The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-14

NATURAL Gas IN IlG uLoht huLE'
lovn, A few yesra later Plunkett & Mil.
Ter built the factory which afterwards
became the South Wheeling works
Messrs. ]. l.. Hobbs and ]. II. Hobbs,
father and son, became identified with
these works in 1916, and tho latter has
been uninterruptedly conneCtedlwith the
concern since In 1854, Mr.. VIM. Leigh.
ton, IT,, Of this factory, made an improve.
ment In the competition Of lime Rlass
which had an important effect on the
making OF glass the world over. Prior to
that time lime glass had been abandoned
or relcRated 10 inferior grades OF goods,
but Mr.. LeiVhton's discovery rendered II
again available for The finest classes Of
glassware. 1t was cheaper than flint
glaze, and lis equal. II has the advantage
Of lesS weight. Thus TO Wheeling, which
has made such Innovations in the iron and
nail industries. must also be given the
cred II of decided improvement in glass.
In 1880, Wheeling had three glass houa'
es, with seven furnaces and ssventy.two
po'S. They had a combined capital Of
$500 529, employed slS hands, paid In
wages during the year 5000, $50, used Sl02,
jlA worth Of raw material. and produced
$4,000 worth Of ware.
TBE GLASS TRADE.
The glass trade Ia possibly Of as much
tenedt to the city In general as any other
one branch Of manufacture. The wares
turned out by her factories are exCelled
nowhere In exGslleDCe Of quality, beauty
Of design II brlllianCO Of hue. Her manu-.
iaCturers long ago took ths lead In the
business, and hEvs never fallen behind.
New ideas In processes and product have
been introduced, and the Wheeling glass.
ware rivals In many respects tho C0SLlielt
brought from abroad. The city ID thus
celebrated far and wide, for her glass goes
not nnly oil over this continent and to
Cuba, hut Ia sold even In Europe, under
the shtdow Of the factories which were on.
gagged In neklng glass when America was
discovered.
AT certain seasons Of tho year leading
jobbGrs and Users Of glassware from every
city Of commercial Importance In the
country come to Wheeling to visit tue fac
tories Of the vicinity, inspect the goods
intheIr warehouses, and lay In theit stocks
ior the season, The methods Of the trade
arc unique, and have grown With the
growth Of tho industry.
The daily average oil wages here exceeda
mat Of other glass making points. The
number Of employees Cngagad In the busi.
heRs In Wheeling compose percent oil
those Of the country. The production oil
her factories 10 valued at 1852 percent oil
Tho value Of the entire glass product oil
The United States. West Virginia, among
the lowest Stated In population In the
country, Ia tho ninth Ia her glass produC.
t9n. In this 90 In other industries, how
ever, 20 line Gao DO drawn between the
Industry In Wheeling and that Ia tut
nelshbOtlng towng. They are ono In In
tetesu, one ID results, almost 0nU In re
Gllty,
SOUTH WHEELING GLASS WORKS
Aiialf Century OF skill llulidS Up a uteat IL
iabllSinUht,
The South Wheeling Glass Works o
Hobbs, BfoCkunisr 4 Co., are located Ii
the lower patt Of the city, TO the growtl
Of which they have greatly contributed
The ptesenG establishment can DO traCet
back 10 small furnace containing lst
pots constructed il 1920, and Opsrat
odby rlunkslt 4 Miller, who were unsuC
ee'sliI and, falling, wofo cold out. Tn
WOFka were leased In 1915 by Jane
barnes and John L. Hobbs, WHO AStn
mere tom East Cambridge, Mass, Boz
had been identified, with The New EhRlan