The New York herald., 1871-03-10
B n I G TX s
THREATENED BRICK FAMINE
Strike for Increased Charges by the Hudson
River Brick Boatmen-The Hodcarriers
Friends Become Their Foe,-The Baked
Clay Interest in Ferment

bigger the strike the the trade thinks OF ITSELF
just the barsted Hnglshman, like the frog In tho
fable, swes himself out to the proportions OF his
typical bnll when he ponders with pride over the
hecatomb Of millions sterling which represent the
cost Of British glory for the past hundred and nifty
years. From OrispIns to coal miners, from stone
masons to tallors cutters the trades In turn have
asserted their individuality by going on strikes; and
NOW 1T is BRICKS.
To complicate the matter 1t Is not the brlckmakers
who have struck Those peaceful creatures pursue
their calling by the banks OF the HUDSON, pensivey
shaping the Haverstraw mud into those hard.
cornered cubes which the usty MilesianS win bear
hodwise up the scafoldings OF Gotham to form the
brick fronts OF the poorer classes, OF the casket
which shOddy VIII pretentiously veneer with half an
inch OF brown stone. Pensive In TRUTH are these
brickmakers. When speculative mind among
them allows his imagination to turn on the chimera
OF advanced wages, o monitor from the silent past
brings before his eye the picture OF the fret brick
strike on record, when the
ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF THE HEATHEN EGYr.
struck for straw. This consoles him, and he takes
up another lump OF mud with sigh OF thankfulness
that the modern Moses is near enough In Chatham
street. and that II he be punser he can Joke about
Haverstraw.
NEITHER IS IT THE BRIcKLAYERs.
These gentry have not lately struck, half brick
serving the widest Of them at present when they
desire the amusement.
Be 1t known, then, that the trouble lies with the
men who 60 down to Manhattan Island In ships
having
CARG0Es OF BRICKS ON BOARD.
Their branch OF industry was probably not known
to the world, and strike was the last resort by
which the dwelers OF earth should be made aware OF
their brokbearng capacity. The bricks for the New
York market are mostly manufactured at Haver.
straw, about f0ry-fve miles up the blue waters Of
the Hudson. Some idea Of the extent OF the demand
for the article win be CLEANED from the fact that
there are manufactured at this and other points on
the noble stream over
FOUR HUNDRED MILLIONS OF BRICKS
annually. The mode Of conveyance TO the island IA
entirely by water in all sorts vessels from soops to
schooners, and atterly they have used large barges
Wnlcn are toWed down and up the stream. The
sand-whlch is small soop 0ad-up to as much as
sMiXty-eght M thousand on the schoonors. The barges
during f.
NINE OR TEN MONTHS
OF the year. according to the severity of the winter
the Ice being the only barrier. The trade begins
Of APRIL and is Carried on generay u1 until ie
Immediately before the closing OF the river the
brick dealers OF the city
captains meanwhile lay up their vessels at Haver.
for two years past that enough Of the worlds goods
did not come TO them when their important service
to civilization was taken into account; in word,
THEIR PROFITS WERE roo SMALL.
For the first winter they gazed npOn the ice.bound
surface Of the river without any Idea presenting
Itself which would prove a panacea to Their
straitened purses Not so with the winter just now
SaSSpy Se osssUn ssag
and capital, and, like the impact OF brickbat on
sr ea S MADE a
ton was the next step, and on the 18th Of last
s III ayDsoS hivEsR BRICK poArxsx,s
association sprang into life fun grown and armed,
as Minerva came from the brain OF Jupiter In order
fully to understand their case H VIII be necessary to
vided. The srickmakers place the sale Of their
bricks In the hands Of commission agents in New
materials here These latter In turn dispose OF them
to ,,d the builders. @ When dealer REQUIRES cargo of
THE BRICK MARKET,
at the foot Of West Eleventh street on the North
river the vessels containing the bricks are
there, and The dealer buys the cargo, say at the
present market price, ten dollars thousand, or
CENT PER BRICK.
The sale being concluded, the vessel Is brought to
the Dealers wharf and discharged OF Ber cargo.
the old arrangement, 81 50 per thousand, aud In
Guided the labor Of
upon the wharf. This charge borne by the brick
maker. NOW the Boatmens Association considered
that the work OF piling the brick was something
which should be paid Tor extra, and hence came The
following resolutions
Resolved That of tins association shall re-
gue the orck buyer TO men pie or store the brick
ut his own expense or pay the captains OF vessels for doing
Resolved That price members Of this
lows
From front Of dock from 81 70 100 y long high 20 cents
2oo long q high a 80 ceuts per oc from $50 long q
Where stage necessary for png them higher than 81
ten cent; per s sHs os charged
In the scale OF prices the terms 1ong' and .highn
will be understood as Implying the length 80 many
bricks back from the front OF the wharf, fifty being
the average length and twenty0ne the usual height.
ON our estimate OF fifty thousand cargo this would
mean
so matters stood until Thursday, the I'd INST, when
the Boatmen's Association issued the following
Clncher:-
a s s%ss, Of
VI w % s % erm ns s o ~ o. as ss
passed Sy h. association January TO- ISL relative
ns Of Hs che
"sh % ss
S there until the terms LEWIS hssf are
JOHN CoRsEY Secretary.
Thus armed the first cargo descended the river and
arrived at the foot OF West Eleventh street. since
water vicinity OF the pier is crowded with boats
laden Win III Is necessary say tQat
the buyers kicked and
THE TRADE IS AT srANDsrILL.
HERALD reporter visited the market Wednes.
day morning. and, crossing the mud OF West street,
pursued his slippery way 70 the end OF the pier at
West Eleventh street. lIe noticed few thousand
bricks piled on the dock, but no one seemed taking
professional interest in them At the extremity OF
the wharf was piled heap OF ashes and other rub
bish, ana on this were gathered
A MOTLEY GROUP
OF about eight persons four men OF river boat cap
tain order and four roughly clad youths OF fifteen,
who lis aned .open-mouthed to the conversation
which followed.
REPoRTER-Brcks7
FIRST CAPTAIN wearing a fur CAP and long over
coat)-Yes, thousands OF them.
REPoRTER-I understand there Is a "strke" on
with the Hudson River Brick Boatmen's Associa |
tIOn. e Mr.. lewis Bradbury or any gentleman OF