Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-09-19
Trade and Business.

The railroad shops at Altoona, Pa, now
employ $500 men, and are building 500
freight and 20 passenger cars for the Penn
sylvania railroad.
The jewelry manufacturers Of Providence
Il. l., are entering upon a season that prom
ises unusual activity and prosperity. Their
orders are coming in very heavily.
Several of the factories at Meriden are un-
usually busy for this time of the year. The
Mcriden flint glass works are not able to fill
at the usual time on that account.
An English manufacturer has lately been
prospecting along the line of the Hudson
river for the site of linen mill, which it is
proposed to remove from England, and which
will employ 1000 hands.
1t is estimated that the amount of new rail-
road track which has been laid in the West
ern States alone, since the first of January.
has been more than n thousand miles, and
the aggregate for the remainder of the year
will be far greater.
The Chicago daily papers of Saturday and
Sunday, August 10th and 18th, had over five
hundred advertisements from parties want
ing to engage help of various kinds, and less
than one hundred and fifty in the same issues
from persons seeking employment.
A very encouraging feature of American
trade, is the rapid increase in American
chemical manufactures, not a single pound
being imported last year, while six years ago
we imported from France alone 5000, 200
pounds of cream of tartar annually. France
and England formerly sent us annually
| 100000 pounds of tartaIic acid, while tn,
importation for the last fiscal year was 1873
pounds. England formerly had our market
for clric acid to the extent of 250, 900 pounds
annually, at the rate of Sl.30 per pound,
while last year 27,0lS pounds were imported
and sold at the same price as the American
arlicle--57 cents per pound. Borax was for
merly brought from England at the rate OF
from GOO, 900 to 1000, 900 pounds every year
But, owing to the development of borax
mines in Nevada, this importation has large
ly fallen off, and the report for the last fiscal
year showed only 3,492 pounds.
Secretary Swank of the American Iron ami
Steel Association is reported as saying 'Ther,
will be more iron and steel turned out in tn,
United States this year than in any one year
in the annals Of the country. When speah
OF iron and steel | embrace categoricall,
more rails, more bar iron more plate an,
sheet iron, mole pig iron, more Bessem.l
,teel, and more crucible steel. What is bet
ter, this large production is in answer to the
demand, and manufacturers are not as il
many past years. riling up stocks in order
keep the furnaces in blast. Prices have no
advanced to any considerable extent. We
they are from 10 to 10 per cent. higher thal
last fall, when figures were lower than evei
before in this country. Our present condi
ton is decidedly encouraged" As to the fu
ture, he propheses that the present activit,
all branches Of the iron and steel trad
will continue for at least year to come. an,
draws attention to the fact that nearly all tn,
tavorably situated rolling mills Throughout
the country are in operation, and many u.
them have orders ahead for several months