Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1878 — Our Mining Industry. [ARTICLE]

Our Mining Industry.

The milling industry of the United States ranks next to the great iron interest in point of magnitude. Unlike the iron interest, however, it is not confined to spots here and there throughout the country, but is spread over the entire lacd. The flour-mills number over 25,000, employing over 60,000 men, who are paid annually in wages about $20,000,000. The yearly production of these mills is nearly 50,000,000 barrels of flour, of which about 4,000,000 are exported to foreign countries. Pennsylvania has the largest number of mills, there being nearly 3,000 in this State. Next stands New York, with nearly 2,000 mills. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee have over 1,000 each. Other States range from 700 down to less than a 100. Some of the largest milling States, such as Minnesota, Michigan, lowa and Illinois, while they have not proportionately so many mills, employ the greatest average of men. This is accounted for by the greater number of merchant mills and the larger mills there found.