Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-15
BLOWERS HERE.
Those Foreign Glass Workers,
Without a Cent, Arrive
AND HURRY TO JEANETTE.
We're They Imported Under Con-
tract, and Will Their Advent
RESULT INA GREAT REVOLUTION ?
The Tank System at Jeanette May Close
Scores of Factories,
AND HURRY TO JEANNETTE.
RESULT INA GREAT REVOLUTION ?
WITH ITS 1,25O,OOO BOXES A YEAR

Twenty-Five or 26 foreign glass workers
passed through this city Saturday morning
en- route from Boston to Jeannette, where
they will, it is reported, go to work in the
new glass factory of Chambers & Mckee.
On Saturday The DISPATCH published
an item from Boston to the effect that 26
glassblowers had arrived there from Liver
pool Friday morning and Immediately start
ed for this city. The item stated that they
came to Boston on the steamship Iowa from
Liverpool. and were travelling as emigrants.
1t further stated that the men had all been
well posted about being interviewed, as all
of them would give no information concern
ing themselves. When asked if they had
come to this country with their passage pre-
paid and under contract or promise of work,
they replied in the negative, because, if
they hadn't so replied they would have been
sent back and their employers would have
been prosecuted.
As it then appeared in Saturday morn
ing's paper, it was supposed that they
would not get here until that evening or
Yesterday morning. The Union station was
watched by reporters of all Pittsburg papers.
to intercept the men and find out whether
they had been imported under contract or
not. 1t never occurred to anybody thus
watching that they would come via any
other route than the Pennsylvania Rail-
road; but they did.
HOW THEY EvADED DETECTION.
The men arrived in the city Saturday
morning, via the Pittsburg and Lake Erie
Railroad, and, without exciting suspicion,
they proceeded to the Union station, where
they quietly took different trains to jean
nette. They arrived at the Lake Erie depot
on train No. 2, at $50 o'clock city time,
and were without any money. One of the
depot employees stated that the men did not
have enough cash to purchase anything to
eat, and, as they all had tickets to Jeanette,
it looked as though their fares had been
paid by somebody richer than themselves.
This would also indicate that the men had
been brought to this country under an ex-
plicit or implied contract.
The gang of alleged interlopers left Bos-
ton early Friday morning and proceeded
over the Boston and Albany Railroad to
Albany They then went to Buffalo via the
New York Central, and from Buffalo they
took the Lake Shore road to Youngstown,
and thence came to this city over the Pitts
burg and Lake Erie.
Upon arriving in Pittsburg the men scat
tered about the depot, apparently waiting
for somebody. whether the somebody
came or not, could not be ascertained last
night, but the men had no trouble in finding
their way to the Union station. While
having their baggage (Which was very
meagre) assorted, one of the transfer
drivers offered to haul the luggage to the
Union station for 81 50, but the men could
not raise enough money between them.
This NAV be taken as another evidence that
they had no money, and were coming here
under promise of work.
SOME K. OF L. BELGIAEs.
The men were Engllshmen and Belgians
and all of them are said to be skilled win
dow glass workers Those from the latte
country carried knights of Labor travelling
cards, which had been furnished by Record
ing Secretary Delwarte, of Charleroi, Bel
gium. This shows that they are Knights il
good standing in the order. Most of then
have been victimized in their own countrI
on account of the window glass riots of "a
Some of them had been imprisoned on &C
count of the part they took in the grea
sHilze, and were consequently glad to g
away from the country.
The men who arrived SATURDAY. are mer,
handful compared with what will be needed
at Jeanette when the window factory i
put into operation, which will be in abou
two weeks, or probably less. If the new
tank system is a success it will entirely
Yevolutionize the window glass business
and everv manufacturer in this part of tht
country will have to adopt the same system
A window glass worker, an ex-oficial of tn
association, in speaking Of the matter yes
terdav, said:
''When the tank system gets into goot
working order Chambers & Mckee vii
give employment to about 9, 200 men. On
of the tanks has been completed, one i
being finished and there are two yet to b
built The output of the factory will b
about 1880 600 boxes annually. This j
more than the total amount of glass i'm
ported into this country during 1877.
have heard it said that the output will b
more than that of any other 25 factories il
the United States.
AWFUL MENACE TO LABOR.
"Bv the introduction of the tank systeu
the firm will be enabled to make glass q pc
cent cheaper than it can be done by any ot.r
manufacturer here. Over in Belgium tn
tanks completely knocked out the old DO
furnaces, and many firms had to go out Q
the business. Our association has been dis
cussing the tank system for some time, an
does not wish to see it generally adopted, a
it will place too much glass upon the mai
ket. When prices get too low we have
hard time maintaining the standard c
wages. When the tank system was intro
duced in Belgium wages were forced lower
and this may be the result at Jeannettt
As is the case with all other reforms, W
cannot step in the way of progress and wi
have to deal with the question the best wa
we can"
A window glass manufacturer said: ''Yo
may set it down that there is something b,
hind the action of Messrs. Chambers
Mckee in bringing men here. They {
first tried to get men in this country, bT
could not do SO. The officials of the VIII
dow Glass Workers Association have trie
to keep their men here from going to wor
in the tank factories, as the new system wi
be decided injury to the association.
'sI do not think that they need be alarmed
for the reason that the tanks will not wor
satisfactory. The firm propose to run ds
and night on three turns OF eight houl
each. The tanks would be all right
they were not on such a lare
scale but, under the present circun
stances, they will not do. One Of ii
tanks is equal to an 120-foot furnace. Ju
think of this when you take into consider
ton that some factories are only runnir
with six or seven potsl In the tanks Il
glass is placed in one end, and is suppose
20 hof1 NH In M