Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-08-03
IRON TRADE.
Frank b. Baird Told the Commerce
Commission About 1t.

coHiHllSSlOH, dG buIIdlO, ldS6 odbtlf-
day, the commission being in ses-
sion to take testimony relative to
the Erie canal. Mr.. Baird who is
one of the owners of the Emporium
furnace, is one of the leading iron
men of the country and his testi-
mOny will be read with interest by
the PRESS readers. Mr.. Baird's
remarks are taken from the Buff
falo Commercial.
After a brief session, Frank b.
Baird appeared and was sworn.
He said: II am an iron manu-
facturer. | built furnace in
Ohio in 1876. Before that / was d
mine owner for six years. My
father was in that business before
me and my grandfather built the
first furnace in Ohio, in Adams
county, in 1919. [ am familiar
with the iron industry, and the
iron ore trade in the northwest" i"
Mr. Baird traced the history and
growth of the iron ore trade in this
country, and his narration of the
primative methods of mining was
interesting. He said in 1910 the
fairy tales of iron ore in the north
west were generally disbelieved
until the ore from that region be-
gan pouring in. The northwest
ore was much superior to the ore
found in Kentucky and other ore
producing states. During the civil
war the demand for iron was
enormous and deposits of fine iron
ore were discovered right along.
Pittsburg was the first city to take
advantage of this and became the
pig iron centre. In 1868 the coun-
try passed the million ton mark in
the production of pig iron and last
year IA, 100000 tons were made.
In II years, he prophesied the pro-
duction will exceed 10000, 900
| tons.
The deposits of iron ore in Eng
land are practically exhausted and
the ore for the manufacture of iron
in England is mainly secured in
Spain and Africa and some is OBJ
tanned in Venezuela. He predict
ed that the world would in the
| future, have to depend upon
America for iron.
Mr.. Baird told what Russia and
Canada are doing to protect their
iron trade and said the deposits in
northwestern part of this country,
especially in Michigan and Mime
sofa and Wisconsin, are practically
inexhaustible. The chief deposits
cover areas over 200 miles in ex-
tent and the quality is very fine.
The mines are for the most part
situated from so to $50 miles away
from the lake coast and the rail
rates to the lake ports are quite
steep. 1t is now problem to get
this ore and its products to tide
water advantageously and profit
ably. New methods of using coal
and coke and their products have
tended to revolutionize oldmethods.
Good coal has been discovered
within $50 miles of Buffalo.
bringing the ore to Buffalo,
also the new coke" said Mr.. Baird,
guarantees to Buffalo the great
est iron centre in the world"
Canada, he said is to become d
great competitor in the iron in
dustry. That country has offered
for five or six years, a bounty of
50 a ton on pig iron. He said he
had examined, within a week,
four different sets of plans for
furnaces in Nova Scotia, and scores
of others are planned. A great
deal of capital will thus beinvested.
He said there was much to fear
from this source. Buffalo's great
menace at present is the Welland
canal.
II would rather have" he said,
" a blast furnace in Buffalo than
in any other place in this country !;
but | would rather have blast
furnace on the Welland canal than
any other place in America"
The bounty offered by Canada
and the facilities for shipment on
the Welland canal, he explained,
were certain advantages.
"What will this bounty cost the
people of Canada in five years ?'
asked Mr.. Schierne.
II should say itwould bankrupt
that country Said Mr.. Baird.
He said that hundreds of furnaces
would be started and would be
continued, even though the bounty
was withdrawn. One contemplate
ed furnace, said Mr.. Baird, would
draw s., 900 day bounty, "and, !"
he added, II don't think Canada
can stand that sort of thing very
long.
| skI o~oo@ NJ, Do