The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-08-07

Ue auuuCeu VI lIlc WlSuOLu anu SIaueSllan-
ship of the policy which has effected such
consummations than the facts we have col
lated and presented.
---< s----
Activity in the Iron Trade.
The most gratifying evidences OF an up
ward bound in business come to us from
nearly every section OF the Union, except
the poor plague.stricken South. The best
index of the business prosperity of the
country at this day is the condition of the
iron interests. The time was when cotton
was king, but the sceptre has passed from
the plantation, and the smoke of the forge
now shows the seat Of power.
In report from a correspondent of the
New York Times, writing from Cincinnati,
under date of August 1st, it is shown that
most marked improvement has taken place
in the iron trade within the past sixty days.
Iron merchants, fnrnacemen and manufac-
turers, without a single exception, tell OF a
healthiul advance in prices and a great in
crease of orders. Furnaces that have laid
mills are running night and day in some To-
calities in others they are running twelve
hours and the men are paid one and one
fifth days. wages. In every department Of
iron industry good feeling prevails. Deal
ers agree that the advance in prices is fully
established. A leading Cincinnati firm re-
ports larger sales for July than for any pre-
ceding three months in the history of their
| business. They say there is a scarcity of
iron liz the market. Every manufacturer
of railroad supplies has more orders than he
can fill, aud some of the rail mills are sold
ahead for a year. Another encouraging
feature is that they now have volunteer or
ders, while heretofore they have had to
is the number of cash buyers, great many
dscounting their notes, instead of giving
notes.
The effect OF this upward tendency on the
iron interests of Virginia and West Virginia
will be encouraging indeed. The shipment
from these sections is already large, but ere
another month it will be immense. Almost
all of the Ohio mills will look to the Vir-
ginias for their supplies, and with such a
demand, we may expect new prosperity.
Entering more into detail, the Times corr
respondent gives the following report from
the various iron manufactures
Swift's rolling mill has been obliged to re-
| fuse orders for rails at advanced rates. It is
| ar irhf nd daxr hI1fi c
ders. All the mills, they say, have sent out
circulars advancing prices. Mittabell, Trau-
lor q Co.'S mill is six weeks behind with or
ders and running double time. The Globe
Rolling Mill people report similar state of
affairs. They think the advance in prices is
permanent and will soon go further. The
leading furnace at Gore, in the Hooking VAL
ley district, makes this report; s'There is a
scarcity OF nearly all grades OF iron in this
district. Especially is this so as regards the
higher grades of foundry iron and gray forge.
There has been an advance sustained of 81
per ton in some grades of iron since last re-
port. There is no disposition shown by fur
nace-men to make any concessions or force
sales. Scarcely any iron is being sold for
future delivery, although consumers are dis
| posed to place orders for the remainder of
| the year at ruling prices. Shall labor more
| than absorb the profits to accrue from the
| advanced prices is the all absorbing question
now.
From the Hanging Rock region, the Bur-
CESS Steel and Iron Works at Portsmouth re-
port the busiest Summer since 1878, with
working force Of IT'S to 200 men, and the
mill running day and night. Their present
orders will keep them behind for four months
to come. Prices, they say, for agricultural
and other steels, have not reached the rea
1 III oe 1faa
ening tendency is well marked. Fall buyers
will hardly fare as well as those who have al
ready made their contracts. At Ironton in
the Hanging Rock region, there Is great &C.
tivity.
Mr.. e. McMillen, Superintendent OF the
Lawrence Iron Works, did not want the
newspapers to give the iron trade too much
| of notice that would start all the mills in
the country and reduce prices again. lie
preferred steady, slow advance. There is
no question, he said, that there was a solid
advance of 50 per ton on manufactured iron
during the month Of July. Pig-iron has
gone up on an average about dollar per ton
in this locality. The demand is better than
Mr.. McMillen ever knew it. His firm are
running full set of hands. and all of their
finishing departments nIgnt and day con-
SANITY. A large part Of their trade is in the
South, and it is barely posi- bic that the yell
low fever may interfere.
A report from the New-Albany district, at
the Falls of the Ohio, says: "All the mills and
foundries are all full of orders, and are rum
ming full force of employees. A profitable
advance in the prices of merchant iron has
been established, and the product of all the
rolling mills has been increased to their full
capacity" The railroad-spitse machines of
the Ohio Falls Iron Works, WHICH had lain
/ idle for two years from low prices and lack
of demand, have recently been put into OPP
| Grafton, with large orders ahead, and a fair
margin on the profit side. The rail mill
with large orders, will be obliged to .sblow
in" on it's pudding furnaces on account of
the scarcity of old rails end the increasing de-
mands consequent upon the construction of
new lines of road and the relaying of the
tracks of old lines, necessarily run down by
| the pressure of the panic of the five years
preceding 1879. This will make an increased
! demand for, and an advance in, the
price of pig.iron, and it is believed that with
10 the NEXT three months every iron furnace
in Indiana villa be in full blast.
The Southern spondentof the IronAge
at Chattanooga, Tenn, reports the present
condition of the iron trade ia shs Southern
district as quiet and firm. An advance Of
about-&2 per ton has been fully established
| oihC0 1hC CSsu Va ViiS yN"A' AAAos coApo1
nuts, spikes, splices, and other articles of
manufactured iron have improved both in
price and demand, the prices being fully 4
per cent higher than on Jan. l. The mills
are all running, anG are full of orders, and
not anxious to book at present quotations.
Every furnace IN the district is SOLD ahead for
from two to four months, and movements are
on foot looking to blowing ip'' several fur
naces soon.
From the Pittsburg district similar re-
port comes. Instances are cited in which
the operations of mills are delayed by diff
Guilty in obtaining certain grades of metal
which are largely sold ahead. Bessemer
steel is very active. The works at Plttsburg
have sold up to their capacity for the rest Of
the year, at prices that villa net them 100000
profit for 1879. The Merchants Steel Mills
are well filled with orders and prices are firm.
The recent advance in railway iron and
spikes is also prominent feature of the sit
uation. Leading manufacturers look for
heavy increase in the Fall trade. The only
quarter from which danger is to be feared
they say, is that the advance in nig-iron may