The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-03-20

V6IuUcI ucAb,tIlc hCpuUllCctA oestuiotesoCo " La
be invested with the discharge of the Chief
Executive duties of the Nation, with a
Legislative Department in full accord with
the Exec utive,
Manufacture of Steel.
We have on several occasions referred
to the basic process for making steel, and
the difficulties in the way of it's utilization
in the South. These difficulties were
traceable to the complications existing be-
tween the Bessemer Steel Company OF
Philadelphia, and Mr.. Jacob Reese, of Pitts
burg, who claimed to be the inventor OF
the basic process. 1t was claimed by the
Bessemer Company that they had pur-
chased all the patents for making basic
steel. This Mr.. Reese denied, contending
that an essential invention relating to it
was not covered by the contract. Out of
this difference litigation grew, and was to
have been determined twelve months ago.
Whether it was or not we have never seen
stated. The belief was that if the Besse-
mer Company made good their claim, and
held the exclusive right in the basic pro-
cess, it would be tantamount to suppress
sion of this method of making iron and
work consequent injury to phosphoretic
iron ore properties of Virginia and other
Southern States, inasmuch as the Besse-
lner Company would protect their steel
manufactures by the Bessemer process
Virginia and the whole South was inter-
ested in the question of the right to the
basic process, for the reason that if it were
determined against the Bessemer Com
pany, the patent would at once become
valuable in the iron regions of this section,
and otherwise, if the Bessemer Company
won, they would protect the Bessemer
process by demanding such royalty on the
use of the basic process as would practi-
cally inhibit it in the South.
We now have statement that the Bes-
semer Company is the purchaser of all the
patents of the original inventors, Messrs.
Thomas & Gilchrist, of England, and un-
der this title are controlling the basic pro-
cess in this country. A correspondence
published in the last Pittsburg American
Manufacturer, between the President of
the Bessemer Company and the Roane Iron
Company, Chattanooga, Tenn, gives us
the information that, negotiations are
pending for the use Of the basic process
in this Tennessee establishment. The
Bessemer company demand royalty of
one dollar for every ton ofEmetal used in
this process, and $50, 900 as an advance
payment, to be made at the time the IL
cense issues, as royalty for the first $4,000
tons Of metal treated under the license.
What this would amount to per ton of
steel output, we are not sufficiently ac-
quainted with the subject to state. But
it may be assumed that it would leave the
way open for fair competition, at least,
with the Bessemer process. Indeed, with
the entire control of the basic process, the
BessemerS Steel Company could afford tosus-
pend operations at their own establish
ments, if they could generally introduce
the method into the regions of country
where the phosphoretic ores exist, for the
royalty would assure them a rich harvest
of profits.
The points of interest to Virginia in this
matter are the fact that the basic process
has been successfully tested, in this coun-
try, and that the owners of it are willing
to issue license to use it on the payment of
the royalty above named. The introduce
tion of steel into almost all the more inn
portant uses that iron has heretofore been
employed operated largely to lessen the
value of the phosphoretic iron ore proper
ties 0. Virginia, so long as there was no
other mode of manufacturing steel than
that of the Bessemer process. The basic
invention and the liberty to use it, would
change this and give value to phosphoretic
iron ores equal to that of the ores out
of which the Bessemer steel is made. 1t
is possible, therefore, and even probable,
that in course of time the basic process
will entirely supercede the Bessemer, and
transfer the manufacture of steel to the
localities where iron applicable to the la
sic method can be made, for the latter
mode would produce steel at much less
cost than the former. If this be correct,
it becomes a matter OF much Importance
to Virginia. We have iron ores in great
abundance, and the question about their
value has been their phosphoretic proper
ties. With this objection removed by the |
new process of making steel, it is reason
able to hope that steel manufactures
will in the near future be instituted all
through the State where iron ores exist in
sufficient quantities to justify it. With
the test once made and the demonstration |
assured that steel can be made cheaper
in the South by the basic process, royalty |
added, than in the East, by the Bessemer |
process, capital and enterprise will flow
where the remuneration is the greater. We |
have much to hope for, at least, by the in
PRODUCTION of this cheaper and improved |
method of making steel, ..and may with |
reason calculate on steel plants being To-
Gated in our iron regions, even if the ex-
elusive right to the basic patent rest in
the Bessemer Company.
The Mexican Treaty was ratified in the
Senate on the 18th, by vote of Al to II, or
just one vote more than the requisite two
thirds. The treaty was signed by Com
of the United States and Mex
leo more than year ago. Under it the
chief agricultural products of Mexico, in
GLIDING leaf tobacco, are to be admitted |