The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-02-07
AROUND THE CAPITOL.
Matters and Things Picked Up in
q Tour of the DEPARTMENTS.

Thegovernor yesterday received another
strong petition asking him to pardon Pat
Hennessey, whose term expires very soon.
coMpTRoLIER's DEPARTMENT.
Comptroller Mccall yesterday deposited
$4,000 to the credit of general revenue.
RUsK PENITENTIARY.
In the penitentiary report the following
is found relative to the iron industries at
the Rusk prison:
"The water pipe foundry at Rusk was
completed in the fall of 1886, since which
time we have continued to operate 1t, as
we'll as the inside foundry and blast fur
mace.
Early in the winter of 1887 the favorable
condition of the pig iron market, and
special Inducements offered by the st.
Louis, Arkansas and Texas and Missouri
Pacific railroads, in the way freight rates,
enabled us to place considerable quanti-
ties of our pig iron in the western
markets. st. Louis, Kansas City and
Hannibal, Mo-; Leavenworth, Atchison
and Parsons, Kansas and Quincy, Ill. AS
we had large stock of this iron on hand
at the time, the chance to dispose of it at
remunerative prices presented itself very
opportunity. We had, however, barely
disposed of most of our surplus, when a
general depression in the iron works of
the country was felt, and since that time
there has been nothing like com plete re-
vival of trade, nor have prices ever reached
point which we felt justified US in again
placing our output on these markets.
We now have large surplus of pig iron
Ne. oil
of water pipe 1884 tons). We have CON
tinued to supply the demand for both
these lines in Texas, although it seems
that the depression affecting one branch
has exerted an influence on the other.
There appears, however, to be an incress-
ing demand for pig iron in our home
market, ind we are filling nice orders
monthly for the Marshall Car Wheel com
pany, of Marshall, Tex, the Houston Gar
Wheel company, of Houston, the Kelley
Plow works, of Longview, and from the
Southern Pacific railroad for their works
both at Houston, Tex, and Algiers, La.
The various foundries throughout the
state are likewise giving US a liberal share
of their patronage.
The indications of an improvement in
the prices of pig iron now seems more ia
vorable than for some time past, and
entertain the hope of being able to again
enter the western markets in the near
future and dispose of our surplus stock.
On October 81, 1885, contract was
made by your honorable board with Mr..
Gus Wilke to furnish large quantity of
the cast iron work for the new capitol,
principally columns with their pedestals,
bases and caps, and the castings for the
dome of the building. Up to November
l, 1886, as will be seen by the last biennial
report of my predecessor, castings had
been made st Rusk and delivered on this
contract amounting to $16,2265S. The
work progressed satisfactorily, and the
contract was completed in February,
1887. AS shown in exhibit A, there was
collected on this work from November,
1886, up to the date of completion of con-
tract February, 1880, the sum of 1884,
150.49, making the total amount received
on the contract S50,377.07. Ths work
thus done is now in the new capitol
building at Austin, and speaks for itself
as to material and workmanship. Com