The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-10
CEMENT IN THE SOUTH.
Rapidly Pushing to the Front as 4
Building Materially Great Aid
in Our Marvellous De-
Nclopment.
Especial to News and Observer

Especial to News and O~bSerNer.)
Baltimore, Md. July Tn view
Of the rapidly increasing uses Of ce-
ment and the possibilities Of cement
manufacture in the South, the Manu-
facturers' Record of this week re-
views the remarkable development of
the Cement industry III the United
states, and says:
In 1880 the United states produced
3.S0o, 900 tons Of pig-iron; last year
the total production was nearIy 3D.
600. 900 long tons. or a little over six
times as much as the production of a
quarter Of a century ago. This IS
everywhere accepted as one of the
most marvellous grOWthS in industrial
history. and yet it is not to be com
pared with the rate of growth III the
manufacture Of Portland cement.
Wherever one turns he can but be
struck with the amazing increase in
the use Of cement for concrete CON
struction. Not only in great office
building and immense factories, but
in hotels, dwellings, and in every other
form of construction work, concrete
is everywhere coming into use. The
creation of the Portland cement in
dustry as a result of this form of con-
structi0n is one of the wonders of the
industrial world. In 1880 the total
output Of Portland cement in the
United States was $4,000 barrels; last
tar 1t VAS 34.tUt, bUD DdffeIS, or over
500 times as much. whereas IN pig
iron production the output of 1905
was only about six times as much as
that Of 1880. And yet the growth
Of the cement industry has in 10 way
hampered or interfered with the
growth Of the iron industry. ON the
contrary, but for the creation of this
new industry. the construction de-
vclopment Of the country would have
been halted, or else We would have
had an absolute iron and steel famine.
outside Of the general value to
the country by the development Of
such a great industry with its vast
creation Of wealth and Of employ
ment. there is the great specific value
of having come at such a fortunate
time to supplement- iron and steel.
and equally important in helping to
save American forests from complete
destruction. As concrete has supple
mented iron. SO has it helped the
lumber situation by coming into many
forms Of construction where timber
would otherwise have been essential.
The demand for timber Will continue
to increase to such an extent as to
cndanger even beyond what We have
heretofore seen our forest interests.
and but for cement this would be-
come far worse. This industry,
therefore, has not only the value Of
a new creation Of vast extent to it
Credit, BuI 10 IIl1S 1t dlIl~ iIIIiIlFd~al d
BILE value as supplementing iron and
steel and lumber. Cement has sim
ply come in as an auxiliary to help
maintain our vast building activity.
There is 10 likelihood that the de-
vel0pment Of cement in the future viii
be other than an aid to the expan-
son Of the iron and stee! industry. for
the latter is growing with as great
rapidity as capital and labor can be
found adequate to utilize our ore and
coal r~eSOurces. But as we seem Il
be standing just st the threshold OF 2
still further expansion Of worldwide
Importance in iron and steel. with a
world-wide expansion Of every line Of
human activity, 50 we seem to be but
at the beginning of a development Of
| the Cement industry. which. while the
| rate Of growth cannot Of course, con-
niue at the same great percentage 81
| increase as for the las quarter OF a
| century, Will at least. in all prOba-
| bility, continue as great in the actual
| figures Of advance as Of late years
As late as 1900 the total cement pro
ductiOn Of the country was only
| 500. barrels The next year II
Jumped TO 12.700,0 0O barrels. followed
in 1902 by q gain Of nearly 5000. 900
barrels. and reaching in 1903 an out
nut of 2~2,3O0.000 barrels, from which
there was an advance in 1905 to 81
| 100000 barrels.