that "the Swift Steel
and Iron Works would be on the way
here in less than three weeks. Now,
this was kind Of snap Judgment on
some subscribers to the bonus who
had supposed that they would not be
called on to fork over the amount of
their subscriptions for several months.
There were some wry faces made but
the subscriptions will be good. MIR.
Swift's works will cover about nine
acres, and he will work one thousand
hands at cost of not less than $780,
600 per month.
The benefits to accrue to this place
on account of the location of these
works here are beginning to be felt
already. A large nail factory will
follow. The company is negotiating
for a site on which to set up their
works. A pump, spoke, hub, wheel
and wagon factory, is also to come.
These factories will undoubtedly be
followed by others, and the business
future of Charleston is looking decid-
edly bright. The great misfortune
that | see in the whole matter is the
fact that your correspondent does not
own fifteen or twenty acres Of land in
the center of the town to be benefited
by great manufacturers. By the way,
real estate is taking tremendous
leap upward Tin price | mean) since
the settlement of the location of the
works.
The fine rains which we have been
having for the last two weeks have
given us fine boat stage in our river
which is taken advantage ofby the coal
and salt shippers. Large shipments
Of both Of these articles have been and
are still being made The shipments
of coal from this vally are steadily
growing larger. Salt is made and shipp-
ed by the thousands of barrels, the ca
pacity of one furnace being over five
thousand barrels per month. This salt
has long standing reputation and is
used exclusively by the western pork
packers. Until within the last few
years the salt furnaces were the great
and only source of wealth in this vally.
Including owners, managers, superin-
tendents, laborers, coal diggers, hoop
pole Graders and barrel makers, &C.,
the branches of salt making employ
the major portion of the people.
Our mineral lands still continue to
excite the interest Of European cap
italist,s some of whom, from personal
examinations of the lands, make extern
sive purchases. Counts and viscounts,
,marquises and knights, are not an un-
common sight on our streets. We are
SO close to the fashionable watering
place the White Sulphur Springs
that these gentlemen who are proud
q that some remote member Of their an
ocestry did something and that they
do nothing visit us frequently
Some of them, however, are interested
inlarge tracts of mineral lands in the
neighboring counties, and come on that
business. G. l.. B.
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