Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-22
CHINA WARE IN NEW JERSEY.

There are sixteen great pottery establish
meats in Trenton. In them are invested be-
tween million and half and two millions
of dollars, and their annual sales amount to
nearly the same figures. Their buildings
cover large tracts of ground, and give en-
plovment to about 5000 persons. Their
griny, stained buildings seem to be as old
as Trenton, but the industry IS, in reality,
a new one 1t is only about twenty-five
years ago that the first pottery was estab-
lished. 1t is there yet. 1t made only yell
low or Rockingham ware. Other potteries
started out to make only yellow ware, but
the grades OF goods made in Trenton i'm
prove every year, and there is now only
one yellow ware pottery there. East
Liverpool, Ohio, is the great center of yell
low ware manufacture. 1t is nearly as
great pottery center as Trenton. Tren-
ton owes its good fortune, in this respect,
to it's situation. 1t has no clay, except
some black dirt that is used for the manu-
facture OF the boxes that the crockery is
laid in to be i" fired" The clay used in
Trenton comes from Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and Delaware. The clay near the
Amboys, in New Jersey, is the best in the
market. a poor man, in South Amboy,
borrowed little money, a few years ago,
purchased lot of ground, and began sell
ing the clay that lies under its surface. He
has dug great shafts and tunnels, and is
said to have earned fortune of $500, 900.
Trenton's hardness to New York and
Philadelphia, and its railroads, canal and
river, are its attractions to the potters.
Among the workmen in the potteries are
many Englishmen and Irishmen, but Ameri-
cans are learning to do good work. There
are designers and decorators from Mintons
great English tile works, and from Tiffanys
in New York, employed to decorate the
better grades OF toilet and table ware. A
little while ago nothing better than cream
colored stone china, and blue stone, and
stone porcelain ware was made in Trenton.
Now there are establishments that make
real china, and others that manufacture a
grade of stone china that they claim looks
as we'll and wears better than French
china, and is the same in everything ex-
cept that it is not translucent. This trans
lucent quality is obtained by an intense
" firing and those who do not make real
china say that this " firing" spoils large
proportion OF the goods. Those who do
not deal in this fine work claim that by
"firinQ" the china Just as earthenware is
UGcl-bBtt 49, bS Pu0ShiS picScS w
gether where the French pat only one
piece-there is a tremendous profit at
lower prices than the French obtain. The
trouble is, however, that the French goods,
in standing alone in the firing boxes, re-
ceive no blemish, while the American ware,
which is stacked up on pegs, in the boxes,
bears the marks OF the pegs. Mr.. Fisk, OF
the American Crockery Company, estimates
that the growth of the Trenton trade has
reduced the importation of foreign ware
from 81 TO 20 per c;nt. during the past
three years. 1t is said that in one year
great stride has been taken. A market
has grown up for fancy goods. People
were educated great deal by the Centen-
NAL Exhibition, and, more than all, Ameri-
cans had ceased to copy from the English,
and are relying upon their own originality.
Other potters are less cheerful. One young
man spent much time and money on pair
Of plaaues. The principal ornamentation
was wreath containing every garden
flower of especial beauty. The copying
from nature was almost mirror like. The
hotter estimated the cost at sl25. He
took them to Tiffany and to some one else
in New York and asked what they were
worth. At one place he was offered $50
at another s35 He says that if they had
been imported he would have been offered
at least $3.50 for them. He gave them to
= bride. and found her more appreciative
connoisseur than the New Workers.