The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-04-16

..or,hs the "EUgene Delng the louFtn
n,Jsl barge sunk, saying nothing Of the
,.;,y,othe steamer Hobbs, and to one or
,ro T ANAL craft at the wharf here. Capt,
81 Hornbrook, however, is man Of q
Am, heart, and will never sit down and
Sllh, hands in despair as long as he is
,JIs to move on his feet.
N, trouble. that Surround the Nall
BusIneSS.
nj. difficult to write about the embar.
nsnents that surround Wheellng's great
i,Iu,,ry a, this time without offending the
,r,iudice. Of somebody. 1t is in this mat.
pvin most others, that people like to
b.,rtheir own side Of the story told to
,be reatest possible advantage, without
much reference to the facts on the other
SIDE
tan,tlncel Just now no one acquainted
Si.h the situation can deny. So far as
Wheeling is concerned there has been no
time since the panic when the pressure
Vs 50 severely felt. Nails are not only
being made without profit, but possibly
na loss. One prominent concern is de-
tAting the question Of closing its mill
uatl such time rs it will pay to resume
opentions, be the same a long or short
VhiIe All OF them feel that a crisis has
been reached in the business that calls lor
athsHge Of some sort. What this change
viii be is matter OF much
speculation and uncertainty. Chess,
sayth X Co., OF Pittsburgh, have laid
their view Of the situation fully before
their employees, and we presume that
their circular embodies the views Of
every concern in the business without ex-
seption, So far Us Wheeling is concerned
We have not heard Of a dissenting voice.
The manufacturers seem to regard that
circular as their common expression.
The interviews that have been held by
heditIeFentp papers thleading operatives
in the mills show that for the most part
thenen are inclined to talk reasonablyan
intelligently about the troubles that are
pressing upon the nail business at this
time There are no more intelligent
uorkmeR IN our midst than those engaged
in the iron business. They see that the
course Of prices has been steadily down
Eadtor years past, uutilat length q point
his been reached that threatens the sol
veacy Of hitherto prosperous concerns in
different parts OF the country.
A'tO the question Of remedy, they
have their own opinions as q matter Of
course, and it is not to be wondered at
that said opinions are tinged more or less
ViA seliinterest. How could it be other
Nse' It's the same thing on the other
Ade. The whole downward course OF
prices in every department OF industry in
themuRtry has been discussed in the same
VaE-with the same tinge as between EN-.
Poyes anil employed. The history OF
alpaics, spending their force through
seFIes Of years, has simply been repeated
IN The history of this one. And so 1t will
continue to the end Of the dismal chapter.
Asthus that the constant decline that is
Inevitable after great collapse is always
shl'Hr'euted. 1t is resisted at every step,
lasS men resist fate in a thousand other
iomS, but nevertheless the decline takes
place.
NnIsare now sold at lower price than
e'et before known in the history OF the
business. Before the war the lowest price
reached was s. 40, less 5 per cent for cash.
Athat time Ii cents per keg Of 1Od was
pad orcuttinG nails, and 81 % per ton for
boiling iron, and corresponding price for
aeatlng Now nails are sold at 81 IS to
A", and q cents paid for cutting, S. 95
Ptfion ior boiling, and 20 cents for heat
aS' Allowing the price OF pig'iron to have
= Ssen the same as now it is easy to see
a'' all possible margin of profit has
been wiped out
iaose who have read the interviews
:, published on the subject will have no.
uSea lhat the men in the mills take the
s'UuAd that this low price for nails is alto
: s!Aet unnecessary in other words, that
JUS The fault OF the manufacturers them.
st''es' On the other hand, the manutac.
Ss'e'' say that this is an old and fami.
H4' Fe'oH-one that they have heard at
.'s'y Stage Of the decline, and that would
%N Sa,e applied Just as appropriately against
wy u'S' decline In nails and every
'aSSse'ng s'S one that has taken place. As
~, might it be said that Il dam was
SuI' high enough the water would moi
1a' Its level and overflow it. But who
u0e % not know that the great law Of sup.
y aSd demand is stronger than any bar.
''s' mat can be erected against It, and /.
S0aGa, " inevitably US water, to find il
' S.eL lnaccOr'iRnCe whit this SreatlawthG
I,a I1au'aE'nres claim that there viii be nj
,s asalsay y! reorganization and resuscitation o
s" .ls Ns'l business until the price OK produc
Won Won Is settled upon a more satisfaotor,
w. Sa.s, = They point to the prices paid i
'ts east, viz: II to lG cents for mailing d
,as l.. u cents here, and s. 90 to sSG
to tO' o0'Ilns as against s. % here, as show
,ss' Is 'Aa! there Aas been no proper equal
, ,Haon IN the cost OF producing nails be
o,Ssl %sea the Fast and the Wpsk On til
.Is' aapd the men In the mills say tbs
.,S.,s uyS,'Ge in the cost OF production her
cII.. SSaIa simply be followed by a iresh d.
'@'' IN the price Of the SQ0ds, aud v6a