Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-11
THE SMOKY CITY
UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A BOOM.
The Iron Trade 80 Steel - The Demand
Ahead Of the Supply-Pinsburgh SPe-
eialties-The Revival Immense
It's Effect on Wages-W


That peculiarly American word
"boom" which has become so general
and which Is applied to 50 many widely
different kinds and conditions OF things,
Is now used in this city both by the
press and the people in connection with
the commercial situation. Nothing is
heard Of in trade circles except the Won
deriul business boom, which is bring
ing hundreds of thousands Of dollars in
tothecOffers OfPittsburgh's manuiactur-
ers-which same Golfers were sadly in
need OF rehlling
IL is really difficult for a stranger
10 comprehend the extent and
comprehensibility Of this change
ior the better and its sudden jump into
existence is not the least remarkable OF
its features.
OF course the iron trade Is the great
criterion by which all other kinds of
business i'm this section are Judged, and n
few wor,ls i'm regard To that business
will indicate Just how much Of the
'boOm" is talk and how much IS sohd
iact.
/ was sitting in the Office Of one OF the
leading steel manufactures here yeSter-
dav. when the office boy
came in with the afternoon
mail. The member OF the firm with
whom I was talking excused himself
iar lew moments 10 look over the
letters. suppose that there were some
thirty communications I'M the pile
which he attacked, and when he had
COMPLETED his hurried examination OF
them, twenty-five letters remained in a
pile ON his desk and the others were
iurntd over tO various clerks for
answer. laying his hand on the pile
have referred 20, the manufacturer said
tn me. You newspaper men have been
talking about the revival In trade
here i'm Pittsburgh, but You have no
idea Of the actual size ot the
boom. Here are twenty-five orders
inr steel work in one mail They all
ullrr to paw a good price Tor the goods
and nearly all OF them are cash custo-
mrrS. and vet we cannot even place one
ui them ON our order book until after the
Ist of January. We are running night
AMI dav with all the men We can pos
sibly handle, and vet We are so crowded
with Orders that have already been ac-
c,ptel that We have tO refuse all press
ing offers. and can only take those on
which We are allowed time enough to
get our mills cleared OF old contracts.
This is but fair sample OF the condl-
tion of all our iron firms. The recent
advance i'm the price Of iron 10 three
cents "A pound created sort Of panic
among the retail dealers throughout the
country, and they have fairly flooded
the mails with orders for all sorts Of
iron work, fearing that a still further al
vance would take place before they
could grt the stock which they needed.
Pittsburgh iron firms have a large
number Of what are known as Pitts
bur,h spccialtics, such a. cotton ties,
sheet iron straps and hoops, horseshoe
iron. wire. lender wire and a hundred
other things Uf a similar nature, as well
aS many oi the leading patented articles,
and the orders Tor this class OF goods
have b,.cu, OF course, greater than ior
any others. The prOportlonate prott Is
much larger on these "speclalties than
on other goods. and one leading tirm Is
,aiI 10 have cleared S:}OO, 600 profits since
the revival in trade from ITS "speClall-
ties" alone. Mills that have been lille
since 1928 are now running double
turn. and additions are being made
10 their capacity. All other kinds
nf business have started into full life
and activity, and the railroads leading
to this city have not been able 20
handle all the freight that has been
offered them.
With the rise in prices has come a
rise in wages, together with the usual
trouble between employers and EN-
plnved as tO lust how much OF rise
shall he paid Tor labor. The iron heat
ers and rollers have asked the manutac-
turers % hold conference on the sub
irct Of wages. and wish To adopt a
sliding scale similar 10 that
i'm force between the puddlers
or boilers and the mill owners. The
heaters and rollers now get siNty-tive
cents n ton, and they wish % establish a
scale the minimum Of which is to be
siNtv-tive cents a ton when iron II y
cents a pound They saythat when iron
was : $40 centsa a pound they got seven
tv-siV cents a ton, and they now ask for
"A similar rate OF pay. Nothing definite
has been done by either side yet, and
the result is looked forward 10 anXiOus,y.
it is thought that the matter will be
settled amicably and that no strike will
rnsue.
The rise in oil has had very beneli-
sial effect upon Pittsburgh, and a great
volume oi business has come with u.
The city has been 0vcr-run with
strangers Tor couple OF weeks. Thou
sgnds nf them arr tlOCkiug in tO buy
,-unds and visit the Exposition, and Il
estimated that nc lcaS; $1,000 day in
cash has been spent bv them. This
rush will probably be over by tO-mor-
row, as the Exposition closes tomorrow
night.
G,rat interest il taken here i'm the
IIaalSn-C Courtney race and large eNcur-
.,innS will leave here next week Tor
take Chatauqua 10 see the contest.
lIanlan il the iayorite in the betting,
Lut has not uiuch of a lead. No pools
have vet been sold, hut private bets
average about SO on lianlan to - on
Courtney.
Eph Morris thinks that the race will
L.. a fair one and that lIanlan will win,
because he IL the better man of the two.
The cigar makers will probably strike
Tor more paw next week, and will hold
a meeting tomorrow night tO settle the
matter.
Governor Mathews is visiting some of
the leading manufactures to-day. lie
had quite an ovation last night, and
mair this neat little speech at the tx
position.
LADIES AND GENTLENEN-l regret that
/ am not able tO make YOU an address
AT length. ] cannot refrain, however,
from expressing INV sincere qualification
al what have seen ln your city to-day,
aud also desire % take this oppOrtun-
.ty to return thanks Tor the generous
Hospitality with which the gentlemen
who accompany me, and myself, were
treated by the citizens OF Pittsburgh. /
must congratulate Won ON this magniii-
cent ExlasitiOu, which certainly
would deem a credit 10 any city of any
country, Applause not excepting Phil
a,lalphia or New York I congratulate
Won on the revival of business. The
smoke from your innumerable iron
furnaces and glass houses indicates the
energy, the wealth and the prosperity of
y0nr great city. Your beauti-
fuI suburban towns with their
residences adorned BY all that
- good. beautiful and true, all bespeak
Tor you an era OF peace and prosperity.
DO not feel as though | stand in the
presence OF strangers, for the people OF
West Virginia and Pennsylvania are
bound by ties Of every conceivable ma
tHre. Your interests are our interests,
your industries are our industries. The
people of the principal city Of my State
are engaged in the same occupation as
those OF your own city, and l trust. tel
lnu,citizens that when the works Ot in