Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-12-25

the iron men of Allegheny apd B)tetourt
lately. and have gathered some inforna-
ton in regard to the very important iron
interests of CUR section, and:picked up
some items which will entertain your
readers.
LONGDALE RAILROAD.
Longdale is the first furnace, in opera
ton, you come to. going west from Staun-
ton. The furnace is in Allegheny county,
or s miles from Longdale station, and
reached by a narrow gauge railroad built
and operated by the Longdale Iron Com-
pany. The road extends beyond the fur
mace some or miles to their mines.
being IL miles in length and with the side
tracks making IA miles of road. 1t is
equipped with two engines and number
of coke, coal, Gre, and fiat cars, the trains
making three and four trips day and
running with the system and regularity of
a trunk line.
At Longdale station there is large
quantity of pig iron. marked mo. 1 and
No q" according to quality, aud put in
ton piles, awaiting shipment on the
Chesapeake & Ohio R. R., to the different
points where ordered. Some days as much
as $50 tons is delivered at this point by
the narrow-gauge road aud the side track
is always full of cars, loaded with stock
or waiting for their load, and the stranger
will at once perceive that large manu-
featuring establishment must be near by,
If you are in luck you can ride to the
furnace in little passenger car which
comes down semi occasionally. If not,
YOU can get warm ride on. the engine
with Mr.. Chas. King, a former Staunton
man, or an airy one, on 1at-car or on
the tail of the tender. Halfway up to the
furnace, you pass the limestone quarry
where a considerable force is at work
blasting, tearing down, and breaking up
the solid rocky side of the mountain
Some huge rocks have been rolled down
and the great ranks of broken stone piled
I'D ready for hauling would seem to the
initiated an extravagant supply. until he
is informed that as much as 80 tons per
day is often taken up to the furnace.
THE OUTPUT OF THE FURNACE.
The furnaces, there are two of them,
are situated in pretty but narrow little
valley, watered by rushing mountain
stream. The furnaces are about IS yards
apart. one built of stone, the other of
brick. The stone, No. l, Was erected In
1878 the brick, No 2. in 1880 Their Ca
pacity is about 80 tons day. making a
run of meal every 6 hours and turning
ont about IS 600 tons of metal Il year, the
last wear running little over those fl
ures.
This is famous old furnace, having
been operated since 1927. when there was
q small charcoal furnace owned aud ope-
rated by Jordan & SoDs, and known as
the Australia Mlnes. 1t is said to have
been the only furnace in Virginia that
continued in operation during the War
and Was run by the Confederate govern
ment.
The Longdale Iron Co.. of which F. A.
Conway, Esq, of Philadelphia, is Presl-
dent, bought the property IN 1870, ana
commenced making iron IN 1873, and
their furnace has never been allowed 10 go
out of blast since. except temporarily for
repairs. Even during the great panic
wear of 1877, when furnaces were blowing
out and bl wing up all over the country,
it's fires burnt brightly the whole dlsas-
trous wear, furnishing employ mebt and
bread to hundreds who would have been
brought to want, and proving to business
circles that good management and econo-
nv will weather any financial storm.
LIFE IN THE FURNACE COLONY.
Capt J. E. Johnson, gallant Uhlon
soldier, has been here for fourteen years
and IS the wide-aWake manager of the
whole enterprise. His system and knowl-
edge of the business make it signal sue
cess. and his kindness and frmness make
him popular with the employees and In
sure a most orderly community. The
1tberaliJy of the Company To tbelr men Is
unusual. They are furnished free of rent,
with comfortable dwellings, not shantles,
but we'll constructed. warm, neat looking
tWo.story houses, which are Kept IN repair
for them without expense. even to the re-
placing of a broken window pane. Their
COWS have free pasture and they are given
ground for patches and garcens, and
charged nothing for fuel but the expense
of cutting and hauling the wood. They
are maid promptly and well for their labor
and discharge is regarded great Gala
mity, which is brought upon them only
for idleness, inetficency, or bad behavior.
IF man gets drunk, he is soon found out
and off he goes; If they get to fighting,
both parties are discharged, and almost an
army discipline IS preserved, while order
end contentment reigns such as Is seen in
few public works L have visited. The
community at the mines is larger one
thau at the furnace. Mr.. Frank Lemon
of this county, Is superintendent there,
and the same oIder, good management,
and Thrills prevails. The mines are quite
extensive aud the system of mining is
<yery interesting to novice and conduct
ed on the best engineering principles un-
der the direction of the company g en-
>oinaer. Mr.. 81 Firmstone Of Philadelphia,
wbe is resident direc1ur and principal
stakeholder. and also has charge OF the
Sewell works, where tGelr mines and coke
ovens are, which furnish their supply of
coke There are schoolhouses here for
white ard coIored, regular preaching by
Rev. E, w. McCorkle of Clifton Forge,
PRAYER meetings. Sunday schools, a tenn
ue.xnce society wit b d large membership,
and they are gong to have their Christ
mas trees, LOG, and really valuable ones
they will be, for [ saw the gifts that will
hang upon them. Among the employees,