The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-04-17
A THRIVING INDUSTRY,
WHICH HAS SPRUNG UP RAPIDLY,
And /. MaLlss a Solid Reputation for wheeling
nlsuf4ctur.r.-Fursiturs a,klss Ia Wheel.
hE-I.s Growth asd Prts,nt R1tsnt-WhAt
/. Made. who ull" ssd Who BuI. 1t.

Wheeling nails, Wheeling glass, Wheeling
beer and Wheeling cigars have long had e
well founded and general reputation, and the
extent OF their manufacture here has been
recognized by the citizens Of the city. Es'
pscially is this true OF Wheeling nails and
Wheeling glassware, which have been the
leading articles produced by the manufac-
tories In this city for years, and wheeling
people have felt proud ofthe evident az preci-
alton shown everywhere for these articles
made at home and sent broadcast over the
country.
Another department OF productive indus.
try in which Wheeling Is advancing toward
the front, aud has already taken arecogniEed
position, Is the manufacture OF furniture.
The ciLy's reputation In this branch Of In.
dustry IL better known abroad than at home.
and II 10 only recently that the magnitude OF
the furniture manufacturing business In the
city has attracted attention here. Indeed,
the real growth OF the business has been SO
recent ard rapid that It has scarcely had
time 10 make its importance felt
EXTENT OF THE INDUSTRY.
There arc now four furniture factories in
the city, exclusive OF q small hand chair
mandatory. They are owned by F. Q. Ar.
benz Bertschy & Co., tue Riverside Furni'
tnre Company, g. Mendel q Co., and Beneke,
Hoback & Co., respectively. OF these the
two factories first named are the largest con.
Germs, and each employs about IS or so men.
The factory OF F. O. Arbenz, Bertschy & Co.
Is located on Twentieth street, and was for.
merry operated by the Wheeling Furniture
Company. Itconslsts Of two brick and one
frame building. One Of the former Is live
stories In height, 30 by 1875 feet, and the other
four stories high, IS by IS feet. The frame
building is IS by ~, and hastwo stories. The
Riverside companys factory on Water street,
South Side, san elegant new brick structure.
in two paris, each stories high, one 40 by
I25 feet and the other 40 by 100.
Beneke, Hoback & Co. have new
threestory brick building, 80 feet square,
near that Of the Riverside Company, aud EN-.
ploy about 10 men on an average. Mendel q
Co. employ about the same force, at their
new factory on EufT street, south Of Twelfth.
They b4ve the latest improved wood working
machinery, and make speciality OF fae work
tor their own retail trade. They make few
chairs, all that are made In the city except
the cane seated chairs made by Sohonhorst d
Sons, whose shop Is on Eof street, South
Side. They do all their work by hand, and
their chairs excel In workmanship as well as
style. though Of course the number made Is
limited.
KIND or FURNITURE MADE.
For the most part the furniture manufac-
tured 10 Wheeling consists OF chamber suits,
library furniture and dining and kitchen
tables. Dressing cases and bureaus IN all
styles bed steads, wash stands, wRrdrobes,
book cases. desks and writing tables make up
the bulk Of the product OF the three factories
engaged In shipping.
Wheeling furniture has already established
reputation for modern and artistic style,
good workmanship and frst.class materials
Ia all Che mar ksts into which 1t has been In.
tseduced, and the output Of the establish:
ments Is only limited BY their capacity. Said
travelling salesman for one OF the factories
TO reporter yesterday:
wheeling furniture will sell anywhere.
All the factories make equally good work,
and there Is no difficulty at all in taking or:
ders where the furniture has once gone. II
II comes from Wheeling that Is taken as a
sufficient voucher as TO its quality"
Mendsl 4 Co. do little work except to order
or for their own store. They nakeall styles
OF furniture on special orders, and their
factory Is kept busy with this class OF work
WHERE IT Is SOLD.
Comparatively little OF the furniture made
in Wheeling aside from that just spoken OF
finds its way into the home market BY one
Of the peculiar idiosyncracies Of trade, furn-
iture Is brought here from almost every
manu- facturlng point In the country, while
that made here Is shipped abroad. The
principal portion Of the product Ia sold In
Northern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania,
in most cases directly 10 retail deal.
ers, iobbers being few in the trade.
Until recently little furniture was sent oyer
one hundred miles or so from the city, but
the market has gradually extended till itnow
finds It's way IN quantities to Cincinnati,
Philadelphia, ST. Louis and other distant
cities, and every year other fields are entered.
In fact, the industry is apparently In Its in
fancy, compared 10 what, 10 the hands OF en-.
terprisiug manufacturers, II may be expected
TO become. With continued increase Of
facilities and extension OF territory, the furni-
ture trade Of Wheeling will yet make the city
more famous than 1t Is already as manufao-
turing point,