The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-11-12
IRON IN THE SOUTH.
The Cot OF Manufacture ms Compared
with the Cost In the North.


with abe Cost In the North.
Chattanooga Trctlesmal.
Probably the cheapest iron ever put out
in the South was the last years lun OF the
Chattanooga Iron Manufacturing Com.
pany q furnace, under the superintendency
Of AIR. Edward Doud. That was in the
midst OF the severe depression Just proceed
ing the resumption OF specie payments
Labor was little higher than it is usually in
England, all materials were at bottom
rates. Mr.. Doud made iron at an average
cost OF $1,000 per top; or Sll.50, reckoning
all the wear and tear 10 the plant at 81 per
ton, the usual allowance in the South for
that item. MIR. Doud Is now building In
this city as good stack as the United
States contains, with a capacity Of 100 to
100 tons daily. He calculates he can make
iron with this stack in the present condi-
ton OF the market for labor and raw ma
tecials at net cost OF about SID. There is
a large furnace in Roanoke county, Yir-
ginia, on an estate owned by the Furnace
Company, which contains immense sup.
plies OF coal and iron, the vein OF the
former being no less than ssven feet thick.
This company Is making iren at cost OF
$l3 80 per ion. There are probably one or
two furnaces in the Birmingham, Ala, dis.
trict that are putting out iron at as lew cost
as Roanoke Furnace has attsined, but we
seriously doubt It.
These are exceptional cases. One exper-
fenced iron mester, now in charge OF fur
mace in this county, says II iron goes below
an average OF $40 per ton for all grades, hall
or more OF the Southern furnaces will blow
out or blow their owners into the bank.
ruptcy courts.
There may be locations so fortunately
situated for the production OF pig iron in
the South that 1t can be produced for 50 00
per ton, but no such place has yet been
found, If practical results are TO be taken as
proof. 1netslk about the Alabama district
making iron for S. Is sufficiently answered
when we point 10 the fact that with the
average price OF iron at $3.50 on the fur.
mace bank, several Of the finest stacks in
the world, located near Birmingham, have
lain idle Tor months. 10 The drawing.room
and sanctum iron masters want us Ia
believe that the owners OF those plants are
such fools Us to allow Investments OF hun
dreds OF thousands to remain unemployed
when their product could be turned over
at profit oil 800 per cent per annum
Another point here needs attention: We
mean the talk that Protection Ia the only
factor which keeps Pennsylvania furnaces
in blast.
This ia q humbug OF the frat order.
Those furnaces are now making No
foundry irons, selling them at $50 per ton
in New York, and making money at that
Their native or local ores are nearly a
cheap as Southern ores. Mill and furnace
ulndels are plenty and cheap. With thes,
hey mix small amount OF the rich 65 PEI
cent Michigan hematites, and produce {
very superior iron. They get coke at 9t
cents to 81 per ton at the Connellsviilt
ovens, and the best coke burned anywhere
They have things4down fine" on labol
saving. With stacks out Of which GU,
managers get 100 tons, they get $50 anG
even 200, and carry on the business witt
rather less cost for labor than our folks do
They have IS per ion advantage Of US II
transportation.
But we can't pursue the subject further
except 10 say that II some OF our very abb,
editors would talk with practical iron mel
more and with alleged experts who know
nothing Of the subject less, the editor
would be more instructive and not 9,
strictly ornamental.