, 1883-12-27

=
IEoSDALE.-This little town or the
southern shore of Port Townsend Bay
/ has sprung into existence since its selec-
ton as the site of operations for the
Puget sound Iron Company Briefly,
sc may say tnaI in the spring OF 1879 u
/ few enterprisiag persons il Port Town
send.had tests made of iron ore in China
cum valley a short distance back from
the head OF the bay; and these tests and
the prospect for ore having been salts
factory, the parties referred t. set about
getting a company formed to operate
the mine. Their first step was to bond
the land on which the ore beds ware
found. In JuIy Of that year the Puget
Sound Iron Co was organized tor the
purpose of smelling ore and manufac-
turing pig iron in Jefferson county, with
principal place cf business at Port
Townsend. Messrs. James Jones, Z. l..
Candy and II. l. Blanchard were the
first trustees OF the company Their
work was preliminary to the permanent
organization Of company with ample
capital to conduct tho proposed opera
tions- In March, 1850, this permanent
organization was effected on Ii basis Of
S50O,0G0 capital, with trustees as follows:
Paxton II Curtis. j. Il. Redington, J. q
Kellogg, c. H SimpkiUs, ,Hinkley Spear
Il Hays, G W. Prescott, alt OF San Fran
cisco, and AIessrs. Pope i 'aibot OF Port
Gamble. OF these the following We're
e.eutel officers, and are serving at this
time: j. 4. Paxton, President; c. II
SImpaiEs, Treas; y. Halse!, Sec. j. L.
Smith Is acting superintendent at the
present time. The company selected d
as the site for their furnace and reduc-
ton works, naming the place 1rondaie.
ID. ". Moor was their first superinten-
dent, and the works, although conducted
largely III an experimental way, owing
to tine ore being somewhat different from
any ever worked else ghe e, produced pig
iron of 4 high grade of excellence. A
mine of hard, magnetic ore at Texada, Is.
~ ~ 4StASCl anu DOLl1GNi, anu OiC Has
been transported thence to mix with the
brown hemGtite or bog ore of Chimacum.
Some difficulty has been experienced
getting furnace to withstand the terrific
neat generated IN smelling the ores, and
the first furnace erected has long since
given place to u new and larger one, on
an improved plan under the supervision
of MIR. j. NJ. White. This one III turn
Is undergoing the process of putting in a
new hearth to replace the old one burned |
out. II was for the purpose of eifecting |
needed repairs and periecting pending |
arrangements that operations were sus- |
pended Il few months ago. A work CT
considerable magnitude Is being done at
IeXada tins winter by u force of work
men under charge C hIr. 4. l.. BIanch- |
ard, driving a tunnel to reach ore in |
which there is less sulphur than IN that
near the surface. The schooner Mary |
Parker, Capt Adams, Is still engaged |
freighting this ore 10 the works at IRON
dale, where the company now has about |
--boO NOIlS OH ilCsiii DGSlIALo SDulS ObDJOt I
bushels OF charcoal The roasting fur
mace is also being reconstructed. and Ill
the early spring smelling will be resumed.
The site of The works is beautiful, We'll |
watered and inviting. Harbor facilities
are the very best, and ocean steamers
OF deepest draught easily take on cargoes
at the company's wharf extending out
from the furnace. About $4,000 has
already been expended in this enter
prise, and the improvements made are of
substantial character. The Iron Com
pany have, besides their furnaces, engine
houses, stock house, casting house, and
a large coal shed, blacksmith shop, store
and Office building, fine residence oc-
cupied by their Superintendent, and four
dwellings occupied by the employees.
There are two large stables on the
ground, in which are kept live stock
one of these stables belonging TO Mr.. o.
Il. Holcomb, of Port Townsend. Iron
dale has also large and cOmmodiOus
hotel, the Bay View, kept by that ex-
perienced aud successful caterer, Mr. J.
Il. Dyer. 1t Is situated IN ii most desira-
ble location at tie waters edge. COM
mandng d Iine V-iew of Port Townsend
aud the shipping of the bay, besides be-
ing protected from the heavy wind, that
prevail mere during the winter. There are
two saloons i'll Irondale, also eight houses
(mostiy Occupied). one China store and
two China wash houses, one warehouse
and wharf, and grist mill which is part
ly finished.