The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-05-04
Tho Iron ore Contrael..

The Pittsburgh Telegraph, of yesterday
evening, gives what purports to be an in.
terview with Lake Superior ore man on
his way from Marquette to the East, in
the course OF which he is reported as say
ing that the mine owners of Lake Superior
have no idea of relaxing their grip on the
furnaces in the matter OF their contracts.
We quote from this interview as follows:
"Are not some Of the furnace men ask
ing concessions on these contracis?" "If
they are, that is all the good it will do
them. They caught us 8 few years ago,
and when we complained the only answer
we heard was: "A contract Is a contract.
II you are not good for It your mines are.'
So we had 10 stand with our noses to the
grindstone. Twas forced TO deliver ore TO
Cleveland at five dollars ton when 1t
was selling at thirteen. Out OF this five
dollars had to pay three and quarter
in lake freight and seyenty.fve cents for
the handling OF the ore before getting It
to the propellers. l had only one dollar
left, to cover the risks OF the business and
pay two dollars ton for mining. There
was not much profit In that. In fact, it was
business that would have soon landed
me In bankruptcy. All the same, as they
said, a contract is contract, and had to
grin and bear it. Now they will have to
do the same. We answer them as they
answered US: II you are not good for the
contracts your furnaces are.'" "What Is
the importation OF Spanish ore going to
amount to2" "To nothing at all. The
Cambria Iron Works has been getting
some. Morrell thinks he is going to bull.
doze us. It is all nonsense. In the first
place, they cannot make anything but
very common iron out Of this ore. II we
we're to offer them such ore it would hard.
" be accepted as q gift. At its best 1t
will hardly yield more than fifty per
cent. Our No. 9 or refuse ores will do as
web as that. Nobody can make Bessemer
iron out OF Spanish ores. and this is the
big thing now. The Bessemer men have
all they can do, and are likely TO have for
long time. England has no Bessemer
to spare. All that is imported now Is mere.
ly tritle and comes from Austria only.
There will be steady demand for Bes-
eemer, and the manufacturers must have
American ores for 1t. So we are
not scared bit. And then in the
next place, you must know that on ac-
count OF the rise in ocean ireights It will
not pay to fetch over these ores. We
have no trade with the Mediterranean.
II, a. is the case with England. we were
sending out ship loads Of cattle and grain
and cotton and all that, aud these ships
could bring back this ore merely as ballast,
| it would be different. AS 1t Is, those who
want this ore must send ships out light
especially for II, and that cannot be done
except at loss. Spanish ore is merely
bugaboo, but will not frighten anybody.
These fellows will see that alter awhile,
and come to terms. They have got to.
They must have our ores and must pay
our price. We cannot make concessions.
We have made three.year contracts with
our miners and freighlers on The basis OF
what the furnace men agreed to pay US.
| II fwemake concessions 10 Them our miners
and ireighters will make none TO us, Ifone
brick in the wall tumbles over, all the rest
must, and then there will be trouble. But
what is the use OF talking about iroubleH
The enterprises already begun must be
finished All that Is needed Is to look
matters squarely In the face and 20 ahead
with determination. These iron men act
ed like fools in climbing up where they
lkneS they could not stand; They are
bruised AID scratched a little but they
are not hurt 50 much as many imagine. !
don't see any reason iof doleiul COM
plants. Nothing has happened TO- Inter
fere with safe and prosperous business.
To be sure when man commits o io!ly
| he must expect to pay for 1t. AS soon as
the iron men acknowledge that and pro-
ceed accordingly, everything will come
ont all right. "A contract Is contract,
the furnace men said when we were in q
pinch. Now Wen teach them the same
lesson"
We publish the above for what 1t ID
worth, and we are free to say that We dc
not consider 1t worth much. We do moi
understand that this is the spirit mani
tested by the Cleveland representatives o.
the Lake Superior mines. 1t certainly
was not the spirit manifested by Mr.
Chamberlain when he was here on Friday
last, and he IL largely interested, as mint
owner, in the contracts that have beer
made. OF course "a contract is con-
tract, !" especially ifit is 'sure enough con
tract" as the African remarked about hi
contract to divide the cotton II there wpl
q crop, or pay rent II there was no crop
The ore contracts are supposed to be yer!
one-sided contracts. They are virtual!
made by one party to the contract, ant
they are very much like the darkey's sur
enough contracts. They are got up witt
all the legal genius Of such mine owner
as S. ]. Tilden, and are really intended t
bind no body but the unfortunate peopl
who are compelled to contract yea
ahead for their ore, 1t is an open ques
ton whether they really bind anybod
under such circumstances. We under
stand that there have been decisions 4
the Ohio courts that at least make thpi
enforcement very doubtful. And II thi
is the case 1t certainly does not becom
any Lake Superior man to talk in th
spirit manifested in the above interview
y Brisklayer.' Strike.
n ST. LOUIS, May 3.-The members Of th
Il Bricklayers Union here have struck 4