HOCKING VALLEY. 669 



tistical information, estimates the cost of the raw material for a ton of 

 iron as follows : , 



Two and three-fourths tons coal, at 50 cents, say $1 40 



Two and one-fourth tons roasted ore, at |2.00 4 50 



Three- fourths ton limestone 60 



Total $6 50 



The testimony of all parties conversant with the facts is that the cost 

 of iron made from the native ores, with one-fifth to one-sixth Lake 

 Superior ore, will not vary much from $12 per ton at present rates of 

 wages, and certainly will not exceed 614. The native ores prove richer 

 in metallic iron than was anticipated, and are easily reduced. No coke 

 is used with the coal, and I think this practice may be continued, with 

 satisfactory results. 



The following table exhibits the character of the iron ores, so far as 

 they have been determined by chemical analyses. This and the other 

 tables of analyses of the ores of the Great Vein coal-field disclose the 

 presence of oxide of manganese in so large quantities as to have a very 

 important influence in determining their value. 



Practical experiments have demonstrated that the presence of phos- 

 phorus in steel in such quantities as would necessarily make it quite 

 worthless, may b9 rendered innoxious by the addition of a proper per- 

 centage of manganese. " There can no longer be much doubt that man- 

 ganese exerts upon steel a body-giving, toughening influence, as well as 

 a neutralizing, upon the hardening or cold shortening due to phosphorus. 

 Though these properties of manganese have been suspected for some time, 

 the mutual dependence, and, to a certain extent, interchangeability, of 

 carbon and phosphorus were not fully appreciated, until M. Tessi6 du 

 Motay succeeded in producing, with ferro-manganese, a good steel rail, 

 containing about 0.12 per cent, of carbon, 0.25 of phosphorus, and 0.75 of 

 manganese." 



Prof. S. P. Baird, in quoting the above remarks, says : " In the light 

 of recent investigations, therefore, phosphorus is no longer entitled to 

 • the evil distinction of being, as a well-known metallurgist has expressed 

 it, ' the very scourge and pestilence of th« steel workers.' And the time 

 is probably not far away when many rich deposits of ore now esteemed 

 to be worthless will find ready utilization." 



