Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-27
WORKERS IN CLAY.
AGLANCE THE CHIEF INDUSTRY OF NEW
CUMBERLAND.
A Town Which Turns Out Thirty-Piye Million Fire
Brick, and Miles Of Sewer Pipe
Every Year.

A writer in the Pittsburg Commercial
Gazette gives the following interesting in
formation regarding the chief industry OIL
New Cumberland, Hancock county,a town
which has doubled its population in the
last four years, and which gives every
promise of still more rapid growth:
1.-THE sale Of the friedrich, tile, furnace
Innings and fne-ground clay produced by
the fourteen extensive works operated
here is controlled by the West virginia
Friedrich Company, which the following
firms constitute: Porter, Anderson & Co.
John Porter & Co., owners of the Sligo
Works: Mcmahon, Porter & Co., owners
of the Black Horse Sewerpipe, Brick
and Terra Gotta Works; Smith, Porter
& Co. owners Of the Clifton Works.
John Porter. owner of the Etna, Eagle
and Rocky Sides Works; Union
Works: Porter, Miner & Co.; Anderson
Bros. manufacturers of sewer-pipe, brick
and terra Gotta; Freeman 4 Co.; Cunning
ham, Taylor & Co. d. Nixon & Co, and
the Freeman FireclayC Company, sewer-pipe,
brick and terra Gotta makers. The total
daily output of the different works is over
100. 900 e-brick, and besides this product
they turn out immense quantities Of the
other wares which have contributed TO
their wide celebrity. The various works
both above and below the town, which dot
the bank of the river at intervals for dis
lance of four miles, mine the fire-clay they
use in the manufacture of sewer-pipe, brick,
etc, from deposit ranging from seven to
twelve feet in thickness in the hills adjacent
to them. Lying on top of the fire-clay IS
three-foot vein of coal, which the works
consume also as fuel. The first friedrich
was made in New Cumberland as early as
fifty years ago, from which time the indus
try has steadily developed to what it Is to-
day. Now more friedrich are made here
than in any one place in the United States;
and, in addition to the brick made for fur
naces, ETC., a special brick, called the Wit
riied paving block, suitable for streets,
drives and roadways, Is made
The bricks have been used in many
of the larger towns and cities, and have
been thoroughly proven durable and merit
GUS in every respect. They are, in fact,
rapidly gaining stupendous faVoritism,
and may soon be regarded as peerless
among all other street payings. The de-
mand for friedrich is very fair, but the
margins on which they are sold are very
light. The wares made here are shipped
to all sections of the country, East, West
and South, and the excellence developed
in them continues to increase their popu-
larity. The concerns here are now also
making very fine quality of white brick
for building purposes, which is
being used in the construction
of the Carnegie Library Building at
Braddock, Pa, and has been used in the
Catholic Church at Toronto, o., and the
Court House in this place, all of which are
very imposing structures. This brick has
as we'll been used in the construction OF
other buildings of more or less prominence,
including business blocks, public editices,
private dwellings, &c; and when the
black and red brick, or terra Gotta, are
used as trimmings, or when laid in black
mortar, these brick make structures OF the
most impressive beauty. In the fourteen
industries whose brick productions are
controlled by the West Virginia Fire
Brick Company over 500 men are employ
ed, and the picture of industrial greatness
New Cumberland presents is certainly
vivid.