The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-27

of natural gas. are negotiating for the
establishment of factories here which will
involve the expenditure of 100000 and
the employment of 1000 men. These neao-
tiations are about closing. but for obvious
reasons their names or character may not
be disclosed.
TIS-PLATE-wORKs.
When it is asserted that the f. Moore
wood Company's in-plate-works at Gas
City. when completed, will be the foremost
concern of its kin In the world. il may be
regarded as the assumption of q warm i'm
agination. but the facts will warrant the
statement. This concern. together with its
Offices. cottages and adjuncts. will cover
fifty acres of ground when complet-
ed. The factory itself Will bring
thirty acres under cover. Not only will
il be a tin plate factory. but q steelmaking
concern as well. manufacturing machinery
for other tin-plate-works. When In full
operation they will employ 1000 men and
dlsburse q monthly payroll OF Sl25.OO0.
They will use in gas fuel the equivalents of
1,5O0 tons of coal per week.
In the commercial world this company's
works at swansea and Llanaeliey. Wales,
have been long regarded as the greatest
producers of tin-plate in the world. The
works at Gas City are greater In capacity
than either of those above mentioned and
employ an equal number of men. The
magnitude OF this plant may be understood
ny u CULup3fI5Uu Win buo WOIho u y Els
wood. The latter Is technically called a
four-mili plant; that at Gas City is q
twenty-mill plant. The EIwood works pro-
duces weekly 800 boxes OF tin; that at this
place Will turn out 5000 boxes per week.
or 100000 pounds OF commercial plate.
The L. Norwood company is Incorporated
in America with q capital stock of 81 ,000,-
coo, and Is operating, not as a branch of the
concern In w ales, but upon an independent
footing, separate and distinct from any
nthar aYfsffnO D. RnnRayn 'Tha nraQrdanf nf
this company, who 10 also the chairman of
the Tin-plate Makers Association IN Wales,
Is now in England. where he is being round
~ berated by the English press for his dis
loyalty" to the mother country. In eslab-
fishing hero an industry of such magnitude.
The managers of the Gas City plant say
that the advantages that they receive from
q free gas fuel more than counter balance
the difference in wages between the two
countries. They say. also. that they are
situated In the midst of the worlds greatest
tin-Dlate market. America using more
than two-thirds of the worlds
production. These same managers
have no hesitation In saying that
leading section of the world In the produce
tion of tin-plato. This is not alone because
of the cheapness of the fuel. but because
tin-plate treated by gas fires is in every re-.
spect superior to that produced by coal
fires, and. in addition to this. much expen-
sive material is saved by the use of gas that
is lost by oxidizstion when treated by coal
or coke. They claim, in fact. that many of
the celebrated tIn-plate-makers of the old
world are quietly looking ND locations in
the belt and seeking markets in Europe for
the output of their home works. satisfied
that they are going to loose the American
trade.
The raw material, or tin ore. used both
here and in Wales. these men say, comes
from Penrangs straits. Australia. and can
be laid down In New York ms cheap as in
London. They cannot see any basis upon
which TO predict the failure of the tin
plate industry here, at least while natural
gas lasts and political conditions remain
unchanged.
When the magnitude and commercial i'm
portance of this industry Is considered. 10
would appear almost sufficient in itsolf TO
iustify Gas City's phenomenal gro with.
Previous to June. 1892. there was not q
foundation stone laid on the whole town
site. Now there are not only three hundred
houses built and occur icd, but sufi cient
money is in circulation here to have bought
the township q year ago. When all her
factories. together with those that will
soon begin laying foundations. are in full
operation, Gas City will immediately take
its place among the manufacturing cities
of the State. As 10 is now the now town il
as facInating q bud of promise as can be
found in the gas belt, and tho almos,
boundless extent of gas territory which il
at the disposal of manufacturer gives sites
here an additional value. Z. p. A.