The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-10-22
rncrease OF IRON Production.

geologist and minera1ogist,
who spent ten days, making an exami-
nation of the Douthatt survey, with a
7iew to determining its value as a min
eral property. This body of land cons
.ains something like 100000 acres, and
stretches for ten or twelve miles along
the north side of Jackson river valley and
from below Clifton Forge to
Covington The geologist referred to
was representing an English syndicate,
and came to this section with prejudice
against it's reported iron ore properties
and the persistency of the seams that
were marked on the maps of the tract
that called him here. After remaining on
the property over a week, and giving
the closest investigation to the forma-
tions and general conditions, he express
ed the opinion quoted above, and furth-
err made a formal report celebrating the
text we have given in the first lines of
this article. The latest information we
have as to the result of this report, is that
are still pending, and that
if the syndicate the geologist represents
ed, does not close with the owner, anoth-
er syndicate will likely favorably con
slider the purchase of this immense body
of mineral and timber land.
OF course, if a contract should be
closed for the Douthatt survey. it would
mean the development of the property.
That is generally the policy of English
capitalists. They would not invest sew
eral millions of dollars to leave it idle
and unproductive, where there is SO
much to make it remunerative, by the
application of the means for its utiliza>
ton. The iron industry of this country
is charging yearly, and under the pro
tective policy will continue to increase,
both in value and the cheapness of its
manufacture. On this point we avail
of several quotations given by Thomas
p. Grasty, in a well written article on
the ores OF Craig Greek Valley, where
he introduces the opinions of A. s.
Hewitt, a large iron manufacturer, and
MI 1AUhllloOHs OhC vi UIC IuOCu
intelligent and conservative writer's on
Southern resources who has discussed
the subject.
When Abram S. Hewitt, in 1856, mace pre-
diction based upon tine law of accelerating
demand - that the worlds consumption of iron
would by Iss5 reach rs 00.C0O tons, lie himself ad-
nlitted that such figures sounded Incredible but
by 1889 1900 600 tons were demanded, and the
limit Of the incredible prediction has been actu-
.,1I.- Of NJ.
Hewitt also showed how 1.-The consumption of
iron is social barometer by which to estimate
The relative height of civilization among ma
tions,' and as the world is getting civilized
more rapidly now than ever before, his pr edic-
tion of world consumption of 50,M0,000 tons A
quarter of century hence may safely be relied
upon to be fulfilled within the next Is years. In
1859 the consumption of the United States was
S,50o0t0 tons This year it will he about 10000 600
tons. Mr.. Edward Atkinson, whose views on
this subject are concurred i'll by the leading
StatisticianS, concludes, in his forecast of the
the United States alone will in 1900, say eight
years hence, require 100000 tons i'll addition to
our present supply.
Referring to the Craig's Creek branch
of the c. & O. railway, and the iron dis
trict, Mr.. Grasty continues:
In order to escape any imputation Of having
made an extravagant prediction concerning the
future of this little n miles long branch railway
it is worth while to call attention to a few more
facts and figures from MIR. Atkinson's great pa
per entitled '''rhe Future Situs of the Principle
Iron Production of the World,'' the very heart
Of which situs this new Chesapeake q Ohio ex-
tension penetrates So late as 1867 the United
output of the world, while Great Britain then
made 53 per cent. So lete as 1878 Great Britain S
production was 43 per cent. to our II per cent.
Today the United States has forged ahead OF
Great Britain, and is now making more than one
third l Of the entire product OF the world: hut
home consumption. Commenting on this state
of things, Mr.. Atkinson asks the following sug-
as not tie cost of production rising in Eng
land?''
May we not add tlp0 tons to our product for
every one added elsewhere, or even more p
Must not the United States soon begin to supply
in part the iron agLich aUiU be needed epen IN Eu
roper
1t is not generally known that such
rich mineral fields exist as those which
are encompassed within a radius of 80
miles of Clifton Forge. When the vast
ore deposits and their accessibility to
transportation become known, and all
the conditions related to iron ore pro
duction and iron making are demon
strated matters, open for the. informa-
ton of all, it is reasonable to suppose
tllot VIII NC NotooilcISOs WILL
tiguous to the ores, and development
progress commensurate with the ore
resources. Upon these premises we base
the belief that within the next decade
furnaces in operation that are now being
worked, and that the demand for the
ores will be equal to the supply. Here
tofore, in Virginia, the difficulty has
been that ores could not be obtained to
run existing furnaces to their full capac-
ity. To meet this deficit mines have
been opened and operations commenced,
assuring ample supply of ores for all
the demand that he present furnace
capacity requires.
The demonstrated existence of the
ores, the successful operation of the
mines, will remove all doubt as to the
future of our supplies, even should the
demand be quadrupled to what it now is,
and invite additional furnaces to share
in the profits which follow well managed
iron furnaces. Here in this district,
especially, are the conditions and advan-
tages propitious. We have not only the
ores but we are in short travel of the
coke and coal, with limestone in close
proximity to the mines. No where else
in the country are the advantages for
iron making so assured, and all that is
wanting is for capitalists interested in
the iron industry to know these facts
for them to avail of them.
Virginia is rich in minerals, but no
where in the State. or in the South for
that matter, is the promise SO assuring
as here for the successful operation of
furnaces and all the industries related
to iron. We have everything to invite
capital and everything to encourage the
construction and successful operation Of
ten times the number OF blast furnaces
that now exist
About seyenty-five of the one
hundred members of the Legisla-
ture have thus far been NOM
mated, and all the Senators except in
the Lynchburg and Rockingham dis
trictS OF the 70 named for the lower