The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-04
orr ZOOS EEsorHeEs.

0TE IRON RESOURCES
| The Puget s0and basin contains vas;
idepo.ifs q iron ores. many Of them
Being OF the highest grade for Besse-
nzer steel. There are also coaking
Goals here Of high quality. With ths
ores ana fuel ia abundance and all
withiE a short distance q ttdewafer.
the Puges Sound region offers unusual
advantages for iron ard stsei mann-
f4ctsTsng On large scale Already
Mr.. Ksrk. after a thorough fnvestiga-
tion Of the reasuFccs fer Fnasufactar-
ing. has canEaeaced The erection OF =
piaaf that VII eapiey 900 men II
kirkland. bes53es large force At the
coal and iron mines To alsstrate the
volume OF business arising from such
plant il Is only necessary 70 remens-
Der that in Isss the freight business a
Texas esgnaled $50 ynso. DO tans moved
one mile. While for the same year the
freight business Of single steel plant
in Pennsylvania, employing $50 men,
was 2sB 100 60 tons moved one mile.
or equal TO ~ per cent Of the freight
business Of Texas, the home of Mr..
Mills. whose bill proposes TO reduce
the duty on steel rails to 81 per ton
below the cost Of production in the
United States.
The settlement OF the question of
whether steel plants can lie operated at
fair profit for the next few years de-
cides whether extensive plants shall
be erected and operated in the Sound
region. II manufacturers can see
fair interest ON the investment, there
will be more dollars invested in the
next five years in iron and steel works
in Western Washington than have
been invested during the past five
years in Alabama We have heard
recently OF two concerns which. II as
sured OF continuance OF the present
protective tariff on iron and steel, will
come to the Sound. Each would in
vest In plants alone over s.. coo 900.
The growth of Birmingham, Ala
bama. has been remarkable and has
been based entirely on iron manufac-
lures. yet but small portion of the
Alabama ores are suitable for BESSIE
mer steel, the great Bessemer ore re-
gion of the United States now devel-
Cpd being the Lake Superior region.
The ores from this region are shipped
10 Chicago. Cleveland aud Pittshnrg
for reduction. the average freight haul
on them being 1900 miles. In 1887
the shipment OF Lake Superior ores |
was 10000 tons.
Seattle and the Puget Sound basin |
are strongly interested in the develop |
ment Of the iron industry, as much of |
their future growth depends upon ii.
The market at their control is one OF ,
the best IN the world, as they can have /,
a monopoly. as against
American manufacturers. Of the terri |
tory from Helena TO San Diego. and
unless the present duties are removed
ran hold the field against the world
In 1851 the United States produced
$50 tons Of steel rails; In 1887 the
United States produced 2 .ses .397 to-.
o. steel rails. In 1861 wh,n NE Inn
ported our ste:s. rails, the price was
sled nj ton. Since then the dvty was
reduced from s2s 10 si7 per ton and
the average price in 1857 was So o., a
material reduction in N years. At
present the mills are taking contracts
as low as $50 per ton for heavy rails.
Large iron works mean the employ
ment OF large numbers OF men, not
only IN the works but at the mines as
well. The Amalgamated steel Max
er's Union Of Pittsburgh. numbers So
600 men. The wages OF men employ
ed in this class OF works are liberal.
Carnegie, fhipps 4 Co, who have
been the especial target of certain POI
li,ical speakers during the past few
months, employ about 1900 men. On
July /. this year. the average wages
paid these employees was s. OF per
day
1t IS Difficult, to estimate the number
of men who sili receive employment,
or the amount Of capital that viii bs
invested in furnaces. steel plants and
various iron establishments on the
sound within the next few years. pro
siac,l there is an assurance that such
investments can he made to pay an
interest equal 10 mortgage loans
Further. the above establishments
would require large Investments in
coal lands. and the development OF
coal and iron mines, building railways
vessels. etc, for transportation Of both
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