The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-07-22
Industrial Development of the
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baltimore Manufacturers Record, July 3, 1885, ]
The past two weeks have witnessed the
organization of enterprises that are des-
tined to have a far reaching influence upon
the future of the South. Two enterprises,
for which the preliminary arrangements
have been consummated during that
period. claim pre- eminence in Importance
over anything that has been reported in
the South for a long time. One is the
establishment by the Roane Iron Co. of
Bessemer steel works at Chattanooga to
turn out $50 tons of rails a day, the vast
Importance of which to the Industrial in
terests of the South can hardly be over
estimated the other is the signing of a
contract by Enoch Ensley, the president
of the Pratt Coal & Iron Co.. and other
leading iron men, to complete the Bir-
1O0-ton furnace ut the latter place. The
building of this road will result in a great
development of almost unlimited coal and
iron resources as yet ALPHABETICALLY untouched.
The work Of Mr.. Ensley and his associates
will probably fully equal in Importance the
establishment of steel works at Chatta-
nooga. In addition to these two great
undertakings, there have been large
number of other enterprises organized that
will largely add to the prosperity OF the
South At Newport News, Va, the tide
water terminus of the Chesapeake & Ohio
Railway, arrangements have been COM
pleted for the construction of a dry dock
that will involve the expenditure of prob
ably 100000. and may result in the estab-
lishment there of an immense iron ship
building yard. A 100000 company has
been organized at Calera, Ala. to build an
iron furnace and charcoal works. At Chat
tanooga the Lookout Rolling Mill will in
vest 49,, 900 in building wrought iron pipe
works, which will be the only establish
ment of the kind in the South. Among
other important enterprises reported in
our Construction Department during the
two weeks under review, there were in
Alabama a knitting factory, three large
saw mills, a cotton compress, cheese fac
tory and coke works ; in Arkansas, a
stave company, two smelters, one OF 50
tons capacity, a large gold mining COM
pany, water works company, furniture
factory, saw mill, planning mill and
cooperage factory in Florida, a canning
factory, a 100000 gas and electric light
company, TWO saw mills, a planning mill
and brick works /; IN Georgia, paper mill,
extensive improvements to cotton mill,
a grist mill, a single mill, stave mill and
saw mill: in Kentucky, coke works,
$50, 900 coal mining company, a $l0.00o
tobacco factory, and $4,000 put into new
stone quarries, IN Louisiana. $500
mining company and Il rice mill in Miss
issippi, $75 900 water works and brick
works, in North Carolina, a shoe factory,
cotton mill, grist mill and $4,000 furni-
tnre factory in South Carolina. $50 900
improvements made to one cotton mill.
and about the same or more to another,
$50 900 to 900 in fertilizer works, a
furniture factory two flour mills. and the
rebuilding of sash and door factory and
turpentine distileries in Tennessee. a
marble quarrying company, dynamite
factory, an ice factory, a large broom fac
tory. a cotton batting mill. a flour mill
ard several saw mills in Texas, a 500,
600 oil and cotton company, a $3.50, 900
flour mill and elevator, q compress. a water
pipe foundry, and two water works com
panies in Virginia. a stone quarry, a gold
mine, and tho rebuilding of two mills ;
and in West Virginia, Il $1,000 saw mill,
$l2. 600 gas works and c,ke works, and a
81 100000 company VIII CHI will probably
build a cotton gin factory either in Atlanta
or Chattanooga. AS Il summary of Whit
has been reported duiing the last two
weeks. this statement shows that the in
dustrial development of the South is little
| less han marvellous.