Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-04-26
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LANCASTER, PA, APRIL 90, 1889.
VIII II Fit,

VIII II Fit!
We print elsewhere an interesting
comment upon the locomotion of indus
tries, by Mr.. Charles b. Forney, of Lcb-
anon who for many years was the man
ager of important interests of the Cole
mans, and is therefore particularly COM
petent to speak of the iron industry of
Eastern Pennsylvania. His apparent
belief that the production Of iron here
will he discontinued before the COM
petition Of the Southern furnaces, Is
worthy of great consideration and
particularly as it appears to be based
on the idea that the anthracite fuel
in this section will shortly grow too
costly for blast furnace use. There is
ground for this belief, i'm comparing the
small anthracite field with the vast btu
minous territory but, like many plausi-
BILE opinions, ii may not in the end prove
to I've sound. The future alone can GER
tainly tell but meanwhile we note that
the present situation does not confirm
Mr.. Forney's fear.
Anthracite fuel grows cheaper instead
of dearer. Quite probably this IL only
temporary variation In the law of trade,
which must eventually send scarce ar
ticle up to n higher comparative price
than an abundant one. If IL be true that
anthracite fuel will in the future be in
greater comparative demand, certainly
its price will grow. But that is what
we are to wait and see, but do not see
now. The great veins of the anthracite
basins are vastly larger than the
bituminuous veins and they lie ut
sleeper angles in the earth so
that an average acre of an
thracite coal land may hold hundred
times as much fuel In all its veins as an
acre of fbituminous coal land (which often
has but one workable vein, that seldom
produces ten thousand tons to the acre
in its very best development and the
average will not he five thousand. Fur
thermore very large proportion of the
bituminous coal field il barren and
faulied, eroded and generally so knocked
into cooked hat by the earth's deluges
and convulsions, that comparison of its
acreage with that of the deeper anthra-
cite field is misleading.
Still every one knows that bituminous
coal ID more abundant and always will
be cheaper than anthracite. 1t il easily
mined and with little capital. The roy
atty Is much less than upon anthra-
cite partly because of its greater abund-
ance and partly of its less intrinsic
value. For 1t has less intrinsic value.
II may have nearly the calorific power
Of anthracite, but il is dirty and smoky /;
1t must be coked, and lose fourth of its
heat units in the process, sto make a
smelling fuel. And we do not believe
that the majority of Eastern iron masters
will agree with Mr., Forney that il makes
In the shape of coke, n more valuable
fuel, ton for ton, than anthracite. 1t is
true that they think that portion ofIit,
mixed with anthracite, improves their
furnace working but it may he safely
said that the furnace that has anthra-
cite coal at its foot is as well situated in
respect to fuel rs one that has handy
coke supply at present at least.
Eastern Pennsylvania has cheap fuel
and ores, which are often cheap and
good. No place in the whole word
has to-day greater natural advan-
tages for the production of cheap iron
than the town in which Mr.. Forney lives.
The Cornwall ore deposit had been dis.
covered i'm this day of the town boomer,
Lebanon would be spreading like n
prairie fire from one side Of its valley
to the other, and out to the Susaue-
hanna and the Schuy kill. The money
in the ore would have been sought
III town lots and il would he
furnished TO furnace plants for lit
tie more than the Is cents which il
cost to put ii on the cars. If the Corn
wall ore was valued in the Cornwall
furnace at the cost of mining and carry
ing 1t there, does Mr.. Forney think that
nine dollar pig iron could not he made
inlIebanon as readily as at Birmingham ?
II It Is made there Mt that price; which
II Is not unless, on very sunshiny days.
1t will be very long time before a
well located furnace in Eastern Penn
sylvania is bowled out by competition
from any quarter. 1t has natural pro-
lection in its convenience To market.
which Is worth three dollars a ton to il
as compared with Alabama iron,
and which is never likely to grow much |
less. And if that much protection can
not protect it, it ought TO so. 1t does not
need so much, with proper rates of freight
upon raw materials, and with the advanc- |
ing value of ores in the new iron regions
that are being peppered with big fur
naces. Anthracite may climb little in
price, before Eastern Pennsylvania fur
naces decline the struggle.
Mr.. Forney truly says that the day of |
and big salaries in iron |
has gone by; but this eau
Ton applies more particularly to the |
new Southern enterprises than TO our
own, which have often been on starya-
ton diet. Already the greatest of the
Southern corporations, the Tennessee
Iron and Coal company, has been recon-
structed; and there will Ike IA vast
deal OF these performances before things
are settled i'm that new mineral country.
Furnaces that are carrying thousands of
acres OF iron and coal land, for specula-
i've purposes, may be doing wisely, if
lhey are able 10 indulge the luxury but
Iney Will not make cheap iron, if they
charge the interest cost to expenses and
furnaces that do not own their ore and
coal, cannot make nine dollar iron.