Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-27
THE idle IRON WORKERS
To Turn Farmer, the Only Recourse
Left Them.
The Effects of the Steel Nail on an 0yer-th
River lown---Two Hundred
Men Out of Work.

Although it seems inevitable that steel is
to be the material used in making nails
hereafter, the fact that they have made their
advent into Martins Ferry is none the less
deplorable, and the outlook is nom the less
dark for our merchants and those who get
their living by their dealings with the labor.
ing community, to say nothing of the men
who are directly thrown out OF employment
by what seems Just now at least to be the
greatest scourge our ~neighborhood has felt
for many years. =.
As to whether or not this new material
might have been suppressed in its infancy
by a united effort OF all persons interested
is an open question which it is useless to
discuss for the reason that it was not done,
and it is now too late to do it. People say
that this, like all other discoveries of its
class, is bound to do harm for a time, and
that it will all turn out for the best, but this
is cold comfort for those men who are doing
nothing, and have no prospects better than
laboring for perhaps $l.25, When men who
have always made good wages have to give
up their occupation and a good living such
as they have always been used to and &C.
cept whatever turns up. They are not
pro1e 10 accept such excuses and comfort
ing assurances. To form some definite
idea of the effect it may be expected to
have in our midst we will state that there
ire two hundred and eighteen men thrown
out OF employment by the manufacture Of
steel nails at the Laughlin mills, and that
their wages average at least $3.50 per day.
IT,, Haao -Nk nnz-, 90 he an-th,~- -n-.
great, but when we consider that it is over
$4,000 per week and nearly $4,000 per
month, it begins to look larger. Allowing
that the mills only run on an average seven
months in the year, it takes out Of our town
nearly 5000 q year. This sum taken out
OF circulation in a town Of only about 1000
people makes a very lar e hole in the years
business. Some say: "0h, well, some one
will take their places" Who will it bel
There is nothing connected with the manu-.
tacture OF steel which requires their pres.
ence here, and even i there was, we are not
making the steel here. We do not wish to
offer any advice to these idle men concern
ing their future movements, but, as circum.
stances show, they all seem inclined to try
their fortunes IN the West. This is we'll
enough, there are not apparently enough
farmers, but what success, is it natural to
suppose, will attend the efforts of one OF
these mill men on a farm. Some Of them say
hey have never worked any place except
in the mills; that they are now too old to
learn any other trade, and hat EVENT. they
we're not they have families dependant upon
them who must be supported by some
means, go farming seems to be the only
opening for them.
Why all the sympathy seems directed to
The puddlers we can not see. They are I'M
doubtedly the ones who are the most
deeply Effected by this, what we might call
a calamity, but still we all, merchants, arti.
Fans, professional men and all, are more or
less deeply interested in the dullness of the
times proceeding from the presence Of the
steel nails. And after all nails are not the
only articles in which iron is being super
ceded by steel. Some Of our blscksmiths
are using hardly any iron any more for the
reason IS they say steel is far more agree
able to work and possesses many qualities
not found in iron. From this it seems
that the worst has not yet ONT. Our mer-
chant mills use far more material than do
the nail mills, and if steel takes the place Of
iron in them also, we Will have many more
men thrown out of employment by this rev.
olution than we have had blythe late change
in the nail mills.