The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-28
A FINE NEW INDUSTRY.
Tho Bostwick Fire-proof Steel Lath
Company Ready for Business.
ADVANTAGES OF THE new LATH.
Tho Concern will Consume large
Quantities OF sheet Steel made by
tho Wheeling Mills..-A local Order
already Booked, AMI tho Outlook
for tho Company is Good.

The lNrELLlGEScEn has already mon.
toned several times the now industry
about to be introduced in Wheeling, in
the shape OF mandatory OF the
Bostwick patent fre-proof steel lath.
The now company, which received its
charter last week, has capital stock OF
100000, and the incorporators are
Messrs. John II. Hobbs, 7. W. Phin-
ncy, NJ. L. OFT, W. W. Bostwck, the
inventor OF the lath, and others. The
patcntcc has had machine ut work
making the laths for several days in
the establishment OF Cox & Morrison,
at the corner oil Chaplne and Eigh-
tccnth streets, whore all visitors were
shown the novel and ingenious mech
anism by which the rather compli-
Gated work oil making the Hath is per-
formed by one operation. Mex. week
Mr.. Bostwick expects to begin here the
work OF manufacturing the lath for the
market. The local company already
has good.sized order for II Wheeling
house, Mr.. II. X. List having ore cred
10000 square for the new big City Bank
building on Market street.
y An lNTELLiGESCEE reporter had talk
with Mr.. Bostwick last night. lie OK
planned that the Wheeling company
will have the exclusive right to fifteen
southern and southwestern States, in
Guiding Pennsylvania. The reason for
1nrn.in1r hnrn tI,n pNupnntnnnN of
the raw material, sheet steel. Pitts
burgh cannot begin to compete with
Wheeling ON the light gauge iron used ior
tho lath. Mr. Bostwick expects that
tho Wheeling company will consume
within the next year at least 800 tons
OF Wheeling shcetstcci. Besides saving
freight on the raw material here, the
company will be located as iavorably
for shipments to the South and West rs
at any point in the country, better than
in Pittsburgh.
The lath is now being made in large
quantities at Niles, Ohio, and Mr.. Bost-
wick showed the reporter letter from
there which gave the most favorable
idea OF the demand for the lath and the
popularity OF it wherever it has been
introduced. The Iron Age recently
printed an appreciativc account OF this
new use for metal, and in all the
departments oil the building trades the
use OF this lalh is encouraged. Archi-
tocts approve OF it, insurance men give
lower rates where it is employed, and
it is said by the plastcrers to save 4
large percentage OF the mortar put on
the walls. 1t is claimed for it that it
does not cost as much by n good per-
centage to lath and plaster walls with
it as with wood, owing to the saving in
plaster, although the cost OF the
lath is q little greater. In addition
to its fire-proof qualities and
the economy in plaster, it is
claimed that man can put on three
times as much OF this lath rs any other
in the same time, and can plaster twice
as much OF the surface in the same time
when this lath is used. II is also said
that this lath makes stronger wall,
and the plaster is much less liable to
fall of than with any other lath, be-
cause it is thoroughly keyed on by
means OF the loop which is found in no
other.
Mr.. Bostwick certainly understands
his part OF the lath business, and there
have been few new industries intro
duced into Wheeling in recent years
that seemed to promise so well.
The new company's plant will proba-
bly, be erected on lot adjoining the
Standard axle factory, in the Eighth
ward, where the arrangement is such
that very cheap building will serve the
purpose.