New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-08

tanned for about one hall less and makes hanGsoner
and stronger frame though much harder upon tools
Numerous small circular perform the operation OF
making the frames with surprising rspidty The
sticks Of frame are grooved and the mouices and
lemons formed with great accuracy by means Of stops
and cages attached 10 the respective saws But all
the details are generally performed BY the rude.t and
most imperfect machinery. While one set Of hands
thus producing frames another is adjusting the states
in them Mt a bench within reach OF the pinncr. This
man laws the slate Ha, the bench in an iron frame or
clamp composed OF two sides and an end, one side
being forced up agau, the wooden frame by means of
a treasle This. aided by some blows of hammer on
the exposed end, closes the joints tight and while so
held, the pnner with bow-drll quickly makes hole
in each corner drives in wooden pin, and the slate Is
tramed Its then take to another hand who smooths
the whole frame with smoothing-plane, after which
the states are packed in boxes containing about eight
dozen each and sent 10 market: An expert primer Will
pin 800 states daily al ~ cents per 100. smoother
will finish 600 daily, OF % cents per 100. Smoothing
the frames Is considered very lsborious work.
When the pioneer factory Of Porter & Taylor COM
menced they sold their states at the full card prices
charged by the English makers II was good business,
maid them well and there was brisk demand. a single
house in Philadelphia took allihe make
but a new factory was started in the neighborhood
whose proprietors unwisely took them to the same
house and offered them at ten per cent discount from
card price; whereas. had they taken them TO New
York or Boston, or TO some new purchaser even IN
Philadelphia the old price could have been maintained.
The pioneers also instead of seeking new outlet for
their goods, Immediately reduced the price. But as
slate was found 10 be very abundant all through the
Counties OF Lehgh, Nom g, Northampton, and IN
New-Jersey opposite to the Water Gap, and as each
ouar1v found quick sale for all the roofing states 1t
could produce new ones were being continually opened
in this region The consumption for houses and barns
became verv great all classes yet pre;erng slate
TO anv other kind OF roofing. The opening OF the Le-
high Company's canal, with the impetus to building
and all kindred improvements growing out OF the coal
trade the founding of Pottsyile, Mauch Chunk, Tam
aqua. and multitude OF other towns gave an enor-
nous impulse to TO the quarrying OF slate for roofing
While the local demand was so constant that the Ger
man farmers would haul eates a. much a. forty miles
from the ouerrie. TO their own homes over heavy
mountainous roads, rather than use shingles the canal
afforded cheap and very convenient outlet TO Pha-
d,phia. a, well a. to the numerous aourishing towns
on It's extended line. From Philadelphia they found
market in Ncw,Jersey, New-York, Delaware, Mary
fully competed with the Welsh roofing states. In the
small county of Lehigl there are now some thirty quar-
ries omen with capital of 500 900 invested, and en-
blowing about three hundredmen, mostly Welsh. THESE
produce az least 900 squares OF roofing slates per
annum valued al 81 per square on the quarry bank,
cd =. o. - 90 i- ri,uoocipu,a market Inc return
Of tunnage transported on the Lehigh Canal shows
large and encouraging annual increase OF productive
ness. The business thus brought large sums OF cash
into region where no manufacturing had been carried
on quarry property in value and multitudes were
ready to embark in it, Many of these quaTies were
composed of material for roofing only; many OF roofing
and cypherng in alternate layers and some few where
the cipheripg material was in excess. These latter
ousies were consequently the most valuable, as school
states from their superior value, would bear transpor.
iation all over the Union while roofing states would
not.
As public attention b came drawn 10 the business,
new lsctorie. for producing school states esab-
liyhed The country was full Of water power, and
ouarrymen came in from Vale, BY the hundred. Par
ties in New.Yok and Philadelphia who were interested
in selling states furnished capital to manufacture them,
and a. many as dozen factories we're put in opera.
ton Some OF these were very small affairs, producing
an average OF not more than 300 states per day, while
the largest produced some 800 The small operators,
having no capital, were forced to throw their states
into market in small lots of ten TO fifty eases, in order
to procure money to continue their operations They
became in fact mere pedders in the large cities. Here
their necessities were taken advantage OF by wholesale
buyers who made it rule 10 crydown the price to the
utmost The manufacturer, being in urgent want of
money submitted TO continual abatement in price, until
actually fell TO discount OF 80 per cent below the
original card price. The English manufacturer true
10 the instincts OF British monopoly, reduced his price
also though he Lad extolte the highest rate 80 long
AZ the market was free from American competition.
The business thus in the course of less than thirty
years became overdone by domestic competition.
There wa. constant struggle TO SELL and to exc out
living business every factory established ts little store
for the supply Of It's wolkm-n, and in cases the
prof, on goods thus sold all the proprietor could
realize Yet the consumption OF school states went on
increasing the English and German slates being grad
uay driven out of the market by the superior domss
tic article. The Lehgh Slate Company, located on
the Lehich Valley Railroad fifteen miles below Allen
town, are the largest manufacturers at present Their
ample capital has enabled them 10 make profit where
other. would lose They make about 500 states daily,
BESIDE turning out vast amount Of roohns safes
fourishine village named sa,inson, composed OF brick
and stone houses has grown up around the Companys
works. A rnere glance at the hillside which they
have opened show. the slate deposit to be ineIhsn'li'
bic.
For several years the manufacturing OF American
school states has not been profitable business. Tlss
is not owing to the presence OF foreign article unaei,
selling our own, for the English cannot afford to iail
any lower, but to competition between number OF
small strucglir. manufacturers at home, who wofk on
as If they were content with their propretorohip al
fcrdpg them no more profit than journeymen' wages
They are constantly interfering with each ether IN the