The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-03-31
Richmond as q Manufacturing City.
A FEW MORE NOTES FROM THE
FACTORIES. "
THEIR vARiEryAND WIDE DISTRIBUTION

Va N'Se AtApHSsS we IlHOtsBeu n COLUMN OF
! more oil notes gathered by our reporters il,
their rambles among few of our larger
| manufacturing establishments. These notes
were made particularly with view to show
| ing how immense the manufacturing interest
of this city is becoming, the high rank
| which our manufactures hold, and how ex-
| tensively they are distributed. This morn
| ing we lay before our readers an encourage
| ing array OF facts bearing upon the same
subject.
The Old Dominion Iron and Nail-Wo orks
Company Or. K. Blankinship commercial
agcnD have a worldwide reputation, and
their works are the largest for malieable iron
| in the southern States. They en,bracetwenty
| puddle-furnaces, producing 10000 tons of
| puddle-bars per year. These bars are made
| into cut-naiis and spikes, aud all descriptions
Of bar, guide, band, scroll, and other mer-
chantable iron. The concern employs over
| 400 men, md the monthly rsay-roll Of this
force exceeds $4,000. The nails and other
products of the works are sold throughout
| the southern States, including every one of
| them; but owing to their high quality and
| excellence they are also sought for and sold
| in large quantities in New York, Boston, and
| other northern cities. Since the 1st of Janu-
airy last the Old Dominion Naii-Works Com
Of all the various sizes, or over 10 900 kegs
| month. The kegs as well as the nails are
| made at the works Of the company, on Belle
Isle, the timbcr being cut in the country
about Richmond in their own mills. The
historic island which is the site of the works
| is now connected by railroad bridges with
all points north, south, east, and west.
These works consume annually 10000 tons
| of coal and over 10000 tons of iron.
The Richmond Architectural Iron Works
and Stove Company have an establishment
Of considerable extent located in the heart of
the city. Their architectural iron competes
with any manufactured in this country. Last
year they made many iron fronts for this
city and four for Lynchburg, besides archi-
tcctural iron-work for Goldsboro', N. c., and
Chester. S. G. They are now making two
fronts for Greensville, S. c., for a court
house in Greensboro, N. c., and for the
Planters National Bank in Danville. They
also have OH hand orders for houses in Nor
folk and Chester, S. c., and for a courthouse
| at Danvilc. Captain Irby, the superintend-
ent. left a few days ago for business tour in
lhe Clrolinas, which will probably be fol-
lowed by many more orders. This company
also do large business in stoves, and last
year consumed 700 tons Of iron in the
| manufacture of stoves and other castings.
These products find market in Virginia,
West Virginia. North Carolina. and South
Carolina. This year the manufacturing ia
c;lties of the Richmond Architectural IRON
| Works and Stove Company have been en-
| largcd. and they expect to do much larger
/ business.
| a. j. Miller & Co., an cnterprlsinS con-
cern engaged in the manufacture OF saws,
| files, and agricultural cutlery, are doing
good business in North Carolina, Tennessee,
West Virginia, and Virginia.
| Leaving the workers in iron, who contri-
butte so largely to our wealth, we find nu-
merou3 other manufacturing establishments
employing many persons, producing articles
of value and distributing them over the
United States. Garrct +. Watson, whose
name has long been faroE,bly known in the
! business circles Of Richmond, established in
1871 furniture factory, which has proved
most successful venture. The specially of
this establishment is the manufacture Of
chamber furniture, including bedstcadS, bu-
reaus, and wardrobeS. The furniture is
made of walnut, maple, and poplar. Much
of the maple and poplar is cut by their own
mills in the eastern part Of this State. Some
of the poplar comes from West Virginia, and
the walnut from Indiana. Que million feet
of lumber was consumed last year. The FAC
tory is now turning out hundred cottage
bed t,a(ls per day besides the complement OF
finer work. Watson's furniture works are
| The largest south Of Baltimore, and their Ca
pacity is being continually increased. Their
| products are superior to any brought to this
| market, and they find ready sale in Virginia.
| North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and
| West Virginia, us well as in Baltimore and
| Washington.
| George Is. Stacy & Co.'s mattress manu-
| factory also deserves mention. From this
establishment 100 mattresses week are
turned out to he distributed over the States
of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, and West Virginia. Their hacked
Shucks, for making mattresses, are sold in
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Balti
more. Iu 1866 (when the factory was estab
lisbedD the whole demand was confined to
the city, and was for only twelve week
and at the beginning of the war it had risen
| to fifty. The shucks are all bought here.
The manufacture of wooden ware is n
| business of growing Importance i'll Rich
mond, and few persons have any idea OF its
present magnitude. The Richmond Cedar
| Ware Works were established by Kirk
patrick & Co. two or three years ago. They
now employ sixty hands, and have orders
ahead for the products Of the merit ttoclre
months. Their goods are sent to New York,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Illinois,
Ohio. Missouri. Kentucky, Louisiana, Geor-
gia, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, North
| Carolina, and Virginia, and stand high in
all markets, competing iearlessIy with those
from any manuf;actory in the northern States,
and bringing the best prices. The capacity
of the establishment is 1900 buckets and l25
tubs per day. but the orders are SO far beyond
their ca,rlcity that the factory will have to
be enlarged. The proprietors have to thls end
| already ordered new machinery. The cedar
used in the manufacture Of buckets at this
factory is brought from the Dismal swamp,
from 100 to $50 cords month being con-
sumed. Kirkpatrick & Co. report larger
sales in this month alone than in the entire
eight months after they commenced business,
three years ago. Water is the motive power
| in their works.
The Richmond Paper Manufacturing Com
pany's mills are now in full operation, ana
are turning out about $500 pounds Of paper
| Der day. Their papers, which stand very
high, find ready market in New York,
where they are brought i'll competition Win
the products of the best paper manufactures
| in this country. ,,., =
| The Manchester Paper-aIills are also IN
full operation, employ good many hands,
and do a good business. The machinery IS
of the most approved patterns, the entire
establishment having been refitted last sum-
| n,nr nne machine runs night and day, and