The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-04-09

are now the villages Of Hammondton
Ellwood, and Egg Harbor City. Ht
built dwellings, along the four streets
of Batsto, imported workmen, built
two sawmills, two glass factories, one
pottery, three story stone gr'st mill
dug a canal two miles long to Little
Egg Harbor, built several scows, and
put two schooners in the coasting trade
the woods were cleared by choppers,
and the wood corded around the glass
factories. Ten large buildings were
filled with busy men melting, baking,
and cutting window glass. Between
five hundred and thousand men found
employment, and there was not an idle
hand in Batsto.
BATsrO IN IT'S GLORY.
With the magnificent water power,
made by the fall of the water from the
lake, with the forests of pine, oak and
cedar, with the rich vineyards that were
growing about the village, all who pass
ed that way predicted fourishing city.
Jessie Richards turned his own mill with
the water power, and dealt the -four to
his workingmen from his own store.
He sawed the timber and built the
houses for his tenants. and gave them
their rent. He pressed the juice from
the rich grapes and stored them in his
own wine cellar. No other store was
allowed in that region but his, and no
houses were built but with his consent.
The retainers of the Big House were
fed from the store and superintendent by
the master. The sawmills, the glass
factories, and the foundry made strange
music in the wilds Of New Jersey. In
the pottery a pair of wheels weighing
3 500 pounds crushed through the san
dy clay and added to the chorus of nois-
es in the Industrious place. In 1929
the foundry furnace was again rebuilt,
and the date is inscribed on the old iron
plate. By 1910 ten iron furnaces were
busy in New Jersey, but the discovery
Of coal and iron ore together in other
states soon dealt them heavy blow.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END.
The prosperity of Jesse Richards
made him the proudest, as he was the
wealthiest man, in the State. He look
I'd upon the fires as they glowed in his
furnaces with'a princely pride. He re-
viewed his tenants as they collected in
MS store for provisions with n lordly
His wine mellowed as i,
grew old in his cellar. and in the smiles
Of his good fortune he drank his liquor
in joy. In ls4s the furnace was so I'M
profitable that he allowed the fires to
lie out, and they were never relighted.
This check to the growth Of his wealth
panied him, and as he passed along
through his sixties and turned into his
declining years he found increased com
ort in the rich wines and imported
whisky, and drank more and more. In
1854 he died, sevcnty-two years old,
With three sons and three daughters to
,njoy his enormous fortune.
AS William Richards had left as a
egacy to his sons love Of thrift and
power, Jesse Richards left to his sons
. love for strong drink. Thomas, Sam
lei and Jesse were executors of the es-
ate, and ordered the factories to be
managed in their name. The broad
Icres and thriving villages returned to
hem vast revenue. They made Rob
.rt Stewart, faithful secretary of Jes-
e Richards, their manager, and they
eft Batsto for Philadelphia. They Law
shed their wealth in every possible
pleasure and demanded all the profits
f their factories to supply them; and
hiding these scarcely enough, in 1855
old to Matlock & Allen, clothiers, of
Philadelphia, 10000 acres of their land
his went as fast as young men of fort
me can make money 60.
STARING RUIN IN THE FACE.
The workingmen were left unpaid.
hey clamored for their wages. At
ength they threw down their tools,
nd the fires in the glass furnaces went
ut, and the busy village of half a cent
ry was idle, and the men met, and
alked over the days when up at the
Jig House, "Widlam" Richards, as their
ialect turns the name, kept every body
yn1l fnd md noid and On ondca rod tho