The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-12-13
Labelle Glass Company..A Visit to
Bridgeport.

Bridgeport.
(By our old Rmploye)
The Lsbelle was organized in the isll Of
1870, in Centre Wheeling, and the old
Green Glass Bottle Factory was again
fred upand operations commenced on the
10Th Of October oil that year, With capt.
tai Of $4,000.
Wheeling glass was becoming widely
and fsvorably known, so that tho new
company with first class goods and proper
canvassers soon built up 0 remunerative
business. In 1872 the company purchased
the site oil their present works below the
Kirkwood addition to Bridgeport, COM
menced to build in August and pushed
the work with such vigor that they were
enabled to commence business In their
new quarters on the 25th day Of Novem-
Der. The fires In the old Bottle Factory
were put out for again her offspring had
departed. The compsny's works, as we
have said, are located south Of the Kirk.
wood addition. on the bank Of the river
and also on the line oil the Cleveland &
Pittsburgh Railroad. They are one humid.
red and seventy feet long, and the factory
proper Is seventy feet wide and the bal.
ance fifty feet wide. They have one fur.
mace with ten extra large pots.
The whole factory is admirably arrang.
ed, not only in regard to It's present ca.
pacity, but with reference 10 It's future en-.
largement Its machinery Is made to
Bubserve every available purpose. Coal
Is delivered Immediately from the bank TO
every portion OF the building where 1t Is
needed. The coal banks are ventilated
by means OF long tin tube running from
the air fan through all the rooms. All ma.
terial for the use oil the factory is deliv.
cred directly from the cars, and all goods
loaded from the door, so that Its facilities
for handling freight economically are per.
hsps unequaled by any other factory.
The products Of this factory are blown
and pressed ware. The rapid rise Of the
glass industry among US seems to have
psoportionately stimulated improvement
and invention, every new concern desir-
ing to secure some new device which
shall be exclusively lie own. The young.
eat scion has already patented several i'm.
provements, one on the pressed work Of
the Spanish ale glass, which, by the way,
ha very pretty glass.
To our unsophisticated mind the most
decided improvement which we observed,
and which this company has patented, is
their plan Of connecting the top or plate
oil . cake salver to the stem by screwipg
them together. This improved method
seems to be specially useful in packing the
goods. As they are generally made, 1t is
very difficult to pack them so as 10 carry
safely. While they claim that by being
able to take them apart, the sAlvers could
be packed IS easily as any common ware,
and that they can also put four or five
times as many in package. II struck US
that housewives will appreciate this i'm.
provement, since under it their nice cake
plates will cease 10 be standing nuisance
In their cupboards. The product oil this
factory amounts to about $11, 600 per
month, and gives employment 10 one
hundred persons. Mr.. E. P. Rhodes is
President OF the company, W. H. Brinton
Is the Secretary, and Andrew Baggs Is the
working manager.
Bridgeport Is an old town, but she has
none Of the decrepitude Of age. As long
as the site oil her Khkwood addition was
subject to It's rural lord, as long as its
face was overshAdowed by ears that
heard not, pimpled with cabbage heads
and scratched up In search OF the modest
potato, so long there was no show Tor her
to become much Of town, except as a
mathematical definition Of line. Water
on the front, water on the left and hills on
the night, she was a "pent up Uticat IN.
less she went out the pike towards Co.
lumbuS or up the river towards Pitts.
burgh. She went mostly towards Co.
lumbuB, however. Notwithstanding this
defect in her location, she was
always thriving village, surrounded
BY rich country, peopled largely
BY that excellent class Of citizens,
tho QuAkers, abe partook OF their prosper.
ity, and her citizens, though lew, have |
from time to time represented a great deal |
OF wealth. her Kirkwood addition great. |
" increased her building domain and |
quite q town has thus grown up. AZ . |