The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-10-31
LOUIsTANA.s IIRON.
Am Interview with NEr. EnSler
lee, tEse Mining Expert ON tIhe
Subject.

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i Am Interview with Mar. EmSReE
lee, tTae Mining Expert ON TIA
subject.
Times-D Democrat, Oct. a.
Mr.. Edward Enderlee, the mining
expert engaged some months ago By
the Times Democrat, to invcstigat,
and report upon the iron fields O.
( Northern Louisiana, has completed hi
task, and his several reports will b.
published in due time.
Mr.. Enderlee was in New Orleans
yesterday, and Times-Democydt re-
porter had general conversation with
him regarding the results Of his in
vestigation.
! 81 have confined my Investigations
to the northern tier of parishes" said
Mr.. Enderlee, viz; "Caddo, Webster,
Claiborne, Lincoln, Union and Bien-
! yille."
"From my observations in those
parishes, carried on during the last
three months, during which time |
have been some sixty-iive or seventy
days in the saddle, | believe the iron
industries Of North Louisiana can be
made profitable if they are properly
managed, but / do not believe they
will become equal to those of Ala
bama."
"What way would YOU suggest as
being the most profitable for working
the North Louisiana iron resources2"
"First and foremost by the estab-
lishment of small furnaces Of fifteen or
eighteen tons. These small furnaces
would supply material to hollow ware
and stove foundries, nail works, car
wheel factories, etc. The manufacture
of those articles from the iron pro-
duced by such furnaces would give all
the profits that the iron is capable of
yielding. In this way, also, other in
dustries connected with and dependent
upon the frs would be created, and
we should get factories for carriages,
wagons, agricultural implements, etc,
"Then, again, timber Of excellent
quality abounds throughout this iron
section of Louisiana. The ash, the
hickory and the walnut are found
everywhere, and this abundance offers
great advantages to persons desirous
of engaging in other business.
'lf iron manufacturers were to 60 |
into Northern Louisiana and establish |
large furnaces, such as they have in
Alabama, the iron being so scattered,
covering the entire surface, more or
less, the cost would be very great, and
the field would probably be exhausted
sooner than is desirable. Therefore it
is that advocate the erection of small
furnaces only"
"To about what depth does the iron
60, Mr.. Enderlee?"
ITO about five or six feet on an
average-not compact, but peFeolated
through the earth to that depth"
sand what is the quality of the
front"
"The best; as good as can be found
Then there is found here
another kind of iron that will perhaps
be eventually used-that is, siliceous
iron. This cannot be used alone, be-
cause the amount of Stag arising from
the too great abundance of silk would
clog the furnace, although silk is
necessary, to certain extent, for fux-
ing. But this siliceous iron may some
day be used in the same furnace with
other iron free of silk.
"What about the question of fuel,
Mr.. Enderlee?"
"Fuell Well, think no coal can be l
'ound in Louisiana. But, fortunately,
his iron should be treated with no !
,ther fuel than charcoal, and of this
here is the greatest abundance to be
obtained from the enormous supply of
pines in this section.
Rhinestone is another essential in !
he manufacture Of iron, and plenty of
his is to be found in the region i'm
surrounding Shreveport.
There is cause for cUngraiulation int,
his, because the lack Of limestone fire.
Inently places great hindrance in the
way of manufacturing iron. 1t is alb
olutely necessary for huxing purposes
Now there is good deal of limestone
n many other parts of the State, but
n places from which it would be diff
nit to transport it to the iron section
f Louisiana. Tho limestone around
shreveport has not been tried yet, but .
have no doubt as to its answering the
urpose very well. II so, it would be
eady to hand within mile or two of
lany of the furnaces that would proba- v
ly be established along the Vicksburg y
nd Shreveport Railway, which would, n
0 doubt, be the line Of transportation /,
or the limestone. h
II fully believe that If these small n
lrnaces were started as | have sng- a
ested, the other industries that have ii
AIMED would soon follow in their \
'ain, and Northern Louisiana would Al
her iron into goods that n,
,onld be distributed all through II
outhern Arkansas, North and East L
exas, part Of Mississippi and the whole cl
tate Of Louisiana, and that would be pi
10 means of adding greatly not only 81
, the capital Of onr State, but to her II
opulation.h b,
THE United States Treasury has u