The New York herald., 1873-11-07
DISTRESS IN TROY.
Strike and It's Consequences - Very
Extensive Iron Works Shut Down-nl
Advised Proceedings OF Workmen-
Large Numbers Out of Employment.

Advised Proceedings or Workmen-
Large Numbers Out Of Employment
TROY, n. Y, Nov. s, 1878.
South Troy, containing some ten or eleven thou
sand inhabitants, has been brought into existence
by the presence OF very extensive iron works. It's
immediate proximity to Troy proper, with which it
Is connected by long street partly built on, has
prevented its assumption of municipal Importance,
and also the establishment OF trading concerns in
which the requisites OF large resident population,
with means to spend, could be supplied.
BURDENS FURNACES.
Adjoining the Hudson, with river frontage
half mile in length, and possessing every facility
which steam and water power could AFFORD, stand
the two blast furnaces and large pudding mill OF
Messrs. Burden. The number OF men usually en-
gagged intne pudding and rolling ofron in the "Flats
Milln as these premises are called by workmen
was 600, the earnings being SIS per day for
puddlers, and So for aborers. The amount OF
wages varied with the production of iron in its
various stages. In July last the puddlers acting
under very unvise idea OF their rights
and privileges, demanded OF their employ
ers-Messrs. Burden-that q foreman, who
had creditably filed his position for some twelve
or more years, should be discharged. The demand
was not acceded to. The whole body OF worRmen at
once struck, and the works have since remained
shut down. All these were at paid their wages,
and many OF them found work railways and
other Jobs, scarcely third remaining in the neigh
borhood. Before the strike was decided on con-
vention OF members OF an association formed
ostensibly TO protect the interests OF workmen in
iron works was called together, and after much
the course pursued. The Messrs. Burden
have another iron mill on hill
Of iron from the pig" 70 the finished rIvet, rall-
way spike and horseshoe was until recently car
ried on. The capacity OF the Hill works Is enor-
nous. gigantic oyershot water Wheel 60 feet
in diameter 20 feet wide ana capable OF being
worked 70 force OF 1000 horse power actuates all
the machinery required
The firm hold the patent right OF machine
ior making horseshoes, and can turn out
100 % tons per day OF ten hours in so
shoe to be adjusted to the shape and
size OF the hoof, different form being impaired to
each shoe In the set OF four. Arranged In huge
bins there are at present in stock at the works
1000 tons OF norseshoes.
OTHER IRON MILLS.
Messrs> Corning Co. also have in the same
locality large iron mill where the crude iron is
manufactured into bars, spike and nails Of every
conceivable size and shape.
THE MEssRs. GRIswoLD's
iron rolling mill stands some half mile OF towards
Troy, and possesses all the requisite apparatus for
turning out bar iron In very large quantities also
Early In October these three mills shut
down, and by next Saturday the workmen Will
About two weeks ago Messrs. Griswod proposed
to resume work at q reduction OF wages which
wouiu amount 10 ABOUT nItecn per cent on Lne
highest class OF workers and about ten per cent
on lower classes. The men promptly re-
| fused this oner; but, with the proverbial
| advantage OF second thoughts" yesterday in
tmated their Willingness to accept the terms.
| Works OF this kind being reopened at this season
are seldom closed again until the succeeding fall,
| aud thus great chance was offered to the men or
constant work during many months TO come II II had
been only looked at In the proper light and accepted
| But unfortunately for the men the lowering
aspect OF the financial sky and The increasing un-
certainty OF the iuture had In the interval pro-
duccd In the minds Of the employers feeling that
the storm Is not yet over. and the mill OF Messrs
Grisw0d remains idle as tts neghboring concern
i OF Messrs. Burden, two instances OF the suicidal
policy which Is certain to bear bitter frut to many
an innocent and undcserving sunerer, Messrs.
Burden continue to run one OF their Diast Iur-
naces yet, employing some twenty TO thirty men,
| and have on hand tens OF thousands ol
| tons OF iron ore and coal, thus being
| prepared to start as soon as the
| prices oDtainable, as also the cost ol iap0r,
warrant them in investing further capital In the
| production OF manufactured iron. Mcssrs. Gris-
/ void are also running their Bessemcr steel works,
4 In which some $50 men, having submitted 70 q re-
| duction OF teen per cent In wages, are yet earn
i PRICEa--vALuE OF LABOR
/ That the demand for iron has been checked
/ needs no proof, and on considering the causes
| which have led TO this-foremost among which
/ Ia the stoppage OF all railway works save such
i as are absolutely nccessary-it IL impossible
] not 10 feel that many months, II not years must
/ elapsc before renewed consumption OF II may be
| expected at least TO any considerable extent, as
| there are large surplus stocks on hand. Az the
| pfices recently ruling In the market IL
| IL not open 10 doubt that little Al
any profit remained to the manufacturers
| 40 that with diminished consumption and de.
pressed prices henceiorward they cannot be cx
| said, labor constitutes at least ninety pei
cent Of the cost f iron, u may be