Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-09-13
OUR IRON AND STEEL.
UNNISTAKABLB SIGNS OF A BUSINESS
REVIVAL.
Storg Demand for Products Of Every Branch Of the
Indusiry-Highly Rlattsring Prospects
Secretary Weeks Gives
Some Figures.

PITTsBURG, September 12-Mr. Joseph
D. Weeks this morning made very inter
esting statement OF comparison in the iron
business between 1879 and the present
year.
"There is no doubt, said Mr.. Weeks,
that there has recently been in this coun-
try a decided, as well as q healthy and
what promises to be continuing improve
ment in prices in iron and steel. The
tendency is still upward and the outlook
for the fall and winter is most gratifying.
While a rapid advance has always been
considered Rs ominous Of disastrous tum-
BILE, the present advrncs has neither been
rapid nor great. Prices to-day are about
what they were at the beginning of the
year. In some instances they are little
higher, in other cases a little less, but on
the whole about the same. Hzsl
COMPARING PRICES,
it is noted that prices for all pig iron, ex-
cept Bessemer, were about the same Sep
tember as they were at the beginning Of
the year. Neutral mill is the same; all
ore mill ard No. foundry 25 cents ton
Less, but Bessemer is 81 TO S125 a ton
more. From the fret Of the year up to the
middle of June there was gradual decline
until June 13. Since that date prices
have steadily advanced, the advance
in neutral mill being $l.25; in all-oTe
mill, ST. %; foundry, ST. %, and Bessemer,
$1.75. Muck bar is quoted at 25 cents a
ton less than at ihe beginning of the year,
bat 81 80 above the lowest rates of the
year, $26 So which ruled from February
13 to June27
"Old iron rails are SOC ton higher than
they were January 3, but they are s., %
above what they were from the middle Of
May to June 90. This is the most marked
advance in any material.
steel rails have shown an advance Of
81 ton since January, the price now be-
ing 81 above the lowest quotation. Blooms
are SOC a ton less than in January, but 81
more than in June and July.
"These advances are very encouraging to
the producers, because they have neither
been rapid nor great or such as can be rea-
sonably objected TO.
GIT IsAE INTERESTING FACT"
continued Mr.. Weeks, that the cOndi.
tions in the iron trade at present are come
what similar 10 those prevailing in 1879.
II was in July, 1879, that prices is iron
began that upward movement that mark
ed the fall and winter Of 1879 so as one OF
the most remarkable as to prices in the
history of the Iron trade. Prices in the
beginning Of that year were the lowest
ever known in the iron trade in the coun-
try up to that time. In little more than
i've months they had advanced over l0C
per cent. From that moment the decline
set in which was even more rapid than
the advance. In the following May the
card had been reduced to 2!c.
"While the advance of iron and steel
during the present season has been SINH
larly rapid it is to be hoped that they will
not continue TO be the same as ten years
ago.
"The situation in the country is pros
porous aud it is almost inevitable that
there will be another advance, but what.
ever the pressure, hOm whatever sources,
IL may bs assumed that the folly OF 1879
1880 will not be repeated. 0ne Of the
forces that compelled the advances ten
years ago will not be as potent in 1889 as
in 1879.