The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-03-20
THE IRON SITUATION.
AS it Prevails in the North and In the
South Compared.


South Compared.
tPittsburg Letter in the Chattanooga Tradesman.)
In the matter of the shutdown among
the Mahoning and the Shenango Valley
furnaces, which movements have been on
since January 10, there is apparently no
change whatever. The only furnaces in
operation are one stack of Ramey and Ber-
ger at New Castle, and the Rosena Furnace
Company at the same place; two stacks of
the Stewart Iron Company at Sharon
and two stacks of Brown, Bonncll & Com
pany at Youngstown.
These firms are not antagonizing the
Mahonng and Shenango Valley Iron
Manufacturers Association, as the spirit
Of the organization permits the operation
of those furnaces which are engaged in
producing iron for consumption at mills
belonging to the furnace companies.
Thus production in these valleys, from
which this market draws considerable iron,
is completely stopped so far as making
iron for sale is concerned, and the likeli-
hood Of an early resumption is not looked
for So far furnacemen show no signs of
break, and it can truthfully be stated
that they will not break so long as the
market prices rule at the present low level,
for the simple reason that they cannot
produce iron and sell it at current prices
with any reasonable profit. On the part
of the railroads, great loss is being incurr-
ed by them in their revenues owing to
the lack of traffic. Thousands Of their
cars are lying idle along their tracks, and
a great part of their motive power is idle.
Hundreds of trainmen are idle, men en-
poyed on the limestone quarries are also
idle as result of the shutdown, and gen.,
orally business is greatly stagnated as a
result of these struggles between capital
and labor in one instance, and capital ar
rayed against greater capital in the other.
IN THE SOUTH.
stErmngham Letter in the Chattanooga Tradesnian.)
Though there has been no material
change in the price of iron for the past
two weeks, nevertheless the market has
been steadily growing better and the gen.
cral condition of the iron trade in this
district is moro healthy than it has been
before in eight months.
The feeling is better and iron men are
greatly encouraged and confidently pre-
dict substantial rise in price i'll short
time. SO much confidence have they in
this feeling that every available furnace
is being run to its utmost capacity and
those idle are being hurriedly gotten into
shape to blow in so as to begin making
iron to fill the large and increasing or
ders for pig iron.
Inquiries about iron are more frequent
than ever and every furnace still reports
the sale of all they have on hand and all
they can make and as fast as they can
make it. In fact the demand is such that
the furnace people are beginning to select
their orders and serve those whom they
choose first 1t is not question of who
will buy the iron but one of whom will they
serve first.
President Thomas Seddcn, of the Sloss
Iron & Steel Company, said owe are SELL
ing all the iron we are making and the de-
mand is better than it has been for some
time. Iron men around Birmingham have
reasons to feel encouraged at the pros
poets. | think that the price Of iron will
soon advance"
Ofthese idle furnaces all are preparing
to blow in at once, and will in the next
thirty days, except, perhaps, the Mary
Pratt, which is in litigation, and the Truss
Vile.
Furnace men report scarcity of cars
again for shipping purposes; on the
strength Of this everlasting trouble the
railroads entering Birmingham have form
ed Il car service association to prevent de-
laws in handling cars and thus avoid car
famine
The renewal of confidence in the money
market and the general healthy condition
of finances have caused more yigor and
given a decided impetus to industrial ac-
tiyity in and around Birmingham.
Every mine in the district, that is avail
able for work, is running. There is no
friction in labor circles, and the result is
having beneficial effect upon the COM
munity at large Not a single mine, eli
Their ore or coal mine, is idle. The out
put is up to the top notch and the product
finds ready market a. home and abroad.
The Virginia and Alabama Coal Com
pany are opening new coal mines at Coal
Valley mines, on the Georgia Pacific rail-
road Additional machinery is also being
put in at the Patton mines, and the COM
panv expect by fall to increase their out
put of fifteen hundred to twenty-five hun
dred tons daily.
Two additional steam shovels have been
put in at WorthinGton's ore mines, near
Cumpton. and the electric light plant is
complete so that the mines now run day
and night to fill their many orders.
The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad
Company's Pratt mines, the oldest and
largest in the district, are back to their
top notch and the output is now something
over 1000 tons of coal daily. This COM
pany pays out at these mines something
like $25, 600 to $50, 600 per month, while it
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