LIME AND CEMENT INDUSTRIES 695 



American cements have largely replaced foreign brands 

 tlirongliout the U. S. This is especially true of English and 

 Belgian cements, which are generally inferior to the best Ger- 

 man brands. There is no difficulty whatever at present in sell- 

 ing a good American Portland cement in St Louis and Chicago 

 at a higher price than any well-kno^vn English cement; never- 

 theless the fact remains that there is among contractors a con- 

 siderable prejudice in favor of certain brands of German cements, 

 and the latter still command a higher price than the American. 

 This prejudice is unfounded, and is therefore certain to depart 

 in time, but it still exists. American cements can be made at a 

 price which mil allow them to be sold cheaper than the best im- 

 ported German, and, where the two come together in competition 

 on large contracts, the work is generally made to the American 

 manufacturers on the basis of price. This was clearly shown on 

 the letting of a large government contract at Pittsburg last 

 winter. The offers were as follows: 



1 Belgian cement $2.50 a barrel 



5 German cements, average price. ... $2.66 " 



4 American cements, average price. . . $2.28 " 



The price of Portland cement is steadily coming down, and 

 the fall is being hastened greatly by the successful competition 

 of American against foreign manufacturers. There can be no 

 doubt that with a very few years practically all the Portland 

 cement consumed in this country will be of domestic manufac- 

 ture. The prices of some brands, however, will hardly be the 

 same as they are now. When the demand is completely supplied 

 by American manufacturers, we shall have works in this country 

 producing 2000 barrels per day more than in Germany, and the 

 same result will be reached here as in Germany, namely the com- 

 plete replacement of the common natural cement rock cements 

 by artificial Portland.-^ 



Portland cement industry 

 Portland cement was first manufactured experimentally in this 

 country at Coplay, Lehigh co. Pa., in 1872 at a locality in which 

 natural rock cement had up to that time been made. A ser^ond 

 one was at Wampum, Lawrence co. Pa., where fossiliferous lime- 

 stone and clay were used. 



1 Newberry, S. B. Brickbuilder. 1897. p. 108. 



