The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-11-10
OUR IRON INTERESTS

Among the numerous undeveloped re
sources of Texas, she has none superior {,
her iron interest. In eastern Texas there is
belt of iron ore running through some ha
dozen or more counties, that, from appear
ances, is inexhaustibe. During the war on,
or two little furnaces and toundries wer,
started in some of these counties and thi
ere utilized on small scale. In Rusl
county and Cass and Marion counties some
efforts were made even before the war tc
develop this interest, but they did moi
amount to great deal. Flows and hollow
ware have been made in Rusk county for a
great many years, and one foundry near JEFF
ferson has brought our Texas iron into con-
siderable notice by the excellence of the
plows, cooking and heating stoves, skilets,
ovens, etc, manufactured. This foundry also
sells no little.pig iron, and has proven to be
a most remunerative investment to the
proprietor. In Marshall there has recently
been started a railroad car mandatory, and
Texas iron is used TO some extent. This
Texas ore has been submitted to the tests and
close examination of experts, both in our
own country and.in Europe ard it has been
declared by them to be of exceedingly excel.
lent quality, being tough and m .lleable, and
much of the nature of the renowned gray
ore OF England. 1t is of quality peculiarly
we'll adapted for railroad iron, and we pro-
diet that tho day is not far distant when the
smoke from Thousands OF smelling furnaces
amid the iron hills Of Gass, Bowie, Marion,
Camp, Upshur, Harrison, Gregg and Rusk
counties will be seen, while thousands of
miners will find employment extracting the
ore from its beds When this gets to DO the
ease we will have rolling mills.and foundres
too, AID this magnificent interest will be
fully developed and bring much wealth
to our state. 1t has been
urged that for want Of fuel il can never be
made remuncra.ive to work the Texas iron
mines. We do not believe this. In so far as
timber for fuel is concerned, it is inexhausti-
Bic right where the iron lis ;. found, but as
stone coal is much better. for smelling and
foundry purposes, it can be.-used. Texas
has her coal fields, and.jus. now they are be-
ing reached by railroads. In little while
they will be opened and.cheap fuel supplied
all along the lines of these railroads to sup
ply manufactures Of all kinds. There is TO
fuel in Philadelphia,.or New York, or Pitts.
burg, or any other manufacturing city. II
has 10 be.supplied to the various industries
from the coal fields by rail, and so will it
have to be done in Texas. There are no
iron mines in Pittsburg, Philadelphia, New
York or Boston, yet foundries, roll
ing mills, steel works, etc., there
abound, the raw material being sup.
piled from the neighboring - mines
by rail or water transportation. These
things considered, these facts being re-
cognized, why is it that Dallas cannot have
her foundries on a large scale, have rolling
mills, have vari Gus industries in iron? The
coal for fuel is just to the west of her and
the iron just to the east, both lying in the
bosom of our Texas, and both only awaiting
enterprise and energy and capital to become
mighty factors in adding to the wealth and
prosperity of our state. With two great
trunk lines of railroad crossing each other at
right angles within her corporate limits,
and other railroads leading from her midst
now in course of construction, and others
yet to be built, why is that rolling mills
for the manufacture Of rails, and foundries
for the manufacture Of car wheels, will not
pay in Dallass Why will not every branch
OF iron mandatory prove remunerative
We know that all these industries would
greatly benefit the city, They would bring
US increased trade; they would furnish EN-.
ployment for hundreds and hundreds o.
skilled workmen who would have their home,
here and they would give to Dallas nam,
and a fame abroad. 1t will be a pleasan
sight indeed, the curling smoke from tn,
chimneys Of iron works, aud musical SCUM,
70 hear, the hum and chatter Of thei
machinery.