The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-11-04
A LITTLE LOCAL u II u :,

4, ALlTrLE LOCAL HISTORY
showing How Accurate Judge Hrnnnon Has
neen In His Statements. y
Judge Brannon, in his public speeches,
has drawn u glowing picture OF the iron
industries Of the country, and particularly
or Wheeling, before the war, under the
operation OF the Walker free trade tarill
OF lS4G. He has also said that the Repub.
lican protective tariff was responsible for
reduced wages and for strikes, which were
almost unknown previous to that tariff.
History does notbearJudgc Brannonout.
The good memories Of Wheeling manu-.
facturers and workingmen are against him.
Under the protective tariff Of 1912 there
was a revival OF business and wages were
good. Boilers got s. per ton. The
Walker free trade. tariff OF 1916 brought
boiling down TO ST, and in some cases to
less. The extreme reaction caused IN ad.
vance in 1853, and wages were So again
for brief period until the reaction passed,
and strikes became the order of the day.
Several very formidable ones occurred by
.whi:h boiling was reduced to 81 about
1856 and so continued until the war, when
there was work. Nailers received II cents
for l0d ut that time. The present rate
is q cents, and other wages were pro-
portionate. !ea
:. "A j, feature OF the times before me var Y
Mls liie lact that casn WIS ~ moi pald IN inli
except IN a lew case g 1hc RUE was one
'ourlh 10 oEe-nall . easii, paiance by
olaers or ions seltiemeht. common
Htpor Was % GEMS III 70 q genus per Jay
'arll l. apor - 10 - per month.
.F.s ~ Tor M1II.,s5 4. r
"a small rolling mill was built in 1874 i
on the site now occupied by the Ton mill.
The capital was furnished by Peter Sheen.
berger, Of Pittsburgh. The managing
man was David ASnew. The establish.
ment was small as compared with any
now in existence. The inducement was
the convenience OF coal, which was found
within fifty feet OF the furnaces which
were to consume it. Mr.. Shoenbcrrer's
capital was withdrawn, and the firm be.
came D. Agnew 4 Co., who Jailed and he.
came bankrupt about 1910. The work.
men who were fortunate enough to ret
their accounts settled took nav in iron AID
nails. Others remain unpaid to this day.
Greiscmer 4 Tallant succeeded 10 the
business, but were. unable 10 make any
money and shortly gave up, and very lit.
tie work was done there until the estab.
lishment passed into the hands OF L. W.
Stephens, about 1915, who made extern
Si'e siepalrs anu SOME uuultloi!s, anu DS
himself and in connection with others
conducted the concern Tor few years,
Hntil financial disaster overlook him;
uther hrms succeeded but az JAILED, and
!ne opening OF the war found the concern
idle alu IN the last stage OF diiap.ldation.
cunhoot cons,rnc,;on :,Ms.A thts MI, ~ -
be repaired sufficiently TO engage in tbis
business, and diving tho war there WINS
considerable actiyity, At the close n nail
factory was constructed on the site. md
this was burned down In 1871 and recon
Ms IL exists Mt nrpsnnt thnra
no part OF either the machinery
or building as itexistcd before the war.
The establishment before the war was
small as compared with the present capac-
ity-not more than fourth as large.
IS i, uy,voyr uitI i5.,i
was Dulit' IN is4p ny company COM
t Ir;,S eSca"s',e,y y, o1Gru.'es s.arthe
,nrs,,," "t rn a 1,nmin.n tho '1a.d W.
tI...,, SJ....,'.., :. J-t:.. : ! -. :. -.