The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1882-02-17
MILLIONS FOR PREMIUM on STEEL RAILS

The President of the Central Paci
fic Railroad Company is represented
as saying that he and his associates
had paid out eleven million dollars
| for steel and iron rails more than
would have been paid without a pro-
| teclive tariff. A short time ago rails
could have been bought for $40 a
ton, which now costs SIS. The boun-
ties Which are now paid for the pro.
duction of iron and steel rails in this
country are enormous. The Salt
Lake Tribune has the following:
The Central Pacific Road, rear
Reno, in Nevada, passes within four
miles of mountain of magnetic iron
as fine as there is in all this word.
The Truckee River, with unlimited
water power, rolls right beside the
track of the road. Above, within a
few miles, on railroad land, are pine
forests, large enough to make char
coal to melt the world. 1t there is
nothing but charcoal made from pine
trees to smeft the ore, we think that
Governor Stanford has acted wisely
to keep out the iron making business
at Reno. If suitable hard coal can
be found for making pig iron near
the ore and limestone the business
would pay, otherwise not.) One
million dollars invested in iron-works
at Reno would have furnished all the
rails the Central and Southern Pacific
together with their branches, requir-
ed, and in addition, could have sup.
piled other roads. The Central Pa
cific would not only have had all the
protection which is furnished by the
Pennsylvania men, but would have
had the added protection which comes
of $500 miles of transportation. If
the Pennsylvania iron manufacturers
have SO rich harvest, why could
not the Central Pacific Company have
beer willing to double that harvest
for themselves? 1t would not only
have besn boon to them, but a
blessing to Nevada. 1t would lave
given hundreds of men work; there
and in the mountains beyond it
would have supported l 900 families.
The Company had unlimited capita;
it had facilities for securing the most
capable workmcn; it had an unlimi-
ted field for the product of its manu-
factory.
The Company now has its own
rolling mill. 1t manufactures cars
and locomotives. Five new locomo-
tlves have just been placed on the
Oakland ferry routes adapted to
that trafic. The Company has re-
Gently bon !ht a coal mine in wash
inston Territory, from whence it
will draw supplies for its vast system
of railroads. The fact that it has
established 6 rolling mill to
work mp old and worn out rails, Is
evidence of purpose to go further
at a future day. The time will come
shortly when no iron rails will be
used on any of the more important
roads in the Pacific States.
Where they will be made is another
question. There arAvast bodies Of
IRON ore in California, Utah, Colora-
DO and in Arizona Territory. In
he latter country there are said also
% be deposits of anthracite coal at
no great distance from the line of
New Mexico. There are vast bod
es of iron ore in Alaska, as well as
n Oregon, although, taken as whole
he Pacific Coast country has not
oeen thought 10 be rich in the better
;lass of iron ores, ard it certainly is
lot rich in Goals suitable for smelt-
ng. There are no Goals in Califor
ia, SO far as is now known, beyond
he crude deposits known as Ignite,
md probably not a ton of genuine
anthracite coal has been laid down
~ pOlO "HlCH " dS |
within the limits generally designa-
ed as the Pacific Coast. If charcoal
could be made cheaply enough, iron
Gould be produced with little diff
'ulty. The furnaces in Oregon, and
he iron works recently initiated in
Placer county, in this State, will
probably give good account OF
production hereafter. A few years
lcnce the production of stell rails on
his side of the Rocky Mountains.
will become an important industry.
Railway companies whish make their
'wn cars and locomotives, will not
gnore any possible advantage there
nay be in the manufacture of rails
or local use.-San Francisco
Sulipfip