Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-12
In HARDWARE LINES.
Wire Nail Manufacturers Curtail the
Output as a Result Of
THE QUIETNESS OF THE MARKETS.
A AFsuigner's Views of the Value of English
and American Steel Rails.
NATURAL GAS SHORT At BRADDOCK
OFFICE OF PITTsBURG DISPATCH,
TUESDAY. March II. 1890.

OFFICE OF PITTsBURG DISPATCH, I
TUESDAY. March IL, 1890 (
The hardware trade. so tar this month has
been quiet a condition of things attributed
by merchants to the weather and wretched
condition of country roads throughout this
section. Nails are very slow, and markets
show weakening tendencies all along the
line. At a recent meeting of the wire nail
manufacturers at Cleveland it was resolved
to curtail the product with a view to arrest
the downward tendency. There has been, of
late, an improved demand for iron nails be-
cause of the wide difference between them
and steel nails. A few weeks ago, there
was difference of S5c per keg in favor of
the iron nail, and for this reason an active
demand sprang. Within a week or two, the
iron and steel nail have been coming more
closely together in market value, and as re-
suit the demand for the former is not so active.
At present keg of iron nails can be bought
at from 10 to 20c less per keg than steel nails.
As the difference in price grows less, the de-
mand for steel nails increases and for iron de-
creases. Barbed wire is rather sloy, but plain
wire is in fair demand at old rates. The latter
is growing into favor at the expense OF the
former. In some of the Western States laws
have been enacted requiring that barbed wire
fences shall be protected by heavy boards
above and below, to prevent mutilation OF
live stock, and for this reason there is grow
ing demand for plain wire fencing at the e1-
pense of the former.
One OF our foremost jobbers of hardware
said to-day: while March trade has hardly
been up to expectations on account of the
wretcheG conditions of county roaCs through
out Pittsburg's natural territory, the general
condition of trade has healthy look, and
trh pnp ha
become passabe We look Tor lively time.
Prices of all staple articles in hardware are well
sustained and though the nail and wire fence
trade has suffered some from the recent de-
preston in iron and steal, there is little doubt
that prosperous time is ahead"
EnSIish and American steel Rails.
The question as TO the ability of the Edgar
Thomson Works TO ship steel rails into En-
gland at a handsome profit, started in this
column few days ago, has caused not a little
comment in iron circles. An Englshmau, who
has been familiar with the steel rail industry
in his native land for a score or more OF years.
speaking of this said: Il am not certain as to
what the cost of transportation would be, but
believe that the American steel rail can be laid
down in Britain and sold there at the present
market price for profit of $40 per ton. But
there are two things which stand in the way of
such shipments. First. there is a sufficient de-
man here for all the steel rail output of the
Eddr Thomson Works for months ahead.
Second, the stee! rail used in England is al
together different from that made here. There
the rail in common use on all the leading rail-
roads is made in the shape of the figure
s and when one side is worn out
it can be turned over and is then
as good as new rail would be
of the kind manufactured here. In England,
too, the railroad chairs are very different from
the fastenings used IN America. There are
greater precautions taken there than here
against spreading rails. In fact, the spreading
of rails, which so often causes serious acci-
dents in this country, is something that is un-
known in England"
II is one of the strange evoIutions in trade that
steel rails are at this time, practically the same
in price in England and the United States. In
the past week prices have been tending toward
a lower level on both sides OF the water in
sympathy with the dropping tendencis of all
iron and steel products. The rates now on
both sides of the water vary very little from
sS5 per ton, which is 81 lower than prevailing
rates at the beginning of the year.
NATURAL Gas shortage at Bra ddock.
A shortage of natural gas is reported from
the Edgar Thomson Works for a day or two
past and there has been a necessity to 90 back
to coal to keep the fires burning under
some Of the boilers. Yesterday 20 of the boilers
which have been fired with gas for months
past were fired with coal.
The new furnace H, at the Edgar Thomson.
has been in blast for some DAYS, and furnace
is being pushed toward completion as fast as
money and muscle will permit. 1t is expected
that the latter will be in blast by the Fourth of
July. and when ii is in operation the output
will be increased not less than 25 per cent over
that of the year past The increased capacity
will bring the yield of steel rails up to l,500
tons per day. Though orders have not been
coming in SO freely of late as during the latter
products for some months ahead, and year of
activity is assured