Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-12-01
A WONDERFUL COUNTRY.

New YORK. Nov. G.-At the first
annual meeting of the American So
ciety of Mechanical Engineers, Prot.
Thurston delivered the address.
Much, he said, remains to be done
by the general government in the de-
velyoment of the resources OF TINS
country. The new organization OF the
geological survey is such in form and
in the character of its administration
that we hope to see the work OF deter
mining the value of our mlneralre sour
ces done with maximum rapidlty and
efficiency. In tracing the progress IN
the various departments OF American
industries, be said that ninety years
ago Samuel A. Slator started the hrst
successful cotton spinning mill at Paw
tucket, r. l. To-day we raise l.5OO, OO0-
900 pounds Of cotton to supply mills
in every New England State and near
ly every other State in the Union,
which manufacture $500, ,000, 900 wor n
of goods
From the day in 1894, when the
first rude wooden mill was established
at Newbury, Mass, our woolen manu-
factures have grown in extent and in
excellence OF product, until to-day our
$4,000 or $4,000 sets of machinery,
handled by nearly 100, 600 of the most
skilful operatives to be found in the
world, produce $250,0O0,0 900 worth Of
goods, which in point of cheapness and
excellence compete with the best in the
world
We have seen the silk manufacturer,
after struggling with difficulties OF
every imaginable sort for half century
finally secure a foothold and enter up
on period of prosperity which is as
marvellous as it is encouraging The
enterprise of tie Cheneys during the
past generation and the steady persis-
fence of the Patterson, n. j., manu-
facturers, have borne fruit in the cree
ton of $50 mills, with production of
$50, 600, 900 worth of silk goods, which
in strength and durability excel and
in beauty are fully equal to the finest
products of its French competitors at
Lyons.
In the manufacture of iron and steel
the story is the same. We have fur
naces which are supplied with every
variety of the'best ores, and are max
ing 100000 tons of pig iron per an
mum
BY wise policy of legislative pro-
lection we are practically free from
that foreign competition which threat
ened to throttle our manufactures in
their infancy. We consume our whole
product and that is nearly fifteen per
cent. of all the iron used in the world.
OF our enormous coal yield, about So
900, 900 tons per year, large fraction
is consumed in making and working
iron, 1000, 900 or more tons Of which
goes to market as wrought iron in a
thousand different shapes.
The growth of our Bessemer steel
production is even more marvellous.
Twenty years ago this wonderful Illus
tratiOn of the marvels of chemical
science was looked upon as merely an
interesting and curious process, of no
immediate value and of most uncertain
promise. To-day single establish
ment is making 100000 tons year.
The United States is looked upon
as the home of all ingenious and eifec-
tive labor-saving devices. The Cor
liss engine has revolutionized the
steam engine manufacture of the world
The class of men from whose ranks
the members of this society are prin-
cipally drawn direct, and the iabors
of nearly 5000, 900 of working people
in third of a million mills. are re-
sponsible for the preservation and pro-
fitable utilization of $4,000, 900, 900
worth of capital direct: the payment
of 81 600, 100000 of wages; the con-
sumption of $4,000, 100000 worth Of
raw materials, and the output of $5,-
900. 900, 900 worth of manufacture pro-
ducts Fifty thousand steam engines
and more than an equal number of
water wheels turn the machinery of
the hundreds of thousands of work
shops throughout the country.l
The concluding portion of Prof
Thurston's address was devoted to re-
marks on the future of mechanical en-
gineering and the methods to be pur
sued in the collection of facts and the
study of all phenomena involved.