The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-12-29

winter and spring Of 1850 and some at
tempts made to obtain q knowledge ofihe
kind Of machinery required, and the
process Of manufacture.
The first attempt did not meet with
catering success. Still enough insight was
gained to warrant the organization in
May, 1855, Of III
THR WHEELING HINGE COMPANY.
BY special diplomacy the Company
succeeded in obtaining the services OF a
machinist living in Troy to build the
machinery. He had worked in Roy's
factory and understood pretty well the
construction Of the machinery, and
found now and then an opportunity to re.
fresh his memory. Having successfully
arranged for the construction Of the ma
chinery, the company purchased the loca7
ton which they now occupy, on the cor.
her Of Jacob and 18th streets, and
erected their buildings, the main factory
being 1876 feet long by 60 feet wide (their
iron house, grinding rooms and smith
shops. all being detached bnildings) and
the whole occupying one-third Of an en-
tire square. In April, 1856, the company,
with JosephA. Metcalt as President, l.
Il. Williams as Secretary, and hugh
Clary as working Superintendent, and
with james N. Dunning ashis assistant,
commenced operations on the Strap andT
department. They,then proceeded to the
construction Of o set Of machinery for the
manufacture Of a full line Of Butt hinges,
but did not get 1t into position until
March, 1867. In the month Of December
Of that year, after o period of!twenty;one
months, o full and accurate raccount OF
stock revealed the fact that nine thousand
dollars OF the original capital: had been
sunk, thus reducing it from fifty thousand
TO forty.one thousand dollars. It may
not be uninteresting to trace the cause Of
this as showing how narrowly the enter
prise missed being failure. When
operations commenced there was not q
man connected with 1t who had the re-
hottest idea Of It's practical management.
From the President to the lowest boy 1t
was all o new thing. Mr.. Clsry, who built
the machines, knew how to set them, but
after that the whole business was q con.
slant series Of experiments. Even the
manufacture Of the iron was matter Of
experiment, and the Messrs. Painter &
Sons, Of Pittsburgh, spent large amount
Of money in preparing suitable rolls and
in manipulating the iron until they OBJ.
tanned q standard that would answer the
purpose. The enterprise was saved from
irretrievable ruin simply because our
eastern friends, never having experienced
any inconvenience from the opera
tons OF Miles Greenwood in Cincinnati,
and knowing as they did the difficulties
which would surround the enterprise,
took their ease and supinely awaited the
collapse. The high prices which had
ruled during the war were continued, and
the heavy margins of the first two years
enabled The company to complete its edu.
cation withno greater loss than the $4,000
we have mentioned. On the discovery Of
their loss the company set about the most
rigid curtailment Of expenses and radi.
cal reconstruction Of its running manage.
ment, SO that when the Eastern manufac-
turers walked up. to the realization Of the
fact that the Wheeling Hinge Company
was "a living and lively institution, the
crushing policy which they adopted, and
which one year sooner would have ex.
terminated It, came too late. The neo-
phyte had grown strong and able to hold
is own in the fight and forced o recogni.
tion Of its respectable standing in the
Hinge family. It was no light contest,
however, audit only, adds higher test.
monial to our Wheeling pluck and energy
to state that three other enterprises Of q
similar character were literally wiped out
lin the struggle, and only one OF them after
passing into new hands has been revived.
In 1869, Mr.. Dunning succeeded to the
working management Of the factory; in
1871 Mr.. Metcalf resigned the Presidency
and MIA. G. Robinson succeeded him
and still holds the position. IN 1879 Mr..
Hanson was elected Vice. President and
acting Superintendent In order that our
citizens may comprehend the growth Of
the business OF the Wheeling Hinge Com.
psnySwe will state some figures showing
Its DEVELOPMENT, and for this purpose
take the sales of 1868, and 1878. In the
former year they sold Of Straps, Us and
Hinge Hasps 81 ,189 dozen, Of Butts OF
various kinds. 2S700 dozen, or say In
round numbers $4,000 dozen. The num-
Der of hands employed was seventy, and
the wages amounted TO $23 900. In 1873
they sold OF Straps, rs and Hasps 81 ,96s
dozen. Butts of various kinds ~, 424
dozen, or . total Of 101,3s5 dozen.
Ninety-ff Ave, hands were employed
and their wages amounted TO $ss, $50.
The figures for 1873 are only for nine
months sure, and the wages embrace the
cost of running 10 washer machines and
8 blacksmiths. The value Of goods sold
in 1868 was $47, $50; in 1879 1t was $780,
900; and in 1878 II was $1s7, 900. The
first dividend was made in July, nj, and
from this time to July 1st, '73 there has
been declared 90 per cent in dividends.
The company in all It's appointments Is
to-day one Of the best in the country. II