The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-02-01
tries are the wet nurse of State


An able writer has recently said:
''Iron is almost everywhere in ma
ture. Our planet is bombarded from
cosmic space by aerolites of nearly
pure iron, and the spcctroscope finds
it in stars SO distant that the naked
eye sees only emptiness i'll the abyss
cs wherein they burn. 1t makes
twelfth of the crust of our earth. Its
particles are mingled in the dust OF
every country road, in the air we
breathe, in the water we drink, IN
the food we eat. 1t is the great
colorist of nature, and gives the red
to our blood. Whilst iron has play
ed so great a part in the story of ere
alton, it has had still more shining
function in the epic of humanity
The now famed cast-stcel factory
of Krupp, in Essen, which, up to
1885, had furnished 10000 cannons
to 81 different States, takes fore
most rank, and, besides weapons, the
firm Of Krupp also turns out many
other articles, for instance railway
plant, especially since the invention
of the Semens -NIarten system. In
order to ensure tho best raw material,
the firm has purchased four coal
mines and Ala iron-stono mines. 1T
also owns several mines in tho north
of Spain. Special steamers have
been built for the transport of the
ore. The Krupp mines produce
100000 Kilogrammcs of iron
monthly, with eleven furnaces. In
1881 the total amount of steel and
iron came to 100000 tons. At the
cast-steel factory upward of 1000
workmen are employed, and upward
of $500 at the mines and FORCES, for
whom dwellings, hospitals and stores
have been erected, and sick and pen
sion funds established. The works
arc carried on by board Of directors.
Another most important estab
lishment is the Gruson casting works
at Buckau in Mecklenbcrg. Their
speciality is Gruson metal, SO named
after its inventor.
Another great industrial genius is
the so-called railway King, Baron
Won Stumn, proprietor of the great
iron forges in Neunkirchen, one of
the main supporters of Bismarck
protective policy.
Characteristic of the prosperity OF
the German iron industries is an ut
terance made by Louis Schwartz
Kopf, one of the mort eminent Ber-
lin engineers, who declared that his
own success in trade, as we'll az that
of his colleagues, was due in a great
measure to their having recognized
in time how much more profitable 1t
is to manufacture implements of war
than implements for purposes of
peace.
Everything bearing on technical
Electricity is making rapid progress
in Germany. In Berlin, electrical
competition is so great that even
private households will soon be able
to light their houses very cheaply
by electricity.
Another widespread industry is
that of glass making, which is chief
ly carried on in Saxony and Thurin-
gia. In vogue, is a new method for
producing hard-glass.
The manufacture Of paper has as
sumad enormous dimensions, espec-
tally since the adoption Of cellulose.
Since 1910, machine manufactured
paper has almost entirely supplanted
the hand made. Germany produces
more paper than any other country.
The export amounts to $500, 900
kilogrammcs more than the importa-
tian
Textile industries have attained
considerable importance. Crefeld is
the centre of the silk and velvet
manufacture. Linen weaving is the
chief industry Of Silesia, and is of
great consequence.
Nor must a world-famed industry
be forgotten, namely, that Of the
Nuremberg toys.
Chemnitz, in Saxony, is manu-
featuring town of frst-class rank in
various branches Of hardware, such as
tool and machinery making
Bee, brewing, always a German