The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-12-22
FRIDAY, DECEMBER ~, ls7C.
The Influence OF The Centennial
on American Manufactures.

Iile luIuVIiNS Va AhS
on American manufactures.
Tie Riverside Nail Works Of Wheel
ing was the only one Of our nail factories
rcprcscnteFat Philadelphia by specimens
OF her product, il We are correctly In
formed. We hear that the Riverside
nails attracted attention, and that the
company have received orders from the
Fast that are directly owing to their ex-
Libition a. Philadelphia. This leads us
TO regret that all our nail mills did not
ioin together and make grand exhibit
ton o! their work, and thus let the world
see that what Sheffield ia to cutlery
Wheeling is to nails, viz: at the head OF
the list.
The Philadelphia exhibition is vlndi'
eating the success Of American industry
in Europe to degree which was hardly
hoped for. Commissioners and visitors
are going home and opening the eyes OF
the communities with whom We are
most actively competing. The conserva-
tism and conceit Of both English and con-
tinental manufacturers have prepared
them Tor a series OF magnificent but BIT
ter surprises.
One Of the frankest confessions OF Amer.
lean superiority is in an address OF VI.
Favre.Perret Of Switzerland, one OF the
Judges on watches, to the watch.maEers
Of that country. NJ Favre.Perret tells
the Swiss watch.makers that they have
lost irrecovcrably their American trader
and that they are being crowded
out Of their European trade
by the American manufacturers.
In 1864; the Swiss sent $4,000 watches
to the United States, in 1872 sec, 900, and
from that point there has been steady
decline TO $4,000 in lS75-and in the
present year it is not probable that TO-
600 will be sent over. The American
watch company (Waitbam), which turn
ed out 1000 watches in 1850, now.turns
out 10000 annually, and could easily
double its production, while the Elgin
and other companies give the American
manufacture an unlimited capacity. A
reduction Of 10 per cent in prise at FL
gin, followed by one OF 10 to so per cent
at Waltham, puts the swiss completely
ont OF competition. Favre Ferret states
that from 10000 to 10000 American
watches are now sold annually in Eng.
land, and that they are being pushed
in the Indies and Australia and
in Russia and other European mar
kets. The explanation, OF course, is
the American economy Of labor by the
use Of machinery. In Switzerland, the
average annual production is 10 watches
per workman; in this country, $50. The
machine makes the difference. The
Swiss judge astonished his audience by
some Of his experiences. A Sate'fuil OF
American watches Of the fifth grade
tprice $50 was thrown open to him, and
he picked GU! one at random and put it
in his pocket, without allowing any OPP
portunity for its adjustment. At Paris,
he set !. and observed its variations. In
six days, they amounted TO 81 seconds.
a Swiss adjuster to whom he handed it
for testing reported that he was "over-
whelmed.' Not one such "would be
found in 5O,C00ci Swiss manufacture"-
of similar grade ard price, we presume,
he means.
American silk, occssioncd an equally
unhappy surprise to the manufacturers
who have been supplying this market. j.
Walter II. Thorp writes home to the
Macclesfield Courier (EnEland) that the
English silk.makers wisely abstained
from exhibiting at Philadelphia, for they
would "only have exposed their inferi-
'ority in quality and price, and that the
sample labOr.saying appliances and
greater intelligence" OF the American
artisans will subject the English silk
makers to such competition as they
never dreamed Of. He mentions the
Dales, Cheneys and other manufacturers,
and quotes from the fine volume Issued
by the American silk association ::
"Twenty years ago, our supply OF dress
silks, ribbons and silk laces was drawn
in about equal quantities from England
and France. To-day, beyond few fancy
goods Qike silk lace, hosiery aud mixed
goods chiefly Of spun silk, we buy no
silks from Great Britain
The importation otwriting and print
ing papers in 1878 amounted to S72s,-
600; now it is only $4,000 for the past
year, and II the importation OF wall pa
pers were added, which is also rapidly
diminishing, the total imports would not
much exceed 100000. On the other
hand, the exports Of writing aud print
ing papers has risen since 1869, from
nothing to $4,000.
Present indications point to growing
demand for our cotton manufactures
from abroad. The exports even now Of
muslins and prints are important. Amer
ica ha, ceased to be the Eldorado OF for
eiSn. manufacturers. They must here
after come to our shores with labor and
capital and put themselves in harmony
with the changed order Of trade. Amer.
lea Is to be the land both OF breadstuFs
and manufactures.