USA > Indiana > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 42
USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 42
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Ramsey, Joshua Rhea, Peter Richards, John Reed, James Reed (s), David Ramsey, Sr., Thomas Riley (s), Andrew Smith, John Stock- ton, Francis Stanford, Jacob Silvus, Conrad Secongros, George Secongros, John Secongros (s), William Stewart, James Shields, William Spiney, James Scott, John Standford, Isaac Standford, Abe Standford, Chris. Smathus, John Sowers, James Shields, John Stockton, John Sterrett, Herman Skiles (s), William Smith, Samuel Seawright, Steele Semple, Rob- ert Smith, Capt. John Sloan, David Shields, William Sypes (potter), Peter Sylvis, Michael Starr, Lewis Swytzer, Stephen Travis (s), Robert Travis, Peter Titus, Williamn Thomp- son (s), Michael Trainer, Samuel Thompson, William Thompson, Robert Thompson, Wil- liam Thomas, John Wilson (s), William Wil- son (s), Alex. Wilson, Lewis Wilson, David Wilson, William Wilson, John Wishey, George Williams, Mark Williams, Robert Walker (s), Alex. Walker, Benj. Walker, James Walker (s), Abe Walker, Absalom Woodward, Peter Wally, Thomas Watson, James Watterson, James Wilkins, Robert Warden, David White, John Wilkins, William Young, Philip Youk- ley, Fred. Youkley.
List of taxables in Sugar Creek township in 1807 :
Major John Weames, distillery owner ; John Mounts, William Parker, Leonard Silvis and Chris. Truby, grist and saw-mill owners ; John Wernsel, saw-mill owner ; William Blaney, David Huston and M. Sheckley, weavers ; George Dougherty, tailor ; Robert Galbreath, tanner ; Joseph Hall and Andrew Kennedy, shoemakers ; Robert Nilson, blacksmith ; James Thompson, carpenter.
The following persons were principally land- owners :
Philip Anthony, Jacob Alimong, James Armstrong, Thomas Armstrong, Daniel Aslı- baugh, Jacob Anthony, John Bowser, Ruben Beerfit, Robert Boyd, John Beard, James Blane,
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GEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SKETCH OF
Wlliam Blane, George Brown, William Brown- field, Melcher Buzzard, Peter Burger, William Bell, Andrew Blair, John Bishi, Jacob Bish, John Benkert, Jolın Beatty, John Brown, John Burns, Valentine Bowser, Andrew Blair, Alex- ander Blair, Joseph Blair, William Barr, Fred. Buzzard, Charles Brian, James Brown, Patrick Boil, Andrew Bullman, John Campbell, James Cunningham, Landers Clark, William Coch- ran, Henry Chrisman, Fred. Chrisman, Joseph Carroll, Alexander Campbell, John Crawford, John Cowan, William Cowan, M. Coyle, Charles Campbell, John Crawford, John Cur- ry, Robert Curry, John Clippinger, Robert Core, Daniel Campbell, George Corman, Thos. Collins, Thomas H. Cook, Thomas Collins, John Dunlap, Eben Davis, John Davis, James Dunlap, John Donaldson, James Earley, James Emmit, Chas. Ellenberger, Samuel Earley, Samuel Elder, John Eton, John Edinburg, Thomas Foster, James Foster, Alex. Foster, John Foster, Ubanks Foster, James Foster, William Freeman, William Freeman, Jr., Jo- seph Frazer, Michael Fair, Harman Girt, Gid- eon Gibson, John Gibson, Alex. Gibson, James Gibson, Charles Glover, John Gillespie, Mi- chael Geyer, Daniel Henry, Stewart Henry, James Hannah, Thomas Hannah, Thomas Herron, Chas. Holden, James Hindman, Thos. Hindman, Peter Hauseman, Jacob Hepler, Jacob Hepler, Jr., Chris. Hepler, James Hun- ter, R. Hamilton, Geo. Huckelberry, David Henry, Simon Hovey, Henry Hustley, Peter Hustley, Andrew Hallibaugh, Michael Hains, John Johnston, David Johnston, Martin John, William Kerr, Barney Kelly, James Keer, Jonathan King, Geo. Knox, Edward Kelly, Geo. King, Hugh Kerr, James Kerr, John Kerr, John Kerr, Sr., Jacob Lighty, Benj. Leasure, John Lenbarger, Ezekiel Lewis, Alex. Lewis, Abe Lennington, Jacob Loop, John Lewis, Daniel Mortimer, Neil McBride, Clements McKern, James McManigle, Elijah Mounts, Robert McCutcheon, Adam Mier,
Conrad Mier, Jacob Milliron, Robert Manough, Chas. McCathey, James McCathey, Thomas Miller, Chas. McManus, Geo. McManus, Geo. Miers, Patrick McBride, Chas. McGinigle, David McNinch, Henry McNinch, Arch. Mc- Ninch, William McNinch, Joseph McKee, Andrew McKee, James McKee, John Mont- gomery, Andrew Milligan, Robert McDowell (s), John McDowell, William Moore, Arch. Moore, William Moore, William McKee, Samuel Morney, Thomas Morrow, William McNinchi, Jr., James Milleken, Thomas Mil- lcken, Robert McDonald, -- McKinley, James Nicholson, John Orr, Robert Orr, Sam- uel Orr, Robert Orr (s), Chris. Overt, Henry Orner, Henry Prumer, Richard Price, Nich Pountees, John Painter, Jr., Joseph Philips, Adam Peter, Samuel Parker, Peter Pence, Owen Queen, John Quigley, Owen Quin, Mi- chael Reed, Samuel Robinson, William Reed, Thomas Reed, Henry Rumel, Thomas Rilcy (s), James Red (s), John Sloan (s), William Sloan, Jonathan Shreader, Joseph Shields, Wil- liam Stephenson, Neil Sweeney, Michael Stare, Lewis Steelsmith, Jacob Steelsmith, Peter Sny- der, Solomon Shoop, Fred. Shoop, -- Sny- der, John Spangler, Conrad Snider, Isaac Steel, Nich. Snow, John Snow, R. Shears, Neal Sweeney, Geo. Stewart, Samuel Sanderson, Jonathan Streeter, David Sloan, Thos. Thomp- son, Francis Thompson, James Thompson, Arch. Thompson (s), Chas. Thompson (s), John Titus, Leonard Trees, Philip Templeton, Thos. Taylor, Jacob Truby, Henry Turner, Samuel Taylor, John Willey, Edward Wiggins, Robert Wallace, John Weeks, Elisha Weeks (s), Jacob Wiles, Joseph Wiles, John Wiles, Nicholas Wankey, Elisha Walls, Fred. Wilk, William White, James Watterson, Josiah White, Henry Wiles (s), Jacob Watterson, John . Wenzel, Jesse Young, Abe Young, Chris. Yockey, Abe Yockey, William Telephro.
A list of taxables in Buffalo township in 1807 : General Charles Campbell, John Craig,
313
ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
James Barr, John Orr and George Ross, Es- quires ; Rev. John Boyd, minister ; James Barr, Jr., schoolmaster ; Jacob Weaver, store- keeper ; Andrew Patterson, James Clark, Jo- seph Galbraitlı, wheelwright; John Simon, Jo- seph Cogley, John Duffy, and Charles Sype, blacksmiths ; Charles Boner, Joseph McDon- ald, Samuel Richey, E. Erwin, Joseph Brown, and Robert Colter, millwrights ; Samuel Craig, fulling-mill owner; John Painter, Enos Mc- Bride and Robert Mckinley, distillery owners ; Casper Easley, John Harbeson, saw-mill own- ers ; William Green, David Hall, Robert Mc- Cormick, grist-mill owners; George Holli- baugh, Joseph Hall and Andrew Kennedy, shoemakers ; Robert Long, tanner ; James Mc- Cormick, ferryman.
The following persons were chiefly land- owners : Philip Anthony, Jacob Alimony, James Armstrong, Thomas Armstrong, Daniel Ashbaugh, Jacob Anthony (s), William Bar- nett, John Beck, Abner Bradford, Robert Brown, George Brown, Jacob Bowser, George Byers, James Barr, David Barr (s); Samuel Bowser, John Bish, Jacob Bish, Nicholas Bricker, H. Claypole, James Campbell, John Campbell, George Clark (s), James Cunning- ham, Abe Colmer, Conrad Colmer, John Cal- lan, P. Callan, John Crawford, Robert Cogley, James Cogley, James Callan, Robert Con, George Claypole, David Claypole, Henry Cun- ningham, John Crookshanks, Samuel Dickin- son, John Donaldson, George T. Doherty (s), John Duffy, James Dunlap, Casper Easly, Jacob Everhart, Adam Ewing, Andrew Easley, Robert Flemmen, John Fish, Robert Fish, Thomas Fales, David Fales, James Fish (s), Ubanks Foster, John Girt, Harman Girt (s), William Gallagher (s), Richard Gazy, John Galbraith, John Green, Samuel Green, James Green, Daniel Green, Thomas Green, Charles Glover (s), James Gibson, Abe Gardner, James Gallagher, James Gallagher (s), Jesse T. Glenn, Jacob Garver, Jacob Garver, Jr., David Graham,
Joseph Hancock, Thomas Hook, David Henry, Daniel Helm, James Hanna, George Hawk, Andrew Hollibaugh, Charles Holder, James Hill, Alexander Hunter, William Hook, Geo. T. Hall, James Hazlett, Matthew Hopkins, William Jack, Nicholas Iseman, Thomas John- son, Thomas Jack, John Jack (s), William Kear, Andrew Kear, James Kear, Barney Kelly, Wil- liam Kiscaden, Thomas Kiscaden, James Kis- caden, Ned Kelly, Robert Kincaid (s), Abe Lea- sure, George Long, Timothy Linnington, Abe Linnington (s), Hugh Linnington (s), Isaac Lin- nington, David Lawson, Adam Maxwell, Wil- liam Mclaughlin, John Matthews, James Matthews, James Matthews, Sr., P. McCue, Stephen Mahaffey, Joseph Morrison, P. Mc- Bride, Archibald Moore (s), Joseph McKee, Robert McKee, Henry McEnich, Archibald McEnich, William McEnich, James McKee, John Montgomery, William Moore, Archibald Moore, Collum McGinley, Daniel McCue, James McCormick, Nicholas Myers, Joseph Millen, James Millen, William McKee, Jon. Moore, Samuel Murphy, Adam Morrow (s) John Mckean, James McCullough, Samuel Mooney, William Moore, Roger McCue, Henry McEn- niney, William McEnnich, Jacob McGinley, William Noble, James Noble (s), John Organ, Wm. Park, Henry Prumer, Margaret Peoples (widow), Isaac Powell, Richard Price, John Pennell, John Quigley (s), Fred Razor, Gilbert Right, David Reed, James Rayburn, Thomas Riley (s), Samuel Robinson, William Russell, William Shields, Wendel Stoup, William Sloan, Abe Smith, John Sype, James Sheridan, James Steel, James Summeral, James Sloan, Michael Starr, James Sloan, Jr., Peter Tie, Samuel Tay- lor, Robert Thornsburg, William Thornsburg (s), James Stuart, George Van Dyke (s), Jacob White, Thomas Willard, Leonard White, Thomas Watkins, Jacob Young, John Young.
A list of taxables in Red Bank township in 1807 : Captain John Sloan, John Brandon and Samuel C. Orr, Esquires ; John Wilson, distil-
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GEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SKETCH OF
lery owner; James and Fred Lauglilin, saw- mill owners ; John Mortimer and Abe Stan- ford, grist-mill owners; William Love and Thomas Guthrie & Co., saw and grist-mill own- ers ; James McElhany, wheel wright ; Daniel Boyles and William McConnell, tailors; Philip Clover and John Wilson, tanners; Tate Alli- son, William Cochran, William Frees, Robert Wilson, Alexander Moore and William Miller, weavers; James McGuire owned a slave ten years of age, which was to be free at twenty- eiglıt.
The following persons were principally land- owners : Robert Allison, William Adams, Jon. Adams, William Aston, Samuel Aston, George Beck, George Beard, Jacob Bumgardner, Thomas Barr, John Brandon, James Buchanan, Paul Clover, John Corbit, Abe Corsal, Alex. Cannon, James Cannon, John Cochran, John Crawford, Thomas . Connor, James Cathcart, Andrew Campbell, James Carson, I. F. Davids, Lewis Doverspike (s), John Emmet, Joseph Everett, Samuel Earls, John Grace, John Hind- man, Robert Henry (s), Daniel Long, Peter Latchaw, Jr., John Long, Robert Myler, James McGohaney, Arch. Money, Charles McCoy, Thomas Mckibban, John McKibban, Henry Nulfs, John Nulfs, Adam Oury, Joseph Pierce, Sr., James Potter, James Parker, Thomas Pat- rick, Edward Pierce, Joseph Reed, John Roal, John Ross, Joshua Rea, James Reed, William Spivey, Abe Stanford, Robert Smith, James Sloan, John Soders, Michael Starr, Freedom Stiles, Stephen Travis, Peter Titus, William Thompson (s), Samuel Thompson, Michael Trainer, Henry Teeter, Thomas Watson, James Wilkins, Robert Werden, Mark Williams, John Wilkins, Benjamin Walker, William Young, Philip Youkly, Fred. Youkly.
List of taxables in Allegheny township in 1807: John Findley, Esq .; Jacob Hankey, wheelright; John Shall, blacksmith; George Robinson, weaver; Alex. Walker, grist and saw-mill owner.
The following persons were principally land- owners: Michael Anderson, Henry Bolles, Philip Bolan, William Beatty, Samuel Beatty (s), John Beach, John Barg, Michael Barrick- man, John Barr, Jacob Baer, Jonathan Black, James Brier (s), Jolin Criswell, Daniel Copley, Philip Clingensmith, John Clingensmith, Nich- olas Clingensmith, Peter Clingensmith (s), James Coulter, John Carney, Philip Clinge, James Cunningham, William Dickson, Barn- ard Devers, Isaac David (s), E. Eakınan, -- Findley, James Findley, David Findley, Thomas Gallagher, Jacob Grave, James Guthrie, John Gist, John Henry, Robert Hannah, Wil- liam Hill, James Herold, John Hawk, William Heselgazor, Conrad Hawk, Sr., Conrad Hawk, Jr., Jacob Hawk, William Hum, - Hancock, William Hancock (s), Jeremiah Hancock (s), Chris. Hancock (s), Henry Hoover, John House- holder, William Hess, tanner; Jolin Johnston, Adam Johnston (s), John Jackson, James Jack- son, James Jack, Alex. Irvine, William Keer, John Laughlin, Peter Lefascar, David Lynch, James Lynch, James Littel, Hugh Mullen, Adam Marsh, Jacob Miller, Joseph McKee, Michael Morehead, John Moore, James Moore, Samuel Moore, William Moore, Thomas McMillen (s), Simon Marsh, James Neely, Patrick O'Donald, John Postlewait, John Pat- ten (s), Peter Risher, John Ritchiey (s), John Ritchey, Michael Risher, Joseph Shoemaker, James Smith, Barnabas Stear, David Shields, Ludwick Sheets, Peter Shefar, William Stitt, Samuel Stitt, Samuel Stitt, Jr., Solomon Shoe- maker, Arch. Smith, Geo. Smith, Michael Shall, Michael Shall, Jr., Geo. Shall, James Scott, John Stitt (s), William Smith, Theo. Smith, Geo. Smith, Michael Smith, Susan Smith (widow), Josh Spencer, John Titus, Peter Titus, John Titus, John Templeton, Isaac Townsend, Elizabeth Winzel, Absalom Woodward, Nich. Whitzel, Sam. Walker, Robert Watson, James Watson (s), Robert Watson (s), John Watson, William Watson, Peter Warner, Peter Walting,
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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
Geo. Winzel (s), Jehu Woodward, John Wilson, Andrew Whiteger, David Watson, Jacob Yockey.
Distilleries .- In an early day distilleries were plenty, but subsequently decreased in number. To-day one of the largest and most important group of distilleries in Pennsylvania is the Guckenheimer plant at Freeport.
The manufacture of salt along the Kis- kiminetas was formerly more extensively car- ried on than now. Only one well is at present in working order, the others having from time to time been abandoned as the business became unremunerative. The salt water comes from the sandstones of the Pocono formation, the top of which underlies the river bed about 250 feet at the centre of the Roaring run anticlinal. From the same geological horizon tlie water is pumped that is used in the manufacture of salt near Saltsburg, in Indiana county.
Furnaces .- The manufacture of iron com- menced as early as 1825 in Armstrong county. In that year Rock furnace was built, on the Kiskiminetas river, east of Apollo ; although it is claimed that Bear Creek furnace near Parker City was built a few years earlier. Rock fur- nace made 20 tons of iron per week and ran until 1855, while Bear Creek furnace had a ca- pacity of 40 tons per week. Allegheny fur- nace, on the west bank of the Allegheny, was two miles north of Kittanning and was erected in 1827. Buffalo furnace No. 1 was built in 1839, by P. Graff & Co., on Buffalo crcek, at the crossing of the Kittanning and Butler pike. It was afterwards constructed to use coke, and was continued in blast until the close of the war, in 1865.
Following the completion of Buffalo furnace was a period of considerable activity in the iron industry of Armstrong county, extending for nearly twenty years, until the financial crash of 1857. Many new furnaces were in that time added to the list. All used charcoal for fuel.
In 1840 the first of the Great Western fur- naces was built at Brady's Bend by Philander Raymond, who subsequently erected here three additional furnaces, besides a rolling-mill and a nail factory. In fact this plant ultimately became one of the most extensive in Western Pennsylvania, being among the first in America to make iron rails. Financial embarrassment, however, in the end wrecked the enterprise, and both the furnaces and the rolling-mill were dis- mantled. The rolling-inill and nail factory were built in 1841.
Great Western furnace No. 2 was an exact copy of the first, and was built in 1841. The capacity of each was 100 tons of metal per week. They employed the hot blast, but were chiefly distingushed by the large size of their boshes (14 feet) the poor success of which estab- lished later the 12 foot boshes as the favorite size for coke furnaces.
No. 3 furnace was built in 1843. Its capac- ity was nearly as great as that of the larger furnaces.
In 1845 three smaller stacks were erected in other parts of the county :
Ore Hill Furnace, on the left bank of tlie Allegheny river, 8 miles northeast of Kittan- ning. Its capacity was between 35 and 40 tons per week.
Cowanshannock Furnace (called also Boner Furnace) was situated on Cowanshannock creck, three miles north of Kittanning.
Mahoning Furnace, on Mahoning creek, be- low Putneyville, was built by Mr. John A. Colwell, of Kittanning, by whom it was most successfully conducted for more than 30 years. The stack originally, like all the furnaces of that time in the county, was built of stonc. It used the cold blast, and made from 30 to 40 tons of metal per weck. In 1860 the furnace was remodeled to use coke, at which time, also, the stack was not only eularged, but the stone structure was replaced by an iron jacket, lined with fire-brick. The hot blast was applied at the
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GEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SKETCH OF
same time. These alterations more than doubled the capacity of the stack. It went out of blast in September, 1878, in consequence of the de- pression then existing in the iron trade. Until the completion recently of the new furnace at Kittanning, the Mahoning furnace was the best arranged iron plant in Armstrong county.
In 1846 five new furnaces were erected:
Brady's Bend Furnace No. 4 was completed. It made hot blast charcoal iron ; was 11 feet in the boshes and 43 feet in height, and had a capacity of about 60 tons of iron per week.
Buffalo Furnace No. 2 was completed by Mr. Graff, on Buffalo creek. It was 8 by 35; made hot blast charcoal metal, and had a capacity of from 40 to 50 tons per week.
America Furnace was built in the same year, on the east bank of the Allegheny river near the present village of Rimerton. Its capacity was about 40 tons of hot blast charcoal iron per week.
Phoenix Furuace (coal· blast) stood on Mahon- ing creek below Milton. Instead of smelting the usual " buhrstone " ore which is locally absent from that region, the furnace used a loamy hem- atite ore found near Milton. The ore being lean and poor, the enterprise soon proved a failure.
Pine Creek Furnace owned by Messrs. Brown and Mosgrove, of Kittanning, is one of the few original stacks in Armstrong county. that were remodeled to use coke after the supply of char- coal had been exhausted. It occupies a site on the left bank of Pine creek, six miles northeast of Kittanning.
In 1847 little additional capital was invested in the iron trade in Armstrong county.
Olney Furnace alone was built. It occupies a position on the left bank of Mahoning creek above Eddyville. It was enlarged in 1855 and shortly afterwards abandoned.
In 1848 the Kittanning Rotling-mill was built at Kittanning. It had 20 puddling fur- naces, 3 trains of rolls, and seven machines driven by water. In 1857 it made 2550 tons
of bar iron, nails and castings .* It was aban- doned shortly after the financial break of 1873, remaining then idle until 1880, when, after com- plete remodeling, operations in it were renewed in connection with the new furnace at Kittan- ning. It was formerly called Valley Rolling- mill, and its annual capacity in 1880 was 7000 tons.
Stewardson Furnace was built in 1851. It is situated on Mahoning crcek, 1} miles from the Allegheny river. It is built of stone, and its capacity is from 75 to 80 tons per week.
In 1856 the Apollo Rolling-mill was built at Apollo. The primary object of this enterprise was the manufacture of nails, which, proving un- successful, was abandoned about 1861, when the production of sheet-iron was commenced. The mill was originally erected by the Kiski- minetas Iron Co. but subsequently passed out of their hands, and in the next ten years changed ownership several times, finally passing into bankruptcy in 1875; in 1876 it was purchased by Messrs. Laufman & Co., who have since conducted it with marked success and profit. The iron made is of excellent quality and finds a ready sale in all the markets.
The mill has seven puddling furnaces, and five charcoal fires for sinking wrought scrap iron ; two trains of rolls ; one steam hammer striking a fifteen ton blow ; one set of bar rolls, and one pair of cold rolls. At the present time the full capacity of the mill is 65 tons of fin- ished iron per week.
The erection of this mill at Apollo in 1856 about completes the period of the production of charcoal iron in Armstrong county, which, as we have seen, flourished with considerable vigor between 1840 and 1850, rising perhaps to its maximum height between 1850 and 1856 and then rapidly declining. According to the sta- tistics in the Iron Manufacturers' Guide, 20,411 tons of pig iron were produced here in 1856 from eight furnaces.
* Iron Manufacturers' Guide, p. 252.
317
ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
The manufacture of iron in Armstrong county during the charcoal period was not attended financially with much success.
Abundant railroad facilities, and the recent improved appliances for making iron have wholly changed the conditions which caused the failure of the charcoal furnaces. With pru- dent and intelligent management there is now no reason for the failure of a furnace in Arm- strong county.
Monticello Furnace was built in 1859, at the mouth of Cowanshannok creek, by Robert E. Brown, and was in operation until 1873 and attempted to use high grade lake ores with native carbonates.
The Leechburg Rolling-mill was built in 1872. It is distinguished for having been the first to successfully employ natural gas in iron-making. The iron produced is of excellent quality.
The Kittanning Furnace, erected in 1880, is not only the largest, but by far the most com- plete in all its appointments, of any furnace plant in the Allegheny Valley, out of Pitts- burgh. It stands on the river bank at the southern end of Kittanning, close to the rolling- mill.
Iron Ores .- The greater part of all the iron made in Armstrong county, either in times past or recently, has been from the reduction of the so-called Buhrstone ore. The Brady's Bend furnaces, and those also of Mr. Graff, on Buf- falo creek, used some ore from the Freeport group, of which, however, the outspread in workable thickness in Armstrong county is confined to the neighborhood of those furnaces. Monticello furnace in its time, as already stated, attempted the importation of the lake ore, but without success.
Whatever importations of other ore may in future be made into the county, to improve the grade of the iron, the Buhrstone stratum will always remain the chief source of supply so long as furnaces arc operated here. Its range of outcrop extends over hundreds of miles in
nearly horizontal rocks ; its average thickness is about 8 inches ; its character is singularly uni- form ; it can be easily and inexpensively mined ; it is always accompanied by the Ferriferous limestone stratum which directly underlies it and which serves for flux in the furnace; it works easily in the stack; and when proper attention is paid to the assortment of the ores and their preparation for the stack, this Buhr- stone stratum is capable of producing a pig metal containing about five-tenths of one per cent. of phosphorus.
Mr. McCreath analyzed samples of the ore, selected from all parts of the county. The results as a whole show not only the uniformity in the grade of the ore above alluded to, but they show the ores also to consist of three varieties, according to the amount of decompo- sition that has taken place, namely, limestone- carbonate ore, brown hematite, and an impure variety of red hematite. The carbonates un- roasted average from 33 to 38 per cent. of nie- tallic iron ; the brown and red ores contain as high as 50 per cent. of iron, the average being about 45 per cent. All of the ores are compar- atively low in phosphorus-two-tenths of one per cent. being the usual amount, both in the carbonates and hematites. The sulphur is also low, amounting in many cases to scarcely more than a trace. The hematites contain none of the protoxide of iron.
Any poor quality of iron made from these ores will be due to defective methods of manu- facture and not to the impurity of the ores.
Railroads .- The county is now supplied with railroads which carry its products to all the im- portant markets of the world.
The Allegheny Valley railroad with its con- nections opens up this county to the region of the lakes and Canada. Southward it connects with the Pennsylvania railroad at Pittsburgh. Its Bennett's branch extension, 110 miles long, affords another outlet north and cast, as well as also southward ; it occupies the Red Bank Val-
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GEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SKETCH OF
ley, passing subsequently at easy grades across the mountain region of Jefferson and Clearfield, and on thence to Driftwood, where it intersects with the Philadelphia and Eric railroad.
The Butler and Karns City narrow-gauge railroad starts at Parker City, on the Allegheny river, and follows thence up Bear creek across the oil fields of northern Butler.
The West Pennsylvania railroad (standard gauge) occupies the valley of the Kiskiminetas river, whose left bank it follows until it crosses the Allegheny river above Freeport. It belongs to the Pennsylvania railroad system, and runs from Blairsville Interjunction to Pittsburgh. The Butler Branch of the West Pennsylvania railroad extends from Freeport to the county- seat of Butler.
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