The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-08-27
Editorial Correspondence.
ALLATooNA, Ga, Aug. %,

located in Barlow County, on the line OF the
State Road, in the centre of good farming
region. and surrounded by mineral wealth OF
untold capacity. The present year has not
been entirely favorable for the farming COM
munitv, as the heavy freshets in the early
spring retarded operations to great extent
and good stands of corn and cotton were not
obtained until late in the season. A few weeks
ago. however, the prospect was exceedingly
fine when drought set in and has continued
IN to the present time. Good rains were IN
sight Yesterday afternoon, and many sections
were relieved thereby, but only slight shower
fell here to freshen the wilted and suffering
cotton. One of the finest fields OF cotton
have seen this year is just across the road,
and there is no doubt that the drought has in
iured this field twenty-five per cent. These
facts serve to show the ups and downs OF
farmers life, and it is no wonder that many
are so easily discouraged and disheartened
when disaster overtaSes their crops.
The mineral resources Of this region are yet
undeveloped for the most part, but consldera-
Bile business in ircn has been built up in this VI
cinity. The Barlow Iron Works are located
within two miles of this place, and form an
interesting feature to persons unaccustomed to
such enterprises. The large number of opera
tiyes are domicled in neat cottages, making
quite village around the works. In company
with a friend. visited the premises one night
last week, to witness the operation of the fur
naces, which are kept in full blast the entire
twenty-four hours. Two sets of hands are en-
ployed, working twelve hours each, and
s'run" is made every eight hours. The time
selected by US included o'clock at night
when the metal is drawn from the furnace and
properly moulded for shipment. The iron ore
is brought from al adjacent hill by narrow
gauge railroad, and a supply OF water is OBJ
tained through pipes from an elegant spring on
another hill. We did not ascertain the exact
use of so much water where it was desirable
to keep everything in a full blaze and unlnter-
rupted fame of fire, beyond the fact that
monster engine propelled the huge machinery,
but this alone does not afford al explanation
of the immense supply Of water. A glance at
the hands when at work, however, suggested
the idea that it would require sundry ablutions
for them to appear in their natural color, Tor
the white men are made black, and the black
men are made several degrees blacker. Pro-
portionate parts of iron ore, coal and lime rock
are weighed and mixed, and then transported
by an elevator some thirty feet to platform
at the mouth of the furnace, and every fifteen
minutes q "charge" is dumped into the huge
receptacle, an enormous valve is opened, and
this combination goes down into the awful
vortex to be converted into pig. The lime
rock is used to separate the dross from the
pure ore, and the coal is to generate sufficient
heat to melt the obdurate metal. As before
intimated, this process continues for eight
hours, when the metal is drawn OIL and con-
yerted into suitable sized bars for shipment.
The dross is removed, and then plug IS driven
out of the furnace at the bottom, when the
melted and purified ore glides away into the
moulds already prepared in the sand, and soon
becomes mass of liquid flame, seething and
sputtering, reminding one of a picture of the
internal regions, drawn by an earnest believer
in the actual s'6re and birthstone doctrine.
This rapid method of transmitting the crude
ore into the rough metal is one of the many
wonderful achievements of mans genius, and
the facilities in this business are constantly
improving, because the iron interest is fast be-
coming paramount to all other industrial occu-
patons, except farming since there seems no
end to railroads and improved machinery re-
curing iron for its construction. We were
amply repaid for the visit to the Barlow Iron
Works, which Was the pioneer among the fur
naces of Cherokee Georg ia, if / am not mis-
taken, and is now paying a handsome profit to
the stockholders.
It has been my fortune to make a short Sc
iourn in the city Of Rome, among kind relatives
and friends, ard which has enhanced an al
ready strong appreciation OF that thriving and
hospitable place. The iron and manufacturing
interests of Rome suffered severely by the
panic but there is an energy and perseverance
among the people which will surmount every
Temporary barrier, and ultimately secure for
that city an enyiable position among the grow
ing places of the South. The railroad tacii-
ties are already good, and others are projected
which will one day be built. BESIDES, the
water transportation now adds much to the
business of Rome, and Congress has recently
made an appropriation to further the navisa-
ton of the Oostenaula River, which unlte>
with the Etowah and forms the Coosa just be-
Bow the city.
Among the notable enterprises in Rome,
stranger is impressed with the magnificent
water works, which furnish an abundance Of
water for every want of man, and renders the
town comparatively safe in time of fire. In