Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-28
BUTLER'S BIG PLANT.
Salt and Chemical Company Launched
With a Capital of 100000.
OPERATIONS TO BEGIN. AT ONCE.
A Business Man Talks of Bad Roads and
Suggests State Supervision.
TRYING TO SOLVE THE OIL PUZZLE


The Butler Salt and Chemical Company,
the organization and objects of which were
noted in THE DISPATCH few days ago,
was fairly launched upon the business sea
yesterday, when meeting of the Board OF
Directors was held in Butler.
A statement of the condition of the COM
pany was submitted, which proved highly
satisfactory. holding forth the prospect of
large and lucrative business The board
passed resolution commendstory of the
protector, Mr.. Joseph Britain, for the un-
expected success which has crowned his eff
forts thus far, and receive from him list of
the specialties which it is proposed to manu-
facture.
The capital stock has been fixed at $4O0, 900,
not ,0O0 as previously stated a large part
of which is h eld by capitalists in Butler, but
several considerable blocks of it have been
placed in Pittsburg
At the meeting yesterday it was determined
to put the works in operation as soon as the
buildings shall have been completed, which will
be in two or three weeks.
There is no boom in real estate or anything
else in Pittsburg. The growth of the city and
expansion of business are substantial. and,
therefore, permanent. 1t is the growth that
invites capital 1t is the growth that induces
the most cautious to invest in real estate. 1t is
the healthy condition that invites and justifes
confidence. In short, Pittsburg to-day fur
nishes abundant evidence to capitalists here
and abroad Of opportunities for as safe and
profitable investments as are to be found in the
country
The agitation for the improvement of the
roads in Western Pennsylvania Is taking strong
hold of the public mind Said business man
yesterday: while no one doubts that good
roads add largely to the value of agricultural
property, to say nothing of the increased con-
fort and convenience which they confer upon
all who use them, not single legislator, SO far
as know, has had the courage to advocate
measure of reform that is broad enough to
completely remove the difficulty.
Attention having been called to this impor-
tant matter in a way that cannot be ignored. I
am confident the Legislature will take some
action at the coming session. We want better
State supervision. The supervisor system has
been thoroughly tested and found wanting
have no theory or hobby. Any law that will
insure satisfactory results will suit me. All
want is good roads, which will be credit in
stead of disgrace to the State"
Messrs. Hammond & Son, who disposed Of
their property known as the old Pennsylvania
Forge to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,
have not yet decided upon q new location for.
their plant. Some time ago large tract of
land was offered them at Mansfield, and it was
supposed they would erect mill at that place,
but lately there has been hitch in the pro-
ceedings caused by the owner of the land want
ing to put a road through the center Of the
plot which the company objected to. 1t is
quite probable that Mansfield will not secure
the location of the mill but that it will be some
point on the Pennsylvania Railroad, as several
good offers have been made in that direction.
The apathy which pervades and dominates
the petroleum market is puzzle which many
have tried TO work out. The american Manu-
Jdcttrer has taken up the subject and submits
the following as asolution. 1t is as satisfactory
as any explanation which has preceded it:
Heretofore Lima oil has not been very much
considered in its actual or possible influence on
the price of Pennsylvania oil But persistent
experiments have been carried on for the last
several years in the refining of Lima oil, and
by more than one expert is it now claimed that
this disagreeable sulphurous product may be
made as pure any oil of Pennsylvania. If
this fact be established, the effect must be to
raise the price of Lima crude, and at the same
time lower the price of Pennsylvania crude, or,
at least prevent its further rising. So far. to
be sure refined Lima has not become an i'm
portant factor, but in the face of It's possibili.
ties it is to be expected that Pennsylvania oil
should be, so to say, non-committaL
'The Russian influence is more serious and
SO long as the foreign consumption of American
oil is greater than the native consumption, the
competition of Russian oil must always be
strongly felt. The recent temporary rise IN the
price Of Pennsylvania crude may probably
have been due altogether to the emphatically
stated rumor of a threatened exhaustion of the
Baku field in Russia. Prof. Mendeljetf how
ever, has absolutely denied and proved the |
falseness of this rumor"
A test was recently made with the Quinne- |
mont, w. Va, bituminous coal at the Chicago
pumping works Fires were started in three |
furnaces The chimneys emitted no smoke. |
Notwithstanding that no steam jet or smoke |
consuming contrivance was used. Thirty-four |
thousand six hundred pounds Of coal were con-
sumed, evaporating 3SS, 400 pounds. being $40 |
pounds OF water to pound of coal One very |
notable feature was the remarkably small pro- |
portion of ash, being not more than per cent. |
The chief engineer pronounces the coal a won. |
derful fuel.
During the month of November the produc- |
tion Of anthracite coal. as shown by the state
ment of the Bureau of Anthracite Coal Stats
tics was 8.372Sl4 tous. falling of of 165O5S |
tons from the shipments Of the same month |
last year. At the close of November the stock |
of coal on hand at tide-water shipping points |
was ~ 334 tons. an increase of S. AS tons over
the stock of the month preceding. During the
week ended December IA, 72S.S45 tons were pro-
duced. 16, SIS tons more than the output of De-
cember, 1883 The total production Of anthra-
cite coal for this year up to December Il. was
81, ,076 825 tons decrease of 29l4, ,649 tons COM
pared with the output for the same period last
year.