The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-01
THE ORE SUPPLY.
A Development Of West Virginia's Re
sources Asked for by Pittsburgh.

Development OF hest StrgihiRH he'
sources Asked for by Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Commercial Of yesterday.
The condition in which the iron trade
finds itself at the close OF 1879 repeating
in remarkable degree the state Of affairs
at the close OF 1879, revives many points
Of interest. Then the strong upward move
ment OF the iron trade eliminated in re-
action which precipitated and intensified
tie effect Of the panic in the succeeding
year. Then, as now, the advance was ac-
companied by an upward movement in
raw iron, and especially in ores, which not
only made it necessary to put the prices OF
finished iron beyond what the deGand
would bear, but made the downward
course OF the market an extremely trying
one to manufacturers, as they were con-
stantly paying more for orc than the prices
OF pig and bar iron would bear. At the
present time the question OF an orc sup
ply ia the main one which Is vexing the
minds OF the iron trade and driving prices
rapidly upward toward a point beyond
which reaction becomes only o question
OF time. =,
In time OF peace prepare for war;"
might be adapted to modern times by say
ing, in times Of prosperity prepare for the
reaction. For years past the pig iron in
dustry OF Western Pennsylvania and East
ern Ohio has submitted to the supremacy
OF the Lake Superior ore companies, with
occasional unsuccessful attempts to trans
fer a portion OF the mastery to the Iron
Mountain interest. While Pittsburgh al
lows the supply OF her ore to be thus con:
trolled, her position in the iron trade will
never be 80 Independent or commanding
as it should be. Now, while the supply
OF Lake Superior ore ia insufficient for the
needs OF the trade, Is the time to prosecute
the development OF those supplies which
have laid untouched almost at our doors,
while our mills and furnaces have labored
under the yokes OF their Lake Superior
masters for the past fifteen years. We
urge this work not only on account OF the
pressing needs Of the present, bntthat our
iron works may have some other source
than Lake Superior to supply themselves
from should the marketreact In the future.
OF the resources which lie within two
hundred miles OF us, 30 much has been
said that good deal OF 1t has been ac'
cepted rs exaggerated. Forthe present, 1t
is sufficient to say that We have before us
official figures Of four separate seams OF
ore In Hardy county, West Virginia, and
five in Grant, running from three 10 thirty
feet In thickness, and yielding upon
ANALYSIS from o. TO 81 per cent OF sesqui.
oxide OF iron. That such ore fields cannot
be left longer undeveloped ia beyond ques;;
ton. That point need not be enlarged
upon. 1t is worth while, however, to
urge The importance OF fully developing
our railway connections with this Held.
Three different routes can be made to
bring this ore 10 us. The Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad. with compare.
lively short branch Into the Grant
county aelds, eau strike one OF the
richest beds Of hematite,. where
lie seams run from 7 to IS feet in thick;
ness, The Pittsburgh, Virginia and
Charleston is also susceptible to extension,
while the CHIEF object OF the Pittsburgh
Southern Is the connection Of these orc
ielts with Pittsburgh. With oil these
possible routes OF supply It would be q
discredit to the business intelligence o.
Pittsburgh II two years more elapsed
without completing our connection with
these fields. We should encourage not
one but all OF these lines to open up the
West Virginia ore beds at the earliest pos
sible moment. II the ores OF that state
are half as rich as the official figures make
them, Pittsburgh can furnish business LOT
all three roads In bringing ore here. But
OF ali things there should be no hesitation!
in aiding and pushing the construction Of
at least one Of these routes TO the West
Virginia ore fields.