The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-05-13
NUMBER 81.


infancy and age of activity to n period Of
busy life The whiz Of the saw and the
shrill voice Of the steam whistle has taken
the place Of the forest warbler and the
whoop Of the Indian. Ths hut and log
cabin have disappeared before the march
OF civilization, ana ine residences and
business structures are erected upon their
ruins. It il now q city which. in point of
architectural structures, will compare
favorably with many Of its more preten-
tious Eastern neighbors. Its business
houses are fitted up in a manner that dis
plays good taste and judgment, and speaks
in Aattering terms of the energy, enter
prise and public spirit Of its business men.
IN MANUFACTURING,
Grand Rapid is making rapid strides, and
especially in the furniture line-a business
carried on in a very extensive manner.
Your correspondent paid visit to the es-
tablishment of the
PH6NIX FURNITURE COMPANY,
situated on the west side Of the river, Of
which Mr.. G. Strahan is Superintendent,
and through the politeness Of Mr.. j. Peeps
was shown through the entire concern. 1t
is large four-story brick building, with
mill attached and out-building containing
boiler, engines, and all the apparatus re-
quisite to run so estensive an establish
ment. The extent Of the business done
by this establishment alone may be judged
from the quantity Of lumber consumed in
one year. The amount Of lumber annually
consumed is computed at between one and
half and two millions Of feet, yielding
trade returns amounting to five hundred
thousand dollars per year.
The firm gives constant employment to
two hundred and eighty three hands in all
it's departments, each department being
separate and under the supervision of a
foreman, a. follows Carving, J. Peeps;
machinery. c. Brier and S Sogg; cabinet
making, T. Boyer; finishing, II. Yates;
upholstering, II. Lavercombe; lumber
yard, A. French; shipping. Knepp; lum-
Der mill, Divine; engineer, Mason.
The quality Of the work turned out is
equal to any your correspondent has seen
in any Of the Eastern cities, and is Of a
very superior character to that generally
manufactured for the home market The
workmanship ia of the finest kind, and
cannot BE- surpassed in any OF the manu-
featuring cities Of the Union. This firm
will have on exhibition at the Centennial
several suits Of furniture, which will enter
strongly into competition for the Centen-
nial prize.
The establishment Of
WI. BERKLEY
is another very large and extensive furni-
ture manIfactory, and, like the ''Phonix, '
is engaged in turning out a very superior
quality Of goods. 1t also employs large
number Of hsnds-say, between two hun
dred and three hundred. Your correspond
ent is sorry to say that he was unable to
ascertain the details Of this establishment,
and is therefore unable to give the amount
Of lumber consumed, or the extent OF the
business done annually; but to judge from
appearances, it must be sOmewhere about
the same, or perhaps little more than
that Of the Phoenix Company. For the
same reason your correspondent is unable
to give the names Of the foremen Of the
several departments.
In this establishment there il a depart
ment devoted exclusively to the patent
enameling process, which is a. near fox
simiie Of veneering az has yet been pro-
duced. 1t would take clever expert to
detect the difference between the two, the
enamel 20 closely resembles the veneering.
Another feature in this establishment 10
the Photographic Gallery, in which all the
new designs are photographed when com
pleted. This institution also sends on its
quota to the Centennial.
Besides these two, there are several
other concerns on a smaller scale engaged
in the same business, all Of which send out
an excellent quality Of furniture.
In all, there are nearly one thousand
persons engaged in the manufacture a
furniture in this place, and, in connection
with the lumber trade, Il forms the prin-
cipal interest Of the city.
THE GRAND RAPIDS BRUSH COMPANY,
of which A b. Watson is President, aud
J. Berkey, Vice President, was the next
place visited. Here your correspondent
found q long four-story frame building.
In company with Mr.. Wenn. We entered
the Office, and obtained permission to 20
through the building.
The workers in this establishment are
principally boys and girls, ranging, in Ap-
pearance from eight years old to sixteen
years. In one room there were some forty
or fifty Of these children at work IN filling
the brushes, ut which employment they
make from forty-6ve to seventy-ive cents
per day. There are also few men and
youths employed to do the heavier work
about the establishment. This is an eX-
! tensive business, and these brushes are
handled BY men in all parts Of the United