The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-10
Encouragement far the New PotderIes
Going Upat Wheeling and StcubenSiIIe.

Encouragement far the New Pot1erles
Going Upat Wheeling and StcubenSiIIe.
Chicago Tribune.
The Convention held by the Associa.
ton OF American Potters in Cincinnati
last week was one of mutual interest, par.
tiCularly as regards the statements made
in their discussions ofthe condition of the
business. The official figures Of the re-
ports show that during the past ten years
not less than $4,000, 900 has been paid by
the people Of this country for foreign pot
terry in all It's forms OF use and beauty.
The sum paid at first hands by importers
to China alone during the past ten years
for its grotesque ware, much Of it extreme
ly ugly,-ugliness being absurdly consid-
cred an attraction IN this line,-is s45,-
6O7,6l1. This demand is increasing. In
1877 the importations amounted to s., 74l,-
72O; in 1878, TO s4,05l ,7S6; and this year
to S4,O44,S75. As regards the condition
OF this industry at home, the reports show
that there are 800 potteries in the United
States, with capital OF $G,50O,00O. EN-.
ploying 5000 workmen, paying s, 800, 900
in wages, and manufacturing $1,000, 900
worth OF goods per annum. This is an
encouraging indication OF the growth oil
one OF the oldest oil the arts in the New
World. and among people who have not
yet fairly wakened TO its beauty in its ap-
plication to household uses
There Is no good reason, however, why
We should pay foreign potters more than
seven times as much as we pay our own
for articles which We can produce our.
selves, Just as beautiful in design and en-
during In service. We may not hope Ia
compete with the fneness OF some OF the
clays found In Europe and Asia. We
may not haveall the secrets Of mapuiac
ture which are jealousy preserved in the
long.established and world.famous factor
les OF Europe, or that dizziness and Gun
ming In the manipulation OF color and Ii
preservation, after 1t passes through the
furnaces, that CharacterlEeS the Qrienta
workers. But there are many advantages
which we do possess and which have no
yet been thoroughly improved. For Ger
! tain grades OF china, maJolica choice
earthen ware, and even parian ware, VI
have excellent clays,. and in thest
grades our potters have succeeded in pro
duCing goods which will stand comparison
, with any Of the European products. In
deed, there were specimens Of decorated
china exhibited at the recent Exposition
at Cincinnati which would have readil.
found eager customers, even at larg
prices, II they had been labeled with
; foreign stamp. Aslo designs, our artist
are capable OF producing Just as beautiful
effects as the foreign designs, and have IT
P peatedly done SO. We may even boa
not only as decided grace and beauty, bu
2 even more freedom, and originality, an
freshness than they. In this connectio
the Cincinnati En9uirsr says: "The hea
OF one OF the most noted potteIes {
France, from which thousands oil dollal
h worth Of goods are annually importet
/, is an American, and procurss, 1t
said, many Of his finest deslgt
Or from this country" and 1t all
It says, very pertiuently, that, "if there
not suffiCiency OF skilled labor to pr
duce the article so much nov IN deman
Il should be procured" The most imps
alive consideration, aud the one thiI