Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-10-20
American Tiles.

the KIND IN America. II little Sk6Gcn
of it. | know, will be interesting to
your readers, it is a magnificent
illustration of the inventive character,
pluck and ability Of the American
people to locate and develop industries
of all kinds if our government con
tinuas the policy of protection that
has done so much to enrich our nation
during the past twenty years.
The production of encaustic tiles
for centuries past has constituted one
of the chief industries Of England.
In fact the English people have felt
that from their long experience in the
manufacturing of tiles they could
defy competition This confidence,
with the lack of inventive genius that
always accompanies the plodding char
acter of the past, left them behind
when they came to competition with
the American people. A few years
ago a citizen Of GAINESVILLE, whose at
tention was called to the large trade
in English tiles, conceived the idea Of
locating the manufacture of tiles in
this country. After investigating the
tile clay in several parts Of the coun-
try he found that very good clay was
deposited in large quantities in this
country, and the cheap coal of this
district made it very available. He
then interested some New York capt.
talists, which resulted in the organize
ton Of the American Encaustic Tile
Company.
No sooner was the company organ
lied than John Bull pricked up his
ears and attempted to crush it in the
bud, first by trying to reduce the tariff
on foreign tiles. As an evidence of
the value Of a protective tariff In
building up home industries, [ wish to
cite the fact that just as this company
was ready to start its works the Wood
tariff bill was introduced, which look
ed to a cutting down all along the line
Of our tariff When the announce
ment of the introduction of that bill
reached GAINESVILLE the works Of this
company were Immediately closed, and
for three long months, and the employ
es had to wait until our Congress, by
their vote, should inform the American
people whether they were legislatlng
for the United States o. England.
Thanks to the Republican element in
that Congress, American industry was
sustained and GAINESVILLE can now boast
of one of the most euterprising tile
manufactures in the world. 1t now
employs seventy-fve persons, and for
wages alone pays out 3. 600 per month
and is using 100000 capital. The
raw material that enters into all this
enterprise is common clay, with little
or no value.
But this company did not sail into
their present success over smooth
water, When the English manufac-
turers found they could net induce"
our Congress to reduce our tariff,
they massed their forces for the pur-
pose of crushing out this impudent
American enterprise by reducing the
prices below living figures. Thanks
to the pluck Of the New York capital
lists who invested in this work, they
failed though it cost the company
many thousands of dollars The first
contract in which the American and
English companies met was for thing
the floor Of court house in Ohio on
which the English company bid $l.08
per square foot, very low bid on
account of American competition,
while this company was awarded
the contract at 81 When next the
rivals met the English combination
dropped down 100 per cent in prices,
but cur American company met and
vanquished them. The result is that
now the GAINESVILLE company is recog-
nized as foeman worthy to meet the
combined opposition Of the English
manufacturers, and we now only await
the building up of more such factor
les to supply the increasing demand
for tiles in this country to shut out
altogether English tile.
This company has invented and pat
ented machines for pressing tile that
supersede the old English system and
remove the necessity Of reducing the
workmen. It now makes better tiles
and has not a workman in its shops
that ever worked at tile-making in
England, All are mechanics educated
by this company.
The process Of taking the clay from
the bank, placing it in large watts, melt
ing it down to liquid, then straining
it through the very finest cloth, then
drying it into a powder, coloring and
pressing into most beautiful shapes and
designs, then placing it in the retorts
and burning it, is of tie most interest
ing character, but must be seen to be
appreciated. 1t takes over three
months for single piece to be ready
for the market. I would urge every
person who visits GAINESVILLE to pay a
visit to the tile factory if he desires to
learn something about the manufacture
of the ties that are nov coming SO
much into fashion for floors in public
buildings, churches, etc., throughout
the country.
[ cannot close without calling atten-
ton to the able superintendent Of this
company, Mr.. George 4. Sanbery, to
whose mechanical genius and inven-
tive character this company owes a
great part of its success. Although