▁and ▁in efficient ▁w agon ▁ha ul age ▁to ▁supply ▁local ▁ore ▁to ▁both ▁companies . ▁Thomas ▁Iron ▁also ▁bought ▁the ▁Richard ▁Mine ▁near ▁Mount ▁Hope , ▁New ▁Jersey ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁which ▁supplied ▁large ▁quantities ▁of ▁magnet ite ▁ore . ▁Some ▁magnet ite ▁was ▁also ▁obtained ▁from ▁mines ▁at ▁R itten house ▁G ap , ▁at ▁the ▁south ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Cat as au qua ▁and ▁F og els ville . ▁ ▁The ▁H ok end au qua ▁site ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁plant ▁rail road , ▁constructed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁which ▁included ▁a ▁line ▁of ▁about ▁a ▁mile ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁to ▁connect ▁with ▁the ▁Ir ont on ▁Rail road ▁at ▁West ▁Cop lay . ▁The ▁mines ▁served ▁by ▁this ▁rail road ▁at ▁Ir ont on ▁were ▁mostly ▁operated ▁by ▁Thomas ▁Iron . ▁The ▁plant ▁rail road ▁also ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁Cat as au qua ▁and ▁F og els ville ▁and ▁the ▁Le high ▁Valley ▁Rail road ▁at ▁West ▁Cat as au qua , ▁allowing ▁it ▁to ▁receive ▁ore ▁and ▁ship ▁iron . ▁ ▁Ex empl ar ▁of ▁industry ▁Under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁Thom ases , ▁father ▁and ▁son , ▁Thomas ▁Iron ▁produced ▁record ▁quantities ▁of ▁iron , ▁and ▁was ▁looked ▁upon ▁as ▁an ▁exempl ar ▁of ▁the ▁iron ▁industry . ▁New ▁furn aces ▁were ▁built ▁at ▁H ok end au qua : ▁No . ▁ 3 ▁was ▁blow n ▁in ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 8 6