Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-19
THE SAFE INDUSTRY.
Plttsburg Safes Demanded in All
Quarters of the Globe.
TRADE OUTLOOK NEVER BETTER.
Builders Hardware Depressed in SYM
pathy With Iron Prices.
COAL TRANSFORMATION on THE OHIO
TRADE OUTLOOK NEVER BETTER.
COAL TRANSPORTATION ON THE OHIO
OFFICE OF PITTsBURG DISPATCH, I
TUESDAY. March Is 1890.


There is but one company in Pittsburg
engaged in the manufacturing OF safes
which is we'll known to the business world
as the Barnes Safe and Lock Company. An
interview with the founder of this company,
vino established the industry in the year o
the great fire of 1916 when Pittsburg
merchants wakened up to the necessity Of fire
proof safes, developed some facts of interest as
to the present situation and outlook of this
heavyweight industry.
When Mr.. Barnes first began to manufac
turc safes, forty-five years ago. it was day OF
small things. The article in this line called
for at that day, would easily go inside of the
present office or bank safe and have room to
spare. The writer who was a small urchin
when the first safes were manufactured in
this city, remembers one which was placed in
Liberty street Office between lS45 and 1850,
which struck him as something immense. The
same would be a mere baby alongside of the
average safe now turned out of this establish
ment.
The number of safes turned out by the
Barnes Company in 1859 reached 6OOO, and
low estimate places the average weight Oh tnesS
safes at a ton each. One recently manufactured
for the Citizens Bank, of Johnstown, weighed
ten tons Orders last year came from Name
Mexico and California. and all lnternedlate
pany show the shipment of a burglar and nre-
proof safe to China within the past SIX months.
A safe Just completed for bank in New L ork
State WAS shown this afternoon. The prospects
for this industry were never brighter than they
are right now. Last year was the best on rec
ord and this year promises to be better. The
large force of workmen employed are, many OF
them working overtime of late in order to
catch up to orders
Recent orders for the most approved patterns
of burglar and hre-proof safes from Waynes-
1,f-rr md HnD
Va. and scores of places near and Tar have re-
Gently been booked, and year OF unusual
activity is certainly ahead for this pioneer CON-
pany. .-.,
Builders Hardware.
The recent lull in iron and steel has had
ouietng influence on this department of our
manufacturing industries since the first Of the
year. There was 4 very active demand for this
line of goods in the closing months of 1889, and
dealers then stocked up so heavily that the
output has OF late been accup pulating. There
was general expectation of advance in
rates in November and December, and this led
dealers 10 purchase more heavily than usual.
The advance failed to materialize and larger
stock OF goods than usual is held by second
hands. Hence orders come in slowly so Tar this
year. There has, however, been an improve
ment in demand the past week or two, and as
the outlook for building in this section was
never better than it is now, there is strong
undertone of confidence in the future OF build.
ers' hardware. The difference between this
and average seasons is that trade this season
will be little behind time getting under head
wav.
The orders which usually come in February
and March are expected to come in April and
May. Already the signs are here that trade
will boom IN the next two months The out
look has very much frightened in the past
week.
Coal Transportation.
A river man who has been familiar with coal
transportation for well nigh generation said
to-day: This season has been an exception to
anything la my memory, and older inhabitants
than am say the same thing. Since the 18th
of October the tow boat with which 1 am en-
gagged las made Is trips from here to Clncin-
matt, towing each time from 10 to 20 barges and
fats some of which have carried Is, 0C0 bushels
of coal. We have not lost day in that time.
The stage OF water has been all that was re-
Quired, and there has been no ice, as there is in
ordinary seasons, to compel US to lay up. am
very sure that there has not been as favorable
a season for transporting coal down the Ohio
for 20 years as this past winter has been. As a
result coal yards below are unusually well
stocked for this time of the year, and fuel has
been extraordinarily cheap all the past season.
The weather which has given us steady
transportation has had the effect also of lessen
ing demand for coal. and the result is that coal
Is drug on the market on the lower Ohio"