The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-12-25
Our TannerIes.
By our Old Employe-

~ uu Sio 6hpAo1o-
In this city we have but two moro tan.
neries OF which we deem 1t worth while
to speak particularly. The first OF these
Is that OF John Yockler, on the corner OF
Water and 22d streets. The building Is
eighty by sixty feet, and contains fifty
vats. Mr.. Vockler has been for many
years resident Of Wheeling and engaged
in the leather trade as merchant, but
is not q practical tanner. BE had for
some time tho control Of tannery In the
town Of St. Mary's, some sixty miles be.
low Wheeling on The river. 1t was a
small affair, but being judiciously mansg.
ed, was paying concern. In 1858 Mr..
Voclkler bulk his present establishment,
and has since carried It on very success.
cesslully. It's capacity Is eight thousand
sides per srnum, and the products
amount 10 something like forty thousand
dollars. He does some business in light
feathers, but his specially is harness
leather. He has a large retail trade, and
his goods are regarded as OF excellent
quality.
MT. LoDENsTEIS
has also Tannery located between S0th
and Slst streets, near the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad, containing twenty-five watts.
This gentleman commenced in very
small way, on site near his present lc-
cation. The building was of tempora.
ry character. and was destroyed by the
great food Of 1852, and the stock was
also much injured. He had at one time
Mr.. Berger as partner, but their views
Of business not harmonizing, the partner
ship was dissolved. In 1858 he built his
present establishment, and has since car
ried 1t on In q moderate and careful man
ner. The capacity Of his works is about
two thousand sides, Of harness leather
he also tans about two hundred calf skins
annually.
This tanning business seems to be one Of
the kind to which country locations arc
about as well adapted as the cities. Ithss
no particular incentive to concentration
In one particular place, for this reason we
have q great many Of them scattered
along our river border. River transport
tatlon Is always cheap and as the hides
have TO be brought from foreign markets
the works arc often located more especial.
~ with regard to the facilities for obtain.
Ing bark than anything else. The i'm.
proved furnaces have enabled the manu-
iacturerS to use all the refuse tan as luel,
so that facilities for obtaining coal have
become Of minor importance even in ian.
neries where steam is employed. 1t Is a
business, too, which can be carried on
without an expensive array Of machinery
and the product yet be OF the best quality.
In fact II Is q queer sort Of business, Tor
II wo except the little episode in the gar
den Of Eden, history does not point TO the
time when the skins Of animals have not
entered into the economy Of human ar.
rangements.
Neither does history give US a great
deal Of light in relation to the process by |
which, in the earliest ages, skins were
converted into leather. Among the arts
II isa sort Of Melchisadeck, without be.
ginning OF days or end Of years." In fact,
to the briei scriptural allusiOn to zone |
Simon, q tanner, who dwelt BY the sea-
side" Is about as far back as we can iden.
tiiy 1t as q calling, As an art thAa taken
ages to bring 1t to It's present perfection,
and yet as to It's essentials, there has |
probably been less change In the process
than in that Of almost any other mechani.
cal industry. Machinery cannot be made |
to do the work except as an auxiliary In |
some ofits departments. Science has not |
done much for 1t, and II Is doubtful II It
ever can. The process has been quicken.
ed BY mechanical agencies; but the manu-
tacture oil leather Is essentially hand
labor which, In lie manipulation, has dill.
fered but little OF any time. This art pro.
cess Of converting The raw hide into an
article Of commerce at once most useful
and essential in the economy Of our pres
emit civilization 10 highly interesting as a
study, but tannery Is about the most IN.
sSyory institution from which to draw
practical information. l-