The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26
OUR GREAT STEEL TRADE.
ITS RFMIRKABLE DEVELOPMENT
DURING RECENT YEARS.


DURING RECENT YEARS.
Importance of tho United states as = Pro-
Queer Of Iron Ore and Manufacturer OF
st-eI-New Era for the Trade Beginning
with the Combinations OF Capital.
The United States began It's existence as an
independent nation when tho age Of iron was only
Just fairly begun At the completion OF the frst
century Of this counry's history iron had reached
tho limit Of its empire and steel, the new king,
was fast forcing its progeni,or 10 the rear To-day
sioel Is king. and the United States Is tho most
important field In the industrial empire over which
the now monarch holds sway.
Ten years ago when our last census figures
were gathered. steel ha' but Just firmly estAb-
lishcd its supremacy and given It's impulse TO the
growth Of iron ore mining. and the long list Of
allied industries which flourish in the royal train.
but even at that time the record Of the part which
iron and steel play in our industrial concerns
was startling. We dug then from the earth
IL, 500 900 tons Of ore. worth az soon as II was
aboard cars or boats at the pits mouth more than
S33 900, 900. and thu mines themselves were valued
at above 500 600 900. Nearly six hundred compan-
les were engaged in producing the orc, giving EN-
poymcnt 10 ~, 225 persons. Moro than half the
total product came from the red hemntite mines
II the Lake Superior region. Then this noun.
tin Of ore went into the furnaces and mills Of the
country and came out as 1900 900 tons Of iron
and steel In the seven hundred and
odd mills and furnaces value had bcen
added to II by l75.5OO workers, whose
wages Of nearly seo.ooo,ooO and interest
upon the sil4 OO0. 00O invested were but parts
~ the increase. BY the umo the reached
these first convertcTs thousands more Of workers
employed on railroad and stea mship lines had
drawn living from the handling Of II. the prod.
uct had paid the interest on many millions moro
~ capital and its own value had doubled. As
II went into the mouths Of the furnaces II now
worth S67 900. With II there went into those
same furnaces So 500 900 worth of fuel ST. 200 OOO
worth VI limestone or other nux, and $4,000, 600
worth Of mill cndcr each ono OF which had con.
trbuted already in proportion to It's cost, 10 the
employment Of the people and to returning an
income TO the thrifty ones Of tho country whose
savings were invested in the mines mills and
ovens that produced the supplies
From these mills issued great streams Of steel
and iron. which branching as they flowed. fed
tho wheels Of many Industries. One great stream
We 4 TO the railroads, which took roughly speak.
Ing, a third Of tho product, in thousands and
thousands Of miles Of steel rails Another great
stream went into the wire mills. a. issue from
them finally in the form Of a million tons OF wire
nails, fence and telegraph and other wires. and
small rods for machine shop purposes. Another
pipe for water, gas and sewage purposes, while
others went 10 mills whence came structural forms
for skyscrapng buildings, and bridges, 10 fac.
tories where stoves and furnaces arc cast. steam
fittings and heating apparatus made or where
bolts and rivets are turned out in lots worth Sl2
100000 or SIS. OOO, 900 n year for use in other
factories. From these factories and shops tho
streams again subdivdcd and reached out until
their hnal rlls ran into almost every industry
and into every household in the land.
To follow the value tu the country OF the Iron
and steel industry beyond the second lot OF shops
that handle the material would BE- difiicult bu,
glance at what II amounted to ten years ago, in
these shops and then draw figures Of comparison
for today. In 1889, D. AIS foundties and machine
shops alone employed $3.50 800, coo capital 247.
700 hands and Si7l li5. 900 worth Of material
and turned out S4le. 200. 900 worth Of products
They paid out 81 is $50 900 in wages for the year
Nail mills employed 81, 33i 900 in capital more
than 1900 men and nearly Sa3. 900 900 worth
Of material and turned out a product worth $50
225OOO Architectural and orna mental iron
works were Of about the same importance with
a product worth S3s,OcO.OO0. Close behind
these was the steam fitting and heating trade
which turned $1,000, 900 worth Of raw material
into S2S, $50, 900 worth Of products. \ tabl.
al the industries mentioned shows that including
the mines the principal iron and steel industries
81 the United States ten years ago. employed
Sl.O25, 'N.W0 81 capital, gave work 10 sal. l2O
hands. TO whom 1921, O9O. 90 year was paid
and that they turned $500, 0i9 900 worth Of ma.
trrial into products worth 81. O87. $50 900 or a
value each year greater than their capital stocks.
In this year. 1892 the total product Of iron and
steel has risen IN ten months 10 figures which
warrant safe prediction that before the year is
nut we shall have produced about ~, 500 900 tons
al Sta.l AGy,, mi, 49, ,tt
has not been accomplished without eqiyalen.
investments Of new capital and an equal adding
TO the other features 81 the industry II would seem
sale TO assert that today these same industries
are employing 81 $50, 600, 900 Of capital giving
work 10 $4,000 hands and producing 81, 800 e
100000 worn Of goods Their wage list runs 20
SOL 900 900 year and the cost oi materials 20
$685., 500. 900.
Our growth as an iron producing country has
been enormous and at a rate uncqualled in tho
worlds history. In 1855 first touched tho
1000. 900 ton a year mark. About 1871 ". reached
tho 100000 ton mark. and the 100000 ton
marx in 1880, while in 1880 We had almost again
doubled our production. Within another few
wears II seems sure that shall again double
the production. and touch the 10 600 900 ton m ark
\lready we are making as much iron and steel
sthn whole world produced in 1871, aud the world
passed the laOOO 900 ton mark but once until
1880, when II made 1900 600 tons But tho
world progress has since been as rapid almost
our own, and by 1889 it was making 90 600 600
tons of raw iron and steel
That there will be no lack Of market for all va
can make, either at home or abroad. there can 10
no doubt The Hon Abram s, Hewitt in paper
read before the American geographical and Stats.
teal Society in 1865, said that the consumption
oi iron is social barometer by which To estma u
the relative height Of civilization among nations
and pointed out with prophetic vision the strides
which the iron industry was bound to take with
the increase OF Population in all the world and
under tho impetus Of European civilization.
II surprises the inquirer to find" he wrote,
tina, in the year l7i0, only 1i6 years ago tho
total production Of iron in England amounted 10
no more than II $50 tons made by fifty nine fur.
naces, giving an annual production Of 294 tons
Ia each furnace. At that time am satisfied IN at
the total production of Europe did not exceed
100 600 tons Of which 60 900 tons were m ade in
Sweden and Russia, and one half Of this as i'm
ported into England The annual consumption