The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-09-10

an interesting conversation on Saturday
evening with Mr.. John L. Hobbs, who |
arrived home from Europe on Friday.
Mr.. Hobbs was abroad about four months,
during which time he visited Great Brit. |
ain, including Scotland and Ireland, and |
spent some time on the Continent
Being engaged in the manufacture Of
glass in this city, Mr.. Hobbs naturally |
took much interest in the progress Of that
industry over the salt pond, and visited
the largest manufactures Of Eng
land, Belgium, Germany, Scotland,
France and Italy. He thinks the
European manufacturers are much
behind the Americans IS regards the
quality Of the wares produced, and do not
turn out the same quantity Of work with
the same labor. The finest cut glass is
made in England and France, The Bel.
GUM glaSs Is Of an inferior quality, the
patterns being heavy, and the style Of the
goods such as would not take In this
country. Notwithstanding the pOPnlGri.
ty Of Venetian glassware, Mr. Hobbs
thinks Il Ia greatly overrated. The glass
made In Venice Is not good, one reason
being that the furnaces are IHn with
wood, owing to the scarcity Of coal,
and the requisite heat 10 make per.
feet glass cannot be obtained. And
speaking Of Venetian glassware, the
popularity OF which is oWingto ia sup
posed great age, Mr.. Hobbs remarked that
u large portion Of that sold every day AZ
old glass il made inside Of the month.
Mr.. Hobbs brought home with him a
number Of specimens OF Venetian work.
manship, which are novelty in America.
The specimens are lamp mats, card bas-
kets and other table ornaments, which,
while they do not display any particular
skill in their manufacture, are very
cIeverly designed, and are quite
pretty and neat. They retail at
prices ranging from thirty 10 sixty
cents each. The same wares could be
made in our own glass factories, but
owing to the difference in the prices Of
labor in the two countrys, their manufac.
ture would neither be practicable nor
profitable.
As general thing the same wares are
manufactured in Europe as in America.
One thing, however, struck Mr.. Hobbs
rather forcibly, viz: the absence Of all
large glass ware from the tables. In fact
very little glassware Of any kind Is used
at the table. The Europeans have glass
goblets to drink from, but no bowls or
pitchers are seen. During his sojourn
in Europe, the largest piece Of glassware
Mr.. Hobbs remembers having seen on the
table was a shallow bowl not exceeding
eight inches in diameter.
Not much engraved glassware is man.
ufaclured abroad, except in France and
Bohemia, the quality Of which is very
fine. In Venice Mr.. Hobbs visited a
large establishment and witnessed the
manufacture Of glass beads, Of which he
gives an interesting description.
II will probably interest many Of our
readerp, especially workingmen, TO learn
what labor is valued at over in Europe.
Mr.. Hubbs paid some attention to the
subject, and as result Of his obserya.
tions declares that not only labor Of all
kinds receives much lessl!.pay than here,
but that also the laborers are not able to
live so we'll upon the same amount OF
money as in the United States. Wehaye
not the space to give all the information
gathered by Mr.. Hobbs upon this Ques.
ton, and will merely cite the case OF
Italy, where laborers are paid ten and
fifteen cents per day. Provisions must
necessarily be much cheaper there than
here to allow men 10 live at such wqges,
but on the contrary many Of the necessa.
ries OF life are much higher. Thediet Of the
laboring classes consists OF small fish,
about the size OF the minnows caught in
seines in our brooks, which are boiled in
cornmeal. And this is all many Of them
have from one years end to the other.
They don't have meat on their table once
year. Who among our workingmen
does not occasionally enjoy the luxury Of
having chicken on his table2 In Italy
the Oldest spring chicken that was ever
Matched is away out Of reach Of the labor.
er. In that country fowl is cut and
sold in pieces, like beef. The expenses
Of living among the higher classes are
also greater than here.
Mr.. Hobbs succeeded in eiTecting satis-
factory arrangements for the introduc.
ton Of Wheeling glassware in Europe, 40
that his trip resulted not only in benefit.
ting himself but the firm Of which he is a
member. There is good deal Of French
glassware brought here, but not much
English, and while American mauufac.
turers are making slow progress in get.
ting their wares abroad, he thinks that in
time there will be an increased demand
| for our products in this line,