The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-12-30
FERNS OF suBCRPfIOH:
A WONDERFUL COUNTRY.
The Development OF the Great Natura
Resources OF the United states

The Development or the Great Natural
RenOurces OF the United States
At meeting of the American Society
of Mechanical Engineers in New York,
Prof. Thurston delivered the address.
"Mnch, he said, 'tremains to be done by
the General Government in the develop
ment of the resources of this country.
The new organization of the geological
survey is such in form and In the char
acter of its administration that we hope
to see the work of determining the
value Of our mineral resources done with
maximum rapidity and efficiency. In
tracing the progress in the various de-
partments of American enterprise he
said that ninety-nine years ago Samuel
A. Slater started the first successful cot
ton-spinning mill at Pawtucket, r. I.
To-day we raise 1,500, 600, 900 pounds of
cotton to supply mills in nearly every
New England State and in nearly every
other State in the Union, which manu-
facture $500, ,000, 900 worth of goods.
From the day in 1894 when the first
rude woolen-mill was established at New
bury, Mass, our woolen manufactures
have grown in extent and in excellence
of product, until to-day our II, 900 or
1900 sets of machinery, handled by
nearly 100, of the most skillful opera
tives to be found in the world, produce
S250, 900, 900 worth of goods, which in
point of cheapness and excellence COM
pete with the best work in Europe.
1--WE have seen the silk manufacture,
after struggling with difficulties of every
imaginable sort for half century, finally
secure foothold and enter upon a
period of prosperity which is as marvel
GUS as it is encouraging. The enterprise
OF the Cheneys during the past genera
ton, and the steady persistence of the
Paterson, N. j., manufacturers, have
borne fruit in the erection of $50 mills,
with production of $50, GOO, 900 worth
of silk goods, which in strength and
durability excel, and in beauty are fully
equal to, theinest products of its French
competitors at Lyons.
In the manufacture of iron and steel
the story is the same. We have furnaces
which are supplied with every variety of
the best ores, and are making 1000, 900
tons of pig iron per annum.
s'Py wise policy of Legislative protec-
tion we are practically free from that
foreign competition which threatened to
throttle our manufactures in their in
fancy. We consume our whole product,
and that Is nearly 15 per cent. OF all the
iron used in the world, OF our enormous
coal yield, about 80, 600, 600 tons a year,
large fraction is consumed in making
and working this iron, 1000, 600 or more
tons of which goes to market as wrought
iron In thousand different shapes.
'sThe growth of our Bessemer steel
production Is even more marvellous.
Twenty years ago this wonderful illustra-
ton of the marvels of chemical science
was looked upon as sincerely an interesting
and curious process, of no immediate
value and of most uncertain promise.
To-day o single establishment is making
100, 200 tons year.
'sThe United States is looked upon as
the home of all ingenious and effective
labor saving devices The Corliss engine
has revolutionized the steam-engine
manufacture of the world The class of
men from whose ranks the members Of
this society are principally drawn direct,
and labors of nearly 8, 200, 600 of working
people In q third of a million mills, are
responsible for the preservation and pro
fitable utilization of 80, 800, 600, 900 worth
of capital direct; the payment of 81 ,000,-
600, 900 of wages; the consumption oi
So, ,000, 900, 600 worth of raw materials,
and the output of 1000, 600, 600 worth
of manufactured articles. Fifty thou.
sand steam-engines and more than al
equal number of water-wheels turn the
machinery of the hundreds of thousands
of workshops throughout the country.