The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-02-19

WIN h. Cont e.tsd To the bitter End
PlrrsBpRen, Pa, Feb. 1.-THE sltu-
alton in the steel rail business mere
shows that tho cutting of prices mas
resolved itself into bitter war Tor
.upremacy. Ii is learned that the
Carnegie Steel Co is meeting all COM
petition of the Illinois Steel Co, ana
has instructed its representatives IN
Chicago to sell steel rails at sl7 IN
Chicago, or SLABS in Pittsburgh,
lower figure than has been quoted in
any reports printed.
When the pool went TO pieces at the
in Pittsburgh Monday, an
is said to have been ihade
between the two big concerns opcrat'
ing west of the mountains to mann
tain prices, which were then fixed at
500 at Pittsburgh and S2l at Chicago,
but each firm was TO go AFTER any
business it could obtain. President
Gates of the Illinois steel Co., IL Is
alleged, went direct to Chicago anu
within two hours the wires were
burdened with messages TO all the
railroads of the west in qloting rails
at SIS.
The Carnegie company ut once lssueu
orders TO their agents to meet all cuts
that might be made, and as result To-
day, the Carnegie company, at 0hi-
cago, is selling rails at Sli.25 per toh'
which, with the freight from ihts-
burgh added. makes rate of SIT, ana
the war, il is said, is to be waged 10
the bitter end.
The Iron Trad. Review on the Situation
CLEVELAND, O., Feb. En- review
ing the situation in relation To the
collapse of the steel rail pool, the Iron
Trade Review. says:
Though not like bolt out of clear
sky-for the clouds nave been plenti-
full of late-the announcement that
the steel rail pool had gone to pieces
shook the iron trade profoundly. IL
meant the sweeping away OF the chief
bulwark Of the steel manufacturers
against a protitlcss struggle for SUI
premacy, and the BELIEF that the
giants are now willing to try conclu-
sions in an open field excites the live
liest speculation as to the outcome.
That the railroads will appreciate
that the present opportunity .rrants
the straining of n point to make the nee
essary financial arrangements to buy
now is "A natural inference. Some
! sales have been made already, and 1t
may be expected that in measure a
repetition will come of the experience
in the billet market in late December
and early January, when large ton
mage was closed at prices known TO oe
highly advantageous to buyers, what
ever the turn taken by raw materials
The extent of the complaint by rail-
roads at the SIS basis would indicate q
desire to buy. but for the prices, and
with the stimulus the market Will re-
ceive from the placing OF rail orders,
and the accompanying tonnage Oh
track supplies. it is only a reasonable
expectation that the start will come
which has been long delayed.
The Ore Pool to Go Next IL IL Has No
Gone Already,
CHICAGO. Feb 12.-The Tribune pu b
fishes the following:
The Iron Ore association, which hal
controlled prices and fixed the ontpu
of Lake Superior iron mines, stand
directly in the track of the cyclone
which has swept away every combina
ton and pool in the iron and stee
trade for the division of business an
the maintenance of prices.
What the rockefeller Carnegie CON
bination will do in the ore pool wi
become manifest within fortnight
The first announcement will be IN TN
shape of large sales of ore for deliver
, during the coming season OF navlg'
tion without regard to the poo
Even more important than the CO
lapse Of the steel rail pool. while
: was scattered to the winds on Mo
}. dav, will be the termination
4 the ore pool. 1t will mean a terrii
! war on prices by all the iron minir
companies of northern Michigan al
Minnesota. Towns now prosperous
t these regions will be effected. Min
) which have produced mountains al
made millionaires may be given ov
to rotting timbers and rusty puml
The population of the iron m
ing regions of the north
be shifted in the migration
3 miners TO new fields. The stories
=. privation and suffering which the II
-. districts of the north have scve
=. times given to the world since
j. panic Of four years ago may be ret
=. in the working out of the cham
l.. which must come with free comp
-" ton between the great mining &C
49,. paaies.
q While the end of the steel rail 2
-. brings a reduction in wages 1T I
brings more work. but in the mi
.... new fields of labor are far away,
~. In the development of the Mess
range far less men are required
produce the ore than in the old mi
..'. which lave furnished largest emp
-. ment to miners in the past.
49,. There is serious question II the
ore pool has not already gone. In
+" vious winters the production OF e
-. important mine in the Lake Sups
=" region had been allotted and p
l... fixed long before this time IN re
airy. AS yet no allotment has
-. made and no prices fixed Tor
~. coming season. Meetings have.
ri. held at Cleveland, but they have