Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-09-27
THE OUTLOOK.
Newton Sharp, writing in the

MIR. UWdIu HVhl"' ~ 4Lo
Gle entitled The Signs OF the
Times in the August NUMBER OF
this magazine, few people yet COM
rrpbend that the iron and steel IN
dustry of this country IS UNDERGO
inc a wonderful transition ano
one one it is safe to say, that involves
the ultimate transfer of the para
mount control of the production, OF
iron and steel from Europe to this
country. Mr.. Atkinson estimates
that during the next five five years
there will be at least 10000 miles
of railroad constructed in tins
country. When it is considered
that in addition to this the present
mileage, which amounts to loo'Ooo'
stands largely in need of repairs
and lew equipment, it is difficult
to see anything else than most
prolonged period Of activity ahead
both for iron and steel, and, indeed,
for all of the forms in which IRON
is used"
Other authorities equally we'll
Informed. assume that it will be
impossible for this country..to sup
ply the rapidly growing demand
for. furnace products. The rail-
roads now in opel ation,'< but the
condition Of whose rolling stock
and rails is not commensurate with
the traffic at their command, have
Just begun to put in orders. With
this market to supply and the new
railroads which are being projected
and others in process of construc-
ton, some'idea may be formed OF
the immediate requirements OF the
country for iron. One prominent
difficulty in the way of adequate
production is the want Of coke and
ores, as preparations have not been
made for the sudden and enlarged
demand for iron, Of course there
is plenty of iron and coal in state
of nature. but it takes time ard
money to open-new mines and es-
tab1ish new mining.plants. Untl
this is done, some of the furnace;
now idle will have to remain so tol
want of raw material, and some Of
these are so situated that they coulC
not be proftably repaired and work
ed under any circumstances.
In Virginia, nearly. all the fur
naces which arc idle are preparIns
to resume operations. This isl eS
pecially so along the Chesapeake
and Ohio and Norfolk and Western
lines. There has been some della,
recently from scarcity Of coke, bu
this will be remedied, ,and in shor
time the iron ore mines &and tn
coke ovens will be tested to thel
fullest capacity.
The Illinois Steel Works. OF CHI
cago. have ordered 10000 tons o
the low silicon iron made at tn
Alice furnace, Birmingham, tn
result of adapting Alabama red or
to the manufacture Of basic stee
To supply the unprecedented de
= mand, the Tennessee Iron and Goa
E Company will put another furnac
] in operation at Be9semer, Ala.
! In forty-eight hours, during tn
last week of August, $4,000 tons c
iron. of Southern furnaces, WEI
a sold at full figures i'll four day
e Other furnaces, North and Soutl
a sold in equal proportion. Anothf
advance of from so cents to Sl.O
per ton was ordered, and it is bellc'
9 ed the price will continne to go u
t Notwithstanding the action OF SON
{ operators and agents inviting TO
. eign importations. Supply an
" demand will regulate sales, whetl
t. err the conditions will Justify fol
/ eign invasion or not.
" 1t looks as though we were
have the greatest prosperity IN IL
iron business ever witnessed IN tn
e country, and that 1t will contln'
It for some years. 1t was Abram
r Hewitt who, several years ag
'e said the consumption of this Cou
y try in 1900 would reach 10,OO0,O'
a tons. and Edward Atkinson place
" it at 100000 tons. That won
y require twice the capacity of OF
E. present furnaces, as we have nev
6 vet reached over 100000 tor
a This, too, when economies are a
p 49, :,, ,ooI;nr now Whit