The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-05-27
RICHMOND MANUFACTURERS.
Sash aud Blinds. j. Montague.


he wandered day after day through the
streets of that quaint oldcity, crying New
lamps for old, ;" he had his eye on the
marvellous virtues of that one lamp of
Aladdin-an old rusty one, to be sure
which could summon at any moment, Qor
so the story goes), all the creative energy
of the genii, to obey the behests of the
fortunate possessor. Underneath this ALE
gory-for the story Of the wonderful lamp
is not mere myth-there lies great and
most comprehensive truth. The ingenious
and fertile writer, whoever he may have
been, teaches the important and instructive
lesson, that "grit " is the all-essential ele-
ment of human character, to bring out the
magic powers of the man as it brought
out those of this wonderful lamp. The
dictionaries do not give very satisfactory
definition of the term grit" as we use
it. 1t is an old Anglo-Saxon word, and
exceedingly expressive as applied to that
element of human character which goes to
make up what we call resolute, deter
mined, gritty man.
On the 18th of February last Mr.. j. }.
MONTAGUE of this city, had his sash and
blind factory, at the foot of Thirteenth
street, burnt out, the fire making clean
sweep of his establishment, in an incredibly
short space of time. His loss in stock and
machinery was heavy, being more than
double the amount Of his insurance, as
stated in the papers at the time. Although
losing everything, and being obliged to
start entirely anew, in less than eight weeks
he was in another and larger establishment,
on the corner of Ninth and Arch streets,
at the end of the free bridge, with the
largest sash and blind factory, and the best
and most complete set of new machinery,
to be found probably) in any city south
of Philadelphia, in the United States.
Considering the bitter cold night on which
he was burnt out and the discouraglng
losses he sustained, this is what we call
"grit Va word not as well defined in
Webster as the story of Aladdin's lamp
would justify. .-.v. 81. ..s..
The dimensions of his present premises
are As feet on Ninth street and 235 on
Arch. His office, stpre-house, and glazing
rooms occupy a building 20 feet by lilo,
and his factory building is 40 feet by so,
two stories high. His power is obtained
from the canal, the water driving large
Burnham wheel, So horsepower, put ur
by w. e. Tanner x Co., whose extensive
iron works we have already noticed. The
stock he uses is mostly native lumber
worked in with white pine which he OBJ
tains from Albany, N. Y. He employs a
force of from twenty to twenty-five mer
who are all first.class workmen at then
business. His factory is fitted up with tho
best and most improved new machinery
consisting of moulding machines of various
sizes, dimension planers with surfac'
attachments, tenoning machines, mortisinl
machines, upright shaping and moulding
: machines, Stat cutting machines, dovetailint
J machines, cross-cut saws, scroll saws, ri
saws, growing saws, iron table wabbl
: saws, with upright and horizontal borin
. machines, clamping machines, blind wrin
) machines, etc., ETC., most OF which are ru1
by power.
Mr.. Montague manufactures sash, blinds
doors, mouldings, brackets, aud scroll saw
} ing of all kinds and in all varieties. Al
| these are made in the best manner, iron
| the best of sun-dried lumber. He is als'
: prepared to furnish flooring, balusters
| newell posts, handrails, sash weights, glass
e putty, paints and all kinds of builders
4 hardware at the lowest cash prices. Il
$ filling orders for sash at distance, he doe
4 the glazing and printing (using the bes
French glass directly from the importers
at the lowest price for material and work
and there is no extra expense for freight
r and no risk of breakage from the name
$ in which the sash are boxed and shipped
Mr.. Montague has been engaged in bus
: ness here since 1865, being first employs
by Tanner & Ehberts, and afterwards CON
mencing business for himself, in Marc
> 1868. His present establishment is a moo
/. ell of neatness, compactness, and felicity
Il arrangement, the machinery being so az
: justed, relatively, that the stock goes in
!. one door and passes through all its stages
preparation, with the least possible hand
!, ling, until it comes out in its complet
a manufactured OF finished state.
i The whole work Of the establishment
l. done by machinery, even to the putting
), sash, doors and blinds together. III
~ Stats and rods to the blinds are piyoted t
1" gether by machinery, without any markir
1T or pricking, by Crosby's ingenious vii
/ ing machine for pivot blinds. This lit
IN machine can be worked by boy, and
j. spaces the rods, drives the wires at Il
a. right distance and angle, and attaches Il
of rods and Stats together with more perie