The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-07-31
4 Chair-maEinE Village.

The principal business in the town
of Gardner Mass, is that of the man
ufacturc of cane and wood seat chairs,
and not only are most of the inhabi-
tants, old and young, either directly
or indirectly engaged in this business,
but work is furnished to hundreds of
people, in braiding the cane for fifteen
or twenty miles around. There are
fifteen firms who prosecute this busi-
ness, who turn out on an average all
the wav from three hundred TO twelve
hundred per day. The largest facto-
ries employ from two hundred TO three
hundred operatives, while the smaller
ones have from one hundred to one
hundred and fifty and, at thepresent
time. not less than six thousand chairs
per dav are made in this village
The workmen employed in these
factories represent many nations,
amongst which are Americans, French
Irish, and a liberal sprinkling old ne
grOcs. They work both by the piece
and day, and earn from 81 30 to 50
per dav. Business all through the
summer has been brisk, and all the
different factories have been running
to their full capacity. On entering
one of these establishments, the visi-
tor is made quickly aware OF the mag
nitude of the business when he sees
spread out before him thousands up
on thousands of feet of lumber in the
stock-rooms, the huge piles of bot
toms, backs, rounds, etc, uniformly
arranged, assorted and sized, and
hears the clatter of all kinds of ma
chinerv; he no longer wonders where
the immense quantities of chairs
which are required to meet the de-
mands of the trade come from. Gar
dner is the oldest chair-manufactur-
ing town in the country, the business
having first been started there sixty
years ago, in little shop where only
one or two hands were employed.
The pioneers in this now large and
rapidly increasing business were
Elijah Brick, andman by the name of
Minot. and Levi Heywood-thc last
named gentleman being still enga ged
in the business.
More than 81 100000 are invested
/ in the business now, and il can be
said with truth that it is the sole de-
pendencc of the inhabitants. There
are at least one thousand different
kinds of chairs made, from the cheap
est to the most costly. The stock
worked up is oak, maple, and birch,
which comes mostly from Vermont,
while the black walnut comes from
the West. The rattan from which
the cane is made is imported from
Java. and is manufactured into cane
ready for use at Fitchburg and Read
ing, and costs to the manufacturer
about fifty-seven cents to the thou
sand feet. There are engaged in the
different factories not less than ten
steam engines, which furnish the no.
tive power for propelling the saws,
lathes, etc, and such degree of per
lection has been arrived at that the
incest accuracy in joints, sizes, and
the general makeup can always he
counted upon. The chairs find a
market all over the world, large guam
titles Of them being shipped to Cali
/ foEHia, South America and Cuba. A
new company has recently been or
ganizcd in this place. BY their i'm
proved method Of fastening the cane
the strands are all equally and every
end fastened, so that each sustains its
due proportion Of the weight, and the
seat is thereby rendered much more
durable than ordinary seats.
Instead of the present method of
braiding the cane by hand, this COM
pany have commenced the weaving
of it by looms, similar to the cloth ;
several hand-looms are now in opera
ton, and the success Of the enterprise
has been so wonderful tbatmachinery
is being bnilt to operate them by
steam power The present produc-
ing capacity ofthe company is from
400 to 500 seats per day but that
production will be greatly augment
ed by these Improvements Boston
Com. Adcertiser.