Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-06-21
BOOMING THE TOWN.
"CoId Shorts" Most Recent Effort il
That Line.

"Coid Shorts" Most Recent Effort in
That Line.
Gold Short writes thus en~tertsiningly
in the current issue Of the 81. Louis Age OF
Steel
I'm q former letter | remarked that it
seemed ~paradoxicsl for Pittsburg and
Wheeling to make sheet iron and steel,
ship it 10 Chicago, and import the same
sheets from there in the shape OF stove
pipe. l must facilitate "The Age OF Steel
on the influence it exerts and the good 1t
is accomplishing. Yesterday | was shown
some stove pipe made by Wheeling manu-
fscturers, Caldwell and Peterson, which 10
a most decided improvement on any other
process or style of making it up to this
date. 1t is the invention of Wheeling
genius, patented by Wheeling's progress
sive spirit and nerve, and will shortly be
put on the market by Wheeling enterprise
and capital.
Il am frequently aaked by parties anx-
GUS and willing TO engage in mauutactur-
ing enterprise to indicate some special lines
that are generally prosperous and not, like
nails are, oVerdone. This is q problem,
but for the benefit of inquiriug solicitude l
noted some Pittsburg lines that just now
might come under tIe desired category.
The railway supply trade is q good one;
this includes car axles, nuts, bolts, spikes,
splice bars and specislties used in ironing
cars; 200 tons Of these are made daily and
the supply is not over the demand. Wrought
pipe is another. Ten pipe mills in Pitts
burg are making $50 tons per day, and re-
fusing to take orders. The demand is likely
to be sustained for several years,
Some experiments have been made in
the vicinity of Wheeling with the view OF
making a coal gas fuel that would serve
for both heating and illuminating purposes,
and DE so cheaply produced as to advsn.
tageously displace ordinary gas and coal
in small interior towns. The process is
an ordinary gas generating one up to a
certain stage, that is, where the gas has
been all distilled from the coal and residue
coke remains The new scheme is at this
point to introduce oxygen in certain vol
umes and entirely consume the coke, which
process would generate a large additional
quantity Of gas, materially cheapening the
whole production. The lessened cost part
works ell right, but the product, ] under
stand, has but low apd invaluable illumin-
ating and heating power. 1t will neither
compete with nor compensate for natural
gas. So up to date nature ia still ahead,
aud she is vigorously holding her own.
II notice that A. j. Sweeney & Son, Of
Wheeling. are building $50 nail machines
for the Chicago Steel Manufacturing Com
pany, located at Hammond, Ind, sixteen
miles from Chicago. This company are
erecting three Siemens-Msrti open hearth
furnaces, q pinch slabbing train and a
22iDch plate train. Messrs Sweeney X
Son are also adding to their already distin-
guished reputation as cotton steamboat
builders. A number of their boats are
now plying on tributaries of the Missis'
sippi and on Central American rivers.
They are now finishing an exceptionally fine
one Tor the Southern trade. Sympathlz
ing with my efforts TO make known the many
natural advantages possessed by Wheeling
in coparceny with Pittsburg, have been
asked what special movements it behooves
a city to make in order to attract favora
bic attention and capital, and secure the
investment of the latter alter it has become
sufficiently interested TO make investiga.
lions. This is ont of my line, but tits very
much easier to state what should not be
done; for instance, when a city owns gas
and water works, and they are the sole
sources Of supply, tie rates should be down
to figures but a small margin above cost
this would be a wise rule to adopt With re-
gard to factories already in opera
ton by home enterprise, as well as
an inducement for foreign capital to come
to them. Manufacturing enterprise can be
driven off or smothered by high
taxation, exorbitant water taxes especially.
Then there is a selfish, avsIiclous animal
| suppose it is for it is too ignoble
to be clsssed with enlightened ideas or
proper perception Of right-to got sS much
possible, 10 the utmost limit Of honest
if not beyond, for manufacturing
just because there is a "h"-c - oon.I
Del psrues h-~xious to decide that import
ant preliminary to give it. This is not
good citizenship, but il | may be excused
the expression, it is unmitigsted hoggish-
ness, whether of private or municipal
action. There are other POINTS, but, "a
stated before, this ia not in my line.
these by request"