The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-12-25
Making Iron at the South, and
at Pittsburgh and Wheeling.

iFUm the Pittsburgh ManuiIciuref Of yesterday !
There are two things that will surely
impede the progress Of iron making in
the South and bring it into disrepute un.
less they are stopped, and those are, first,
estimates Of cost that arc imperfect, in.
complete and consequently unreliable,
and secondly, unfair and unjust compar.
isOns Of the cost OF making iron in the
South with other localities. We do not
say that all the estimates We have seen
are imperfect and incomplete, or that all
comparisons are unfair, but We do say
that they are all Of these too often. The
cost Of a ton Of pig iron IL something be.
side the cost OF labor and materials that
enter into il. Salaries, inCidentals, wear
and tear, interest, repairs, are all legit.
innate part OF the cost, and as much n
part as labor or ore; and il the iron has
got to go to certain markets TO compete
with other iron, the cost Of Transports.
tion, brokerage, weighing, II sand pig,
the loss Of sandage by handling, and
storage, must all be added, that IL ii the
question OF ability 10 compete with other
furnaces il the object aimed at in the esti.
mates, For example, all these items
must enter in comparison with Pitts.
butgh. II they do not it is not fair.
Pittsburgh irons are marketed at home.
Twenty TO thirty cents per ton will place
the iron from any Of our furnaces at the
mila The item OF transportation which
would in the Southern iron be on pig, has
already been included in the cost OF the
Pittsburgh pig az transportation on ore,
coal, etc.
Now a. to comparisons between the
cost Of making iron in the South and at
other points. II il doubtless true that II
only labor and materials are included
that the furnaces Of the South can make
iron cheaper than some furnaces North
and West. But there are furnaces in
Pennsylvania,wher the furnace mines it,
own ore and coal, that can make iron at
u cost for labor and materials as cheap "a
any furnace South. We do not say that
all or even that many can do
this, but we do say that there
are furnaces, and not insignificant
ones either, that can and do do this. Now
We have yet TO see a comparison between
the southern furnaces and furnaces ofihis
clasa, nor would il be fair az they are not
the average furnaces. Nor Ia it fair, IA il
often done, 10 make comparisons between
southern furnaces situated az these nor.
thern ones are, and those at which the
cost IL far above the average. In com.
PARSONS between the two regions |. would
be only fair to take the average Of fur.
nacea, or, II the most fayofably situated
one in the South il taken, then take its
FELLOW az 10 situation North.
But this Is not the worst feature Of these
comparisons. Within a few weeks we
have received a southern journal with
long communication regarding thi' sub.
jet, in which the cost Of iron in this sec.
ton skirmishes around $50. This was an
article, be II remembered, written within
very few weeks. Nov when we paid
Si2 TO SIS per ton for ore and we're get.
ting from $40 to $50 per ton for pig iron
it did cost $50 and more, but when ore
only costs 81 30 and iron il selling for
$40 50a23 an article written at this time
should certainly not put the COT at 81
above the selling price.
There il another point also that should
b be taken into consideration in these esti.
mates. The cost Of manufacturing at the
South is comparatively nearer the mini.
naHm than at the North. The cost Of ore
tor example to southern furnaces now in
blast cannot he much reduced. The cost
TO our Pittsburgh furnaces probably will
be less next year il this state Of affairs
continues. The contracts for charters at
a high price is one thing that has KEEP;
lake ore up. Some OF these have expired
and others will at close Of navigation.
This will make from 81 to 90 difference
ona ton Of pig, and then there are ores in
the heighbofhood Of Pittsburgh tina, will
be largely used at no distant iay.
Our intention in this article il not to
belittle the facilities Of the South for the
cheap manufacture Of pig but to insis.
that comparisons and estimates shall be
iait, and to point out some cases in which
they are not. mao
4 DEBATING society has been organized
in Wellsbutg. The present question for
discussion il thot 81 thn p;bio l. a.