The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-08-13
For the Ashevilie CITIZEN
POTTERY ANDGHASE WORKS FOR
- AsHEyfIIE.

4
81 FLOR the Asheviiie CITIZEN.
POTTERY AND CEASE WORKS FOR
~ lsist & AsfIEv1LLE.
Having found and secured large deposits
Iof Kaolin or China Clay, Flint, Feldspar.
white sand and other materials for the
lmahufaeture of Porcelain gand ~other
earthen wares, as welf as glass, along the
w, n CIR. Road, and after practical tests
found the same to.be excellent materials
for such wares, i come to,the conclusion
that Asheville would be good and CEN
traI point for the erection of Pottery and
Glass Works. More than, 4 hundred
years ago Kaolin or China. Clay was
found by Englishmen, who appreciated
| its value, having seen it used in large
quantities at the great potteries in their
mother country.
Samples sent to lFedgewood and other
manufacturers, were found to be super
ior quality and the clay having great
IplasticitY on account OF its high per een-
tage Of alumipa, enabled hem te produce
tEereelHizz gr g. ~ are OF the hnest
Equality sSs5i...,t. :
III
was carried in bags great distances to
navigation, thence tn a sea port, and from
there to England The potteries there
Ebeing principally. located at Stafford,
shire, q considerable distance inland, an
other expense of freight was encounter
led. SO that by the time it arrived at the
works, the price of this material was
consid derably higher than their own and
only used for the finer grades of wares.
= Some enterprising genttemen then
built pottery works in South Carolina,
while it was yet an English Colony. The
Queens own pottery ESQ called by special
favor from the Government) Mr.. Wedge
wood and others, drew the attention of
| the English. Parliament to this fact, who
in a special act forbade the manufacture
of pottery wares and other goods in their
Colonies, stating that it was the policy of
the Home Government to have all goods
manufactured in England and the Col
onies to furnish the raw materials It
was SO with cotton and everything else
The South formerly excluding immigra-
ton on account ofslavery has now been
opened to all. The immense minerals,
agricultural, and timber wealth is being
developed, and he.time not far off when
manufactures ofall sorts will be establish
ed all over this great Southern country
with its natural resources and fine cli-
mate, and able to compete with those of
the North and Europe, ,l
The Iron, Cotton and other industries
have already proven to be success and
with their skilled labor and improved
machinery will be forced to manufacture
the finer grades of goods thus far impor-
ted, until the South is able to do like
wise, and thus become independent of all.
My attention has been especially direc-
ted to the immense deposits of Kaolin
| China Clay) of Virginia, North and
South Carolina and Georgia for number
| of years, and tests made from samples of
nearly fifty localities prove the same, or
least many of them, to be of very superior
quality for the manufacture of pottery,
| tire-brick, gas retorts, paper, alum and
other purposes, while the coarser clays,
labundant in many places, will make the
best of Terra Gotta wares, drain pipes
and lower grades of pottery.
For years past large quantities of white
clay have been shipped from South Car
oliha to northern factories, where mixed
with poplar wood pulp and straw it is
made into paper.
Why not make this paper here and
thus utilize our immense quantities of
Poplar timber and clay, which have to be
carried to northern factories at great
expense, 81
The, manufacturing of porcelain and
other pottery wares can be carried on
with great,success at Asheville, having
allthe necessary raw materials and fuel
close to hand, while the northern and
western potteries are obliged to bring
| fhora from q rPnnt dicfonan =
At East Liverpool, o hio, every ton of
Clay, Feldspar and Flint costs about $5
per ton. freight, and is brought from
Massachusetts, Delaware. Pennsylvania,
Indiana and-other places, their coal prin-
cipally from Pittsburg, Pa. At Trenton,
N. j., another graat pottery centre, all
the materials are brought q distance, the
locations for works and labor high IN
price, and no earthly reason for the many
works ia successful operation there, but
the great profits made in the business
and protective tariffof from 40 to so
per cent, Tt is in the Pottery Industry
like many others, establish one plant in
a, place and you will. soon find others
branching out from it. Staffordshire,
Eng, has over 300 potteries and all the
materials and fuel brought fromra great
distance, while the feldspar is imported
from Sweden and Norway. 8SSs { AA@-
Thus far no potteries are further south
than altimore, where three are in sue
Ecessful operation. At New Orleans a
small concern has lately been started by
some Frenchmen, making good wares
from clay mined in Texas iK21 =
Kaolin has been shipped from South
ern mines to Trenton, N. J.. as an exper-
| iment and fine wares made out of il, and
sold in southern rnarkets. The amount
offreight on the clay and the wares
back with the cost Of the package ia con-
siderable item) alone would be consij-
leration of profit, while fuel is abundant
land cheaper and ordinary labor like
wise. Skilled labor can be brought to
any place where potteries are estab-
lished.
During my tour through England,
France, Germany and Austria, visiting
| the most Important potteries of those
coun tries. / have had many inquiries
for work here, and would not find it
Edificult to obtain all the. necessary help
from these well as northern works. :
My experience as a manufacturer
North and explorations South have
assured me that with such materials as
have developed lately, Asheville with
| its railroad facilities will be an excellent
iiocatisn for the establishment of pottery
and glass works.
- Parties having land along the railroad
/ and others willing to take an interest in
Ithis new enterprise for which. 2 stock
/ company is to be formed will please
confer with or direct to me at Webster
IN. G. Respectfully tilia
w A. III CcuREIRFR i