The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-20
A PLACE FOR CAPITAL.
State GeoIogist Shows Where Money
Can BE Made.


Can BE Made.
One of the most important papers read
and discussed by the State Board of Com
merce was that of w. S. Blatchley, state
geologist, who told where Capital can be
Probably Invested in Indiana
mo State in the Union," he said, unless
it be Pennsylvania, possesses a better or
cheaper supply of fuels than does Indiana.
These fuels are the most valuable resources
of our State to-day. We are drawing upon
them with lavish hand. They came to us
without great labor, as comes oftentimes
the accumulated riches of toiling and
thrifty parent to a spendthrift son. and as
with the latter, come easy, go easy seems
to be our motto. We not only waste them
in our furnaces, our CRATES and our stoves
by burning them at all hours and in over
abundance, but we also allow 20000000 or
more cubic feet of gas to escape daily sim
ply because we are too lazy to plug the
wells which have been bored for OIL"
He told of the wonderful growth Of the
clay industries in the last five years. 1.-THE
ever increasing demand" said he, for clay
products for structural and road uses has
The rapid advancement in the price of lun-
Der, due to the disappearance of the forests
of the State, has led architects and builders
fore the advantages of clay products for
structural purposes.
THE cement industry is a growing one
and promises much for the future. Two
kinds of cement are manufactured in the
State. In my opinion the most valuable I'M
developed resource in Indiana is the kaolin
of Lawrence, Martin and Owen counties. 1t
is the purest clay found in the State" Mr..
Blatchley also said that in the ooltic stone
of Lawrence and Monroe counties is an in
exhaustible supply of carbonate of lime Of
sufficient purity to make Portland cement
equal in quality to any. Millions of tons of
shale, he said, we'll fitted for making the
best grades of paving brick exist in the
coal-bearing counties of the State.
OUTSIDERS REAPING PROFITS.
In conclusion the state geologist said:
'srhe resources of the State are being de-
veloped at the rate of nearly $50 100000 year
" yet much of the capital which is bring
ing about this development is owned by
parties outside of the State They reap the
benefits; they pocket the profits. The peo-
pie of Indiana, with hundreds of thousands
of dollars of capital lying idle. have been for
the most part reluctant to invest in the re-
sources of their State They have stood by
and seen our thickeSt coal veins, our great
est clay factories, our largest stone quar-
ries, the majority OF our oil wells and the
greater part of our natural gas property
owned and operated by foreign capital. A
few millions are invested in developing
these resources and pay taxes into our
treasures but the profits, aggregating far
greater sums, go into the Golfers Of nonresi-
dent owners. Were Indiana capital invested
both capital and profits would remain in the
State and the wealth upon which taxes are
based would increase in much greater pro-
portion. In the clay industry especially
should Indiana capital be invested, and the
several millions of dollars now annually sent
outside of the State for clay products be
kept within her bounds With raw ma
terial and fuel both plentiful home factories
should be erected, should be protected
should be patronized, for in such way only
can the future wealth and welfare of the
State be increased and plentiful labor be
provided for her workingmen."