Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-05-29
ACARD FROM MR.. BELL.

4 a
He Takes Exception to the Statements OIL
San Old Workman"
To TIE Editor Of tie Register:
SIR-I have read the free trade article IN
your issue of Friday, over the signature OF
"An Old Workman Of the Belmont" In
which be gives glowing statement OF the
steady running of the mill in the years
from 1852 to 1856. He gives his expe
rience as a workman in those years as
fair example Of free trade times and seeks
TO draw comparison with the situation OF
iron operators in the present high tarin
times very much to the disadvantage OF
the present period.
| AS he refers to me by name in q manner
which places me in the position where my
silence would be construed as giving assent
to statements which are at variance with
the facts, and to conclusions which l
deemed to be entirely erroneous, feel
constrained to reply, and am thus forced,
very much against nv inclination, into
controversy somewhat Of political char
acter. / have to appeal to the well-known
liberality Of the REGISTER for space IN
which to relate my recollection about the
times in question.
No statement respecting these years is
| fair which does not take into account the
/ fact that the Belmont was then an excep-
tional mill organized and built by an as
ISOLATION of able, energetic workmen, some
of them of commanding talent ; oil strspg-
eIs here. This mill, by new machinery
and new methods, revolutionized the nail
business previous to its enterancc into
the market good nails were very scarce.
In fact it may he said there were no really
good nails. Of nails such as were ordina-
rily made, they were plenty, but the de-
mand was for q better article. Belmont
nails, from the first, were as good as skill
and improved machinery could make
them and their sale was pushed with
great vigor and industry as a result of
these conditions this mill made far bet
ter record than was general.
II is must be further taken into sccount
that the mill was small Us compared with
the Belmont of the present day, the pro.
duct being about one-fourth of that now
made. The capital invested was cores
pondipgly small, being but Sos, 900 at the
commencement of the period in question.
The year 1852 was one Of great depres-
sion in the iron business. Nails were sold
at 81 62 per key for ten-penuy. This price
perhaps equivalent to $2.75 Of the present
scale. Pig iron was S25 per ton, which
rate was not remunerative, and the produc-
ton declined. Near the close of 1852 re-
action took place and prices rapidly ad-
vanced, SO that by March, 1858, pig metal
sold at near $50 per ton, and nails at S.
per key for ten-penny. Under the slim
illus of these prices production was active
and the operatives of the Belmont had q
very full share OF employment. These ex-
cessiye prices lasted but short time, and
after various fluctuations finally collapsed
in 1854 and continued to tend downwards
until 1861, in which year nails were sold
at 81 % per key for ten.penny.
During the years in question there were
several strikes and lockouts, one of four
teen weeks duration. Of course, there
was no forty-six weeks work in that year.
The wages were reduced from Sc to 81 25
per ton for boiling within the year men
toned. These wages, owing to the char
acter Of the 'dre" then used, were not as
good as the some prices would be now.
Common labor received from 75 to S71
cents per day. Transfers who hauled
daily twelve forty -bushel losds of coal
from the mine to the mill, handling it
twice with the shovel, esteemed them
selves fortunate to have the job OF $5.25
weekly wages, and no more was paid until
the rise of prices during the war.
Perhaps the worst feature Of the times
was the difficulty in getting cash to pay
hands aud the consequent habit of paying
in orders.
To its operatives: the Belmont was al
ways good pay, but from 1853 TO the flush
times of the war there were considerable
heriors in which the order system was
current.
have no means at hand of ascertaining
the exact number Of weeks run by the |
Belmont. My recollection is that there |
was considable lost time, especially in the |
years 1853-4-5 and feel very safe in say
ing that the ''old workman" is greatly in |
error in his statement that there ''was not |
less than forty -six" "weeks full working |
time in any one of "the four years" re-
ferred to.
But, however, much the Belmont may |
have run during the years named, other
mills generally run very little, and mostly |
became bankrupt, running their owners. |
In this list and we'll known here may |
be named. the Missouri mill, now
known as the Top mill, the Point
mill, the Benwood mill, the Crescent |
mill, the Washington mill, the Jefferson
mill, the Lawrence mill, the Scioto mill,
and others that have escaped my recol-
lection, and in 1867 the Belmont was
obliged to call ITS creditors together and
ask an extension.
The only exception about here to this
general bankruptcy was the La Belle
mill, which by heavy sacrifices was en-
abled to meet its obligations.
Viewed from his stand point the "old
of the Belmont" may have had
good times in those years, but the greater
number of iron operatives did not share
lis good fortune. In the years between
1852 and 1860 the Belmont extended its
several times and gave en-
oloyment TO new men, most Of whom had
been out of regular employment for years
In making comparison between the rec
,rd then and now it must be taken into
account that any present idleness is self
imposed.
1t is safe to say that if they would
themselves from the bondage
# labor unions and work at prices current
n other parts of the country every opera
i've about hero could have full employ
nent.
Even IS it is, think the record claimed
" the ''old workman Of the Belmont"
an be surpassed by some of the mills in
his neighborhood. JOSEPH BELL.
The State Ticket.
Putnam Democrat
Itis loss than three Months before the CON-