Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-28
The Enormous Output of Iron and
Steel in Allegheny County
During the Year 1890.
FORTUNES MADE In THE INDUSTRY
Estimate of the Number Of Tons Produced
at Nearly Every Mill in the
Pittsburg District
APPROXINATING A MILLION AKDAHALP
Nc Tine Lost by Labor Troubles, and Very Little
Delay for Repairs

made by Nick Dale. Mr.. Dale is so con
6dent that his premises and conclusions are
correct that he declares they cannot and will
not be truthfully denied by anyone con,
versant with the facts. His statement fol
lows:
The finished output of iron and steel in
the Pittsburg district for the year 1890 wa:
simply enormous, and has never been sur.
passed In the history OF the trade. In the
tonnage of the last two years there was yer,
little difference, so far as the finished
amount was concerned. The main drawbacks
was in the scarcity of gas, which was nearly
altogether in the last six months OF 1889 and
this wear.
There was no lost time with labor troubles
and very little delay for repairs. The
scarcity of gas restricted the output of pud-
died iron at least $4,000 tons, and the
finished product at least 100, 900 tons, but
nevertheless the amount of muck iron made
is considerably more than in 1889. In nearly
dozen mills there is hardly any difference
in the raw and finished output, but the
proht that the manufacturers made in pro.
portion was by no means as great as the
volume and the outlook at the present time.
Increased Cost of Raw Material.
The demand in the year 1890 could not
have been any better, but the gains that
some few firms had to content themselves
with have seldom, if ever, been any less. Ii
is not often that some raw material CON-
mands 4 better price than some of the fin
ished grades, but that has been the case
during the greatest part OF the year.
The manufacture of iron and steel is like
any other branch of business. During the
most fourishing periods OF trade there are
always some who get despondent This was
seen BY the owners of the Saw Mill Run
Mill, when they leased their works to the
Oliver Iron and Steel Company. 1t is some.
times astonishing to the general public when
they hear that firm has profit of 500, 900
or S1,000000 year. Even the IRON
workers are the most surprised, and of the
latter go per cent do not know the cost of
making ton of iron or steel, or the amount
necessary to operate an iron or steel plant,
not including even tine risks and losses, of
which some are unavoidable The expense
20 run the smallest mill in Pittsburg, in
which not a ton of iron has been finished in
three years. is now about 81, 900 day, and
from this the profit is less than 5000.
Profits of Some of the FORCES.
The Pennsylvania Forge turned out in
1890 5000 tons of muck iron, which was all
sold, and on which there was 4 profit of
SPA, 900. Chess, Cook & Co. is next. Thev
turned out 8. 600 tons OF muck iron, OF which
5000 tons were sold and the rest was con.
sumed in their tack factory. Their profit was
S45, 900. The Clinton mill turned out s, 500
tons Of muck bars; about ., 900 tons were sold /;
the rest was finished on a small profit, which
was S35, 900. Then comes the Pittsburg
Forge and Iron Works. With but one eS-
CeptIon there is not another mill of its size
in Pittsburg where the profit has been any
less. The entire output is all kinds of rail-
way stock supplies excepting car wheels.
In this branch OF business the opposition
has been very great in the last eight years.
Nearly all the leading railroads and some
Of the car building companies such as the
Pullman Palace Company, make their own
stock rom raw material largely made here
They produced $4,000 tons of muck iron,
and the finished output was 90, 600 tons, on
which there was a profit OF not more than
$50, 600.
Work of the Pipe Mills.
Next is statement of firms that make
nothing but pipe iron, and are not connected
with pipe mills. The Elba Iron Works pro-
duced Il, 900 tons of muck bar, aud the same
amount was finished, on which the profit
was So, 600. The output from the keystone
WAS 10, 0CO tons of muck bar, and flushed
20 900 tons. on which was profit OF 500, 900.
The product from the Millvale mill was TO-
500 tons Of muck iron aud 90, 900 tons of iron
and steel Skelp. The profit on this was
$4,000. The Republic Iron Works turned
out 2g, 800 tons of puddled iron and 30, 600
tons were finished, and on this the profit was
S115, 200. Then comes the Vesuvius mill
OF Moorhead Brothers & Co., at Sharpsburg,
with u, 100 tons of muck bars and q, 600
tons finished. The Inconvenience owing to
the scarcity of gas was rather greater here
than in anv other mill in the district The
raw output was about 2, 900 tons less than it
otherwise would have been. and the finished
amount was over {, 900 tons below that of
last year, and the profit. which was very
small did not reach above $1,000
Commencing with a number of firms
making different grades. is the Soho mill of
Moorhead, McCleane & Co. 1t turned out
15,OOO tons O. muck bars, and finished sc, 900
tons OF iron and steel, which consisted o pipe
iron and heavy boiler plates, but the Lead
ing make Of this firm is black and galvan-
ICED sheet iron. The annual expense for
acid in the raivanizing department is alone
more than $50, 900 and their profit was $3.50.
600. The Sligo mill produced II 500 tons
OF raw, and IL, 600 tons of finished iron, of
which the bulk was heavy plates and ON
which the profit was 500, 600.
Money That Was Made in Allegheny.
Over in Allegheny, Lindsay & McCutcb-
con turned out 90 900 tons OF muck bars. OF
this Il, 600 tons were finished into all kinds
oi the lighter grades. and the rest was sold;
the profit WAS S100, 900. The next is the Pitts
burg Iron Works o. J. Painter Sons 6,
Co. Perhaps never In the history of this
hrm did its mill turn out any more than
in this year. The amount OF muck
iron made was 81, 900 tons, which was nearly
5000 tons more than last year And the
amount finished, which was all light iron,
was 10000 tons; their profit was $500, 900.
Then comes the Sable mill of Zug & Co.,
which is the leading one in the city, making
largely common iron. The output was
u, 600 tons OF raw and 24 600 tons of finished
iron, ana the profit on this was Sl44, OG0.
Now comes the smallest mill in Pittsburg,
making rhw and finished product, the
kensinGton OF Lloyd Sons g. Co., that
turned out 10000 tons of muck bar, and fu-
ished 10, 900 tons, which is among the leading
grades in the market. Their profit was
$50, 000 At the Solar Iron and Steel
Works of William Clark & Co. the output
was Il, coo ious of muck bar, and II, 900 tons
of iron and steel were finished at a profit OF
100000.
Hen Who Made Even More
Next is list of firms whose profit is from
$3.50, 900 upward. The Wayne iron and
steel firm of Brown & Co. turned out Is. 600
tons of muck bars and finished 5000
tons of all kinds of fine steel and irnn