Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-10-06

ing of whips. like the sound of q
butter nut, so with those that drove
horses or mules; how quiet and noise
less everything is; no loud talking, no
popping of whips; every thing SO quiet;
| and how, as the driver mounts the
horse. or mule and touches the team,
how noiseless and quiet everything
moves of. What contrast! Oh, what
pleasant times those were! How odd
it used to look to see three or four
yoke of oxen, or four or six mules or
horses, hitched to a big wagon, and
the bed just a platform, no sides, but
just low plank. for the load is pig iron
or blooms.
When the Knob works first started,
it was called the Madison Iron Mining
Co. We were a part of Madison county
at that time. The Company put up.
besides the furnaces, bloomery or
forge. where they made great big
blooms. If l remember right, there
were six fires. Each fire is not unlike
a blacksmiths fire. only much larger
and the blower is run by an en-
gine with a hot blast. So that the
wind that comes to the fire is as hot as
the fire. One day, in passing the hot
air pipe, l happened to put my hand
out, not thinking, and il scared all the
inside of my hand in moment.
1t was a grand sight to go and look
at the workmen as they were Mt work
at their fires. Now one man has his
bloom ready for the fire, as, with an
iron bar he prizes that great hot melted
mass of iron out of the fire, and it rolls
on to the ground all white hot, dripping
with molten stuff, another man, with a
heavy hammer, pounds a place at
one edge to catch those great tongs
onto the bloom, which is about as large
and the shape of a coal basket. When
he has those great tongs fastened to it
all right, comes a great Grain swing
ing around to the tOngs, with an end
less chain on pulley above. Now he
runs the long handle of his tongs
through this chain down almost to the
bloom. Now, as he raises the bloom
and swings it around on 10 the anvil
the tongs man astride of the handles of
the tongs, SO his weight win help to
hold the bloom in place. Now. you see
that great hammer, which weighs
about ten or fifteen tons, rise slowly;
all at once it comes down with a crash
and oh, how the blood of that hot
bloom gushes out and fills the whole
shop with glittering light, and at
each rise and fall it seems as though
you could hear it fairly talk. and at
each crushing blow you see the man on
the tongs turning that great mass OF
molten matter this way and that way
until he gets it in such shape as he
wants, or the bloom gets too cold. Then
the hammer stops and the bloom is put
back in the fire for another heating,
and SO the process goes on day after
day and night after night, until after
The blooms are ready for shipment, or
ready for the other house which draws
these blooms into heavy bars or strips
.eady for the blacksmith. 1t is an inter-
,sting sight to stand or sit and see and
watch all the different processes that q
piece of ore goes through before it
comes in the shape of a watch spring
Dr. a beautiful knife. It is wonderful
What the human mind can do when ed
lcated. How perfect! how beautiful!
Ire the works of men when guided by
proper motives. 1t is wonderful what
IN educated mind is capable of. Boys
md girls, work,
"Work for the night is coming,
Work through the sunny noon:
Fill brightest hours with labor,
Rest comes and soon.
Give every flying minute
Something to keep in store:
Work for the night is coming,