The statement that in 1902 forty per cent, of the pig iron in the world was produced in the United States gives one no very definite realization of the quantity of that product, though he be reminded on every hand by iron and steel ships, bridges, railroads, buildings, machinery, tools, nails, tacks, etc., ad nauseam, that this is the iron age. Even the statement that the United States last year mined over thirty million long tons of iron ore gives one no adequate impression of the vastness of this amount. On the other hand, if one should see the entire iron ore production of the year piled up in a single heap, he would readily comprehend this quantity by a comparison of the pile with familiar objects in the landscape. This shows us that it is large numbers instead of large quantities which confuse the mind; for example, the statement that a wagon holds over 30,000,000 grains of coal would give a person a very hazy idea of the actual quantity specified, but he would immediately comprehend the quantity if told that it represented two tons; for a larger unit of weight would be used, thereby reducing the count to a figure well within the mental grasp. Thus in trying to represent to our readers just how large are the quantities of materials used in the iron and steel industry, we have endeavored to choose larger units of measurement; and finding that our standard measures are far too small for the purpose, we have resorted to the use of familiar landmarks as bases of comparison.

As a unit of bulk, no larger single Copyright; 1903, by Munn & Co.