The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-01-01
A Practical Suggestion.

We publish elsewhere an article from
the Roanoke Reciem, embracing a state
| ment from Col. D. +. Houston. giving an
| analysis of the pig iron manufactured at
| Grocer Furnace, at Roanoke, of which he
| is General Manager, and a comparison with
the celebrated Scotch pig, which is so
generally sought by foundrymen. In con-
Guiding his statement, Col Houston makes
some practical suggestions which ought to
be seriously considered by the people, not
only Of Virginia. but of every iron dis
trict in the South. The Importance of in
dustries to convert the iron into mer-
charitable fabrics being established near
the furnaces, cannot be over estim ated.-
Indeed, we cannot realize the benefits
growing out of our natural advantages for
the manufacture of iron until we have
rolling mills, nail factories. and the like.
To market the output OF the Virginia
furnaces in the Eastern and Western
cities, is to consume the profits in freights,
and thus give to the railroads that which
should go to the manufacturers as their
legitimate profits. With rolling-mill at
Staunton. for instance, the point of COM
petition in freights, the output of Victo-
ria. Longdale, Low Moor, C;lllie, and the
other furnaces along the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad, could he worked into mer-
charitable iron, and with this reached, nail
and horseshoe factories would almost in
.Nol1 fo11
because we want to see a manufad Gs
plant Of some kind established here. and
for the reasan that it is as good a point for
a rolling mill and nail factory as can be
found IN the State. 1t is the intersection
of two important railroad lines, reaching
to the markets Of the South, the North.
the East and West, and is convenient to
the Furnaces where the iron is made All
keted in the Western or Eastern cities,
where it is converted into fabrics and sent
back for us to pay for what we ought to
have made here, giving our own labor en-
ployment, building up a market for the
farm products of our own locality and as
surfing the furnaces better returns for their
output. So long as the furnaces are COM
PEELED to find distant market for their pig
metal, thus placing them at disadvantage
in competition with eastern furnaces. we
need not expect any great strides to be
made in iron manufactures. We have the
ores in lnexhaustible quantities, coke and
tiuxing are convenient, and iron can be
made here for S3 or 81 less in the ton than
in the East, but when this difference is alb |
sorbed by freights it places us at disad-
vantage in competing with old established
plants, of greater facilities and larger cap
ital.
Col. Houston, ina few words, has struck
the key note of the situation. Until we
Show some enterprise in establishing the
industries to utilize the products of the
furnaces. we may make up our minds that |
iron manufacture in Virginia will be a |
small business, notwithstanding our many |
To make it profitable to the
furnace men and to the community there
must be diversity in the lndustries-the
of the iron at the most fa-
yorabJe point for freight competition.
With these established we would be near
the markets for the fabrics produced.
and thus have the advantage of short trans
portation for the pig metal, and the arti-
cles into which it would be converted. for
The South is to be the great consuming Sec
Lion of the future