The Helena independent., 1892-02-06
TALL TIMBER TALK.
Made to the People of Duluth-Some-
thing About Iron.

Mauo TO the People OF Duluth-SOme-
thing About Iron.
Duluth, Feb. Especial. 1.-Two events
of muoh interest to our people and to a
considerable number outside occurred the
past week. They were the visit here Of the
members of the Northwestern Retail Lum-
ber Dealers association and the talk to the
citizens by James E. York, the we'll known
iron man, upon the making of steel in this
city. The lumbermen numbered over 300
and came from Minnesota, Wisconsin.
Iowa, Nebraska, North and South Dakota.
They wore given reception by local lum-
ber manufacturers and dealers and the
Jobbsrs' union. Before arriving here on
Thursday they visited the big Cloauet mills
and ono or two logging camps. While hore
they looked over the big saw mills at West
Duluth, and saw not only two or three of
the latest improved mills and some Of the
largest, but also two iron factories where
saw mills are made. Duluth is so import
ant lumber center that this visit was an
appropriate one. Unlike mos. other lum-
ber centors this ono is becoming more i'm
portant every year. and it is to this city and
the immediate vicinity that much Of the
northwest as we'll as considerable por-
tion Of the east must look in the future
for their lumber supply. The industry is
constantly increasing, and is most i'm
portant factor in the growth OF Duluth.
What it will become may be seen BY the
information given by we'll informed mon.
that there ara to-day in the Duluth dis
triot, most Of it directly tributary TO ths
city, about 5000. 100000 fact of standing
I'M.
pleased with their days visit and its re-
sults. They were not only entertained, but
also proved in their minstrel performance
good entertainers.
Mr.. York ia the patentee of valuahle
method of making structural steel, and il
one OF the foremost men of his line in
America. He has recently organized n
company to manufacture tho steel, and i.
looking to Duluth as the most desirable In
cation of the big plant he and his asso-
oiates will erect He consented to addrss.
our people on the subject of iron and steel
making. especially in regard to Duluth NO
a great iron ccnter. After history of tho
deyelopment of the iron and steel trade
he com pared the cost of manufacturing nt
different points. He showed that it vas
much cheaper to manufacture pig iron
from the Lake Superior ores than from tha
Alabama. for one ton of the former in
equal to two Of the latter. Chicago
produces pig iron from Lake Superior
ores at $14 ton, and Duluth can pro-
dhoe it cheaper. He said "Ths recent
discoveries in the Nesnbi range are of great
interest to Duluth. have becn informed
by a reliable gentleman that contracts can
be made for orc at Duluth that will not
only permit the successful manufacture OF
iron and steel, but will permit the shipping
of pig iron to both Chicago and Pittsburg."
Mr.. York sketched the history of tho MAX
ing of Besasmer steel and the grand re-
suits Of Bessomer'a invention, which had
enable the production of steel rails at $50 u
ton, had doubled the carrying capacity of
freight oars and lowered the rates of freight
20 per cent in twenty years. His process,
the onon hearth. was equally important,
Ike Bessemer cannot utilize scrap steel
that comes back into the market. and Is
por cent OF this material comes back. He
ia satisfied that he can buy steel scrap at
Duluth 81 a ton cheaper than at Pittaburg.
After showing whore he would find mar
ket no closed by saying: III the products
of Lake Superior manufactured into steel
give value Of $500, ,oo0. 600. you can form