New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-14
BOOM IN THE IRON TRADE.
BUSY TIMES IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
MINES AND MILLS.
PROSPERITY FOR BOTH EMPLOYERS AND WORK
MEN-LoNG-rDLE PLANTS STARTING Up.

PROSPERITY FOR BOTH EMPLOYERS AND WYNN
MEN-LoNG-IDLE PLANTS STARTING Up.
Reading. Penn. April Is tSpecaD.-The nres OF
the industries of the great Schuykill Vahey on
whose prosperity the happiness OF over one hi'i'oh
people depends, burning brighter to-day thah
for generation. Within radius OF nfty miles
OF this city, one OF the great iron centres OF the
country the wages OF $1,000 men have peeh ao-
vanced In the last month. and such IS the hopeiui
situation that the wages Of fully 300 nave peeh
increased second time. as indicated In THESE us
patches a few days ago. This has all been done
voluntarily by the manufacturers, and they must
indeed be making money when they are enabled
TO do this. Long-idle anthracite blast furnaces
are again abaze. the value OF iron plants has
taken an upward jump. and stacks In whlcn the
fires went out In the last Democratic Administra-
ton are once earning big dividends for their
owners and enabling thousands Of men to earn
good livelihood
The last few months have wrought a great change
in the pig-iron situation. and the middle of April.
1898 finds the business enjoying more Of healthy
boom than mere mushroom growth Inc next
two weeks will find every furnace in operation
that can be kept going at profit. Many old
plants have been dlsmantled but all the modern
up-to-dae stacks are being prepared for participa-
ton in the general prosperity
NEW FURNACES BUILT.
In the Lehigh Valley the Crane Iron Company
and the Thomas Iron Company have reconstructed
their furnaces. and they are In full blast. others
owned by individuals similarly busy. Allen
town. Catasauqua. Easton and Bethlehem are the
centres Of this activity. The Reading Iron Com
pany is getting the Emans furnace ready TO apply
the match. The Topton furnace has been idle
for several years. 1t is now being overhaued aud
will be going In two weeks 1t Is owned by the
Eckert estate. of this city. but outside capitalists
negotiating to buy T.. The Temple furnace is
of the leading pig-iron plants of this region
ic ofed nv he Iron
by Of its liberal charter. has been enabled
TO form the big combine of anthracite collieries
owned by individuals The president Is George f.
Baer. OF the general managers Of the Phila-
delphia and Reading Railway. who Is also presi-
dent of the Reading Iron Works which employs
1900 hands. The latter. as already noted, have
had their wages increased a second time within
month. In two weeks the match will be applied
to the companys new anthracite blast furnace, IN
this city. which has been nearly two years In
building 1; is the largest plant OF its kind In
Eastern Pennsylvania. and will turn out 800 tons
a week. Its cost nearly 10000. The same
company is building tube works in the lower
section OF this city covering several blocks. which
represents an outlay of s25O,OOo and will employ
many hundreds Of men. Only few years ago the
company constructed "a pudding mill and skelp
mill a OF $780, 900. and these are in operation
for the first time.
The other furnaces In this city are all In opera
ton. Among the leading plants OF this character
the two Henry Clay furnaces. They were
built and dedicated when the great Kentucky Pro-
tectionst was In the zenith OF his fame and have
been going since. except when the business
bighted by Democratic tariff thinkers. Up the
Lebanon Valley there is similar healthy state OF
Of affairs. Some days II takes one hundred cars
TO carry away the pg-ron turned out by It's fur
naces The Robesonla furnace is in full operation.
and its product is 1850 tons week. 1t is
one of the pes-paying stacks in Eastern Pennsyl-
vania.
The two Sheridan furnaces were idle several
years General f. Burd Grub. OF New-Jersey. was
Company has been reorganized with English cap:
Parliament. and both now in blast, Around
Lebanon and the famous Cornwall ore hills eight
nine furnaces are In operation, after a long
idleness. The large furnace at Leesport. this
county. has been purchased by Philadelphia people,
who intend to reorganize under a charter 10 be
applied for in ew-Jersey. 1t has been idle five
TO S be Brooke ron has
furnace going, and will fire another after having s
Idle Se' furnaces and other iron works have
sumed after passing through ohg siege IN heg Ine
on a new steel mill. which will employ 800 people
BIG DEMAND FOR PIG-IRON.
The good times are everywhere gagged by the
state of the pig Iron market. and this is certainly
in hrst-class condition Complaints longer
heard from the iron masters that Southern COM
petition is driving them out Of the business. With
4 demand for their product at good prices they
realize that there Is a market for all that can be
turned out. no matter whether In the North or the
South. Two years ago they were getting s. and 50
ton for pig-iron, just little more than the re
OF producing IT, To-day the price is $3.50
and over and there are many ~ who you'd not O be
prices 10000 tons were stacked up on the premises
OF Eastern Pennsylvania furnaces. This has been
o rs to nd Plants by b goph sell from
This is the condition Of affairs throughout the
PHILADELPHIA. Reading is
distant from these four cities Near Harrisburg
lead in the production. The Paxton Iron Works
put furnace in blast last week and another Is
Ali this prosperity is bringing good times in other
directions. In this district 800 men are now at
eoes 20 the fnrnaces Some ten or twelve years
ago Grover Cleveland and the Democratic Tree
severe blow in the Eastern Pennsylvania Valley,
between this city and Allentown. over one thou
out OF work. Some turned their attention 10 agri,
culture and many drifed to the coal cement ana
and abandoned, tenant-houses were vacant for
years. and the ore-mining country presented
Half a dozen OF the largest mines have resumed.
others are preparing, and ore shipments are again
it will be only a few weeks before from 400 to 800
men will be at work. ...,u III ,,,.
iron turned by tho furnaces are buster than AZ
time in twenty years Hardware S wCrS f fac
tories. bolt and nut works. stove and Pipe
ocomotye and car shoPs are have sees
advances in wages in some OF these also ana IN IN
all of he% s Gn s % %
wages of iron workers IN other h bard times
the schpys low va s $50 on Ts. has srad
ally risen until under successive advances me
last Of which will go into erect on May l. '"e'
will receive 50 a ton.
TWO WIFE-MURDERERS HANGED.
crossvIle. Tenn. April I3.-Hiram Hail. who MUIR