The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-12-16


production and facilitated the preparation
for market Of the great staples Of tn,
west. 1t was In the. manufacture o
, threshing machines, in connection viii
other agricultural machinery, that Mar
tins Ferry first found an enterprise which
yielded her money and fame, and fol
years the Hoyles, Rice 6 Swartz, Messrs
Spence and White were among the mos
extensive manufacturers Of this line o
machinery, and the character Of theil
work enjoyed Q reputation second Ia
none In the country.
Shortly after this industry began its
successful career, Cyrus Mendenhall, Esq.
erected o small blast furnace for the pur-
pose Of developing an extensive ore mine
which lies Q short distance west Of the
town. For some years he conducted the
business, producing pig iron Of very fair
quality for some purposes. Although he
met with but Q moderate degree Of sue
cess, he became the pioneer Of the furnace
business In this Ohio Valley: Under
these favorable circumstances the town
slowly but steadily increased in popula-
ton and importance, and from these in.
terests began the development Of Its foun-
dry and machine shop industries. In the
year 1854 the Benwood Nail Company
purchased Mr.. Mendenhalrs blast fur
mace, and after q year or two changed
the site OF their works to Its present
location on the bank Of the river
and built new furnace Of increased ca
pacity, with all the appliances for the
production of the best iron. This enter
prise, firmly established, added materially
to the financial prosperity Of the place. It
gave employment to some thirty men
and opened up in earnest, and gave mar
ket value to the great limestone beds In
the neighboring hills. Then came the
great glass works Of Sweeney & McCluney
Of which we have already written. Now
comes the Ohio City Nail Works and the
Steel Works, situated north Of the town
on the railroad. These works, although
not yet running, have already caused
quite village to spring up where but o
year ago we were wont TO derive fair
proportion Of our potatoes, cabbage and
rhubarb. We cannot better exemplify the
growing prosperity Of the place than by
specially comparing the present with the
past in several particulars.
A. tho location Of the Pittsburgh &
Cleveland Railroad, the period from which
we began this narrative, the place had not
o population exceeding four or FIVE hun
dred; to-day she has nearly three thou.
sand inhabitants, besides giving employ
ment to q considerable number Of persons
who reside on the Wheeling side OF the
river. Property, without running up to
fancy prices has about quadrupled In
value. Twelve years ago the Messrs
Wells, who had formerly done ageneral
foundry business in small way, turned
their attention almost exclusively to
stoves. Their business has steadily in
creased until, instead Of employing ton
or fifteen hands, they now employ thirty
five, and their products have risen from
some fifteen or twentythousand to nearly
sixty thousand dollars per annum, and
all their improvements have eliminated
| in the splendid Counsellor stove.
Mr.. L. Spence, some sixteen years ago
commenced business as o journeyman, on
Threshing Machine work, but as soon
as he had accumulated some little capital
bought On interest in the Ohio Valley Ag-
ricultural Works, which he now owns ex-
clusively. In addition to the tools neces.
sary to ct up the iron.work for his regular
| line Of work he put in lathes and other
machinery, and commenced building
small engines. In the last year he has
expended twelve thousand dollars In the
enlargement Of the capacity Of his build.
ings and machinery to the manufacture
of the largest engines. The large
engine OF the Etna Iron Mil with
It's forty.fve ton fly wheel was built
In his shops, and the turning and fitting
also Of the immense Hot blast Of the Bel.
mont furnace. BE gives employment to
thirty persons.
In general foundry and machine work
Messrs. Gray & Co. for some years did
considerable business, but compared
with the present, It was small trade. In
1870 this company sold to Culbertson,
wiley & Co. The former gentleman for
some years was connected with efoun-
dry business in Wheeling. When the new
firm took hold Of the business there were
but twelve hands employed, and the pay
roll amounted to 800 per week. They
now employ fifty men. They expended
some sl6. 900 in the enlargement Of their
works and the purchase Of new patterns,
The immense castings constituting the
engines and fly wheel Of the Etna Mills
were melted in this foundry, as were also
the furnace castings; also those ofthe Ohio
City Mills, and the immense hot blasts
Of the Belmont Furnace. Their castings,
| 90 far a. tried, have not failed 10 stand
the seyereHt test.
This firm in connection with Mr.. Spence
are the contractors for the large thirteen
thousand dollar engine which 10 10 DO
placed In the Ohio City Mil. sSEI
Martins Ferry also. boasts Of six or
seven churches and one Of the best con-
Quoted public schools in the State, also
a real live weekly newspaper. Her agri-
cultural machine shops are preparing to
commence operations at the beginning OF
the year with renewed emery. Looking 70
The southern market which Is now OPEN
ing up to this class Of manufactured ar
ticles, they are determined to compete for