HOCKING VALLEY. 659 
9 
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.......---------- -eee- $1.40 
Two and one-fourth tons roasted ore, at $2.00...... .. 222. ne cone ne won 4 50 
‘Phree fourths OM WMesStONne: ccicsic cctcic na vind wejn osc ce cw cteleccin nociceelcaes 60 
ROCA Cee e sneo ersten ei eainte sic Scien Lowe tecocciseucicas ese wees $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 $14. 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 be 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 weil 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. Tessié du 
Motay succeeded in producing, with ferro-manganese, a good steel rail, 
containing spout 0.12 per cent. of carbon, 0.25 of phosphorus, and 0.75 of 
manganese.” 
Prof. 8. F. Baird, in quoting the ae 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 the 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.” 
