The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-05-17
The Manufactures of Portland.

If the census returns of 1870 in regard to the
industrial pursuits of Portland were correctly
made, they have ceased to be of the least value
to us now as an indication of the condition of
manufacturing in 1872. When the Board of
Manufactures was organized we procured
accurate copies of these statistics to assist us
in investigating the actual state of these enter
prises, and in an article published not many
weeks ago, we showed how largely some of the
leading branches of manufactures had increas-
ed since the census enumeration. One hereto
fore unnoted, is the furniture business In 1860
there were but four producing establishments in
the county, with an aggregate production of
SS7, Jas. In 1870 there were fourteen of these in
the city, producing $146, 1915, and the statistics
OF 1872, if they could be accurately gathered,
would present still larger figures To show the
progress of this growth, we refer especially to
few of the establishments that have grown up
within the past five years.
About three years ago Thomas p. Beal began
business in part of the old temporary building
used as ward room near the head of Hamp-
shire street. buying chamber sets in the shook,
setting them up, and painting them, doing the
work with his own hands and disposing of
them to the retailers. To-day the firm occu-
pies four floors in the Sturdivant Block on Mar
ket street, and constantly employ eighteen
hands, setting up, painting and packing for
market chamber sets and chairs, turning out
from rs to 100 sets of the former every month,
and 200 of Bartlett's Patent Adjustable Spring
Bed every week Four mills down on the
Kennebec are kept moving by this concern, and
much work is given to mills in the city. Messrs.
Beal q Co. find large market out of the
State, especially in New Hampshire and Mas
sachusetts, and are daily sending furniture to
dealers and housekeepers into the cities right
about Boston-a field which heretofore the
Boston manufacturers have held as their sa-
cred property. So they are demonstrating the
facts that Maine furniture is well-made and
can be bought at a less price than in the Bos-
ton market. OF course the interior towns in
our own State take fair share of their pro-
ducts; and SO one mans energy is yearly Great
ing a circulation of perhaps $50, 900.
George A. Whitney, No. Sc Exchange street,
Successor to Woodman & Whitney, has been.
established in Portland six years. The begin
ming was small but now he gives employment
to IS hands. His works occupy two floors 1853
" w ASoet oiAS W W w AOOst ohO ~ W dLu
one AS by So feet, with a large basement for
stock His line embraces parlor suits, pine sets,
desks, mattresses and upholstery of all kinds, and
he has some of the most beautiful designs for
parlors, public halls and libraries that we have
ever seen. Five years ago Portland people
bought painted chamber furniture in Boston;
now the tide is turned and Mr.. Whitney is SELL
ing a large amount of goods TO the Boston deal
ers. Central and Northern New Hampshire
and Eastern Maine is Mr.. Whitney's principal
market, and he supplies some of the jobbers of
large towns in Massachusetts,.
Messrs. Hooper, Eaton & Co., old post Office
building, occupy the large brick building on
Congress street, near Pearl, as a mandatory,
employing eight men, and distributing about
$40, 900 annually for wages. They almost ex-
clusvely supply fifteen jobbers but retail most
of their own products. ID
A. +. Mayall, corner of Middle and Franklin
streets, has been engaged in the same kind of
business the above-named gentlemen for
about three years; employs thirteen hands and
pays about $4,000 year for wages; turns out
from thirty to forty chamber sets per month";
besides a very large quantity of chairs, bed
steads. nursery furniture, &c. Most of his
material comes from the Kennebec towns and
the manufacturing locations in Cumberland
county, which is put up and finished for mar
ket. 1t is singular fact that finished sets are
sent from this city to be used in the very towns
that exported the white woods. Mr.. Mayall
besides his city jobbing trade, has opened up
large business at Augusta, Waterville, Dover,
Great Falls, Biddeford, Saco, and the towns
reached by the Portland and Ogdensburg road,
and is now at work on contracts for the cham
Der furniture for two large summer hotels.
There are perhaps dozen shops in this city
employing from four to ten men. engaged al
most exclusively in walnut furniture woods,
carved ornaments, mouldings and other mate
rial that enters directly into the manufacture of
furniture, and we have not by any means enum-
Grated all the shops of the former class that
are worthy of notice. We have intended mere
ly to convey an idea of the growth of this bus
mess. Our inquiries warrant the belief that
the number of hands employed and amount of
wages paid have more than doubled within
three years.