Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-01

platforms for ten blowers. To the west from
The blowing room extended the fattening
house. the cutting ROOM the pot room, the
mixing room and the box shop. all built of
brick. Outside, next to the wharf, was q large
Wood yard.
In front and to the south Of the factory was
the extensive wharf built on piles, on which
was landed the wood used In the furnaces and
the sand and other supplies that came by water,
and from which was shipped in sloops and
schooners most Of the product Of the factory,
principally window glass.
THRIVING INDUSTRY.
The sand was obtained from somewhere down
the Potomac near Chesapeake bay and the
potash from near Philadelphia, where large for
ests were at that time destroyed in its manu-
facture. The old deeds seem to indicate that
the Messrs- Way came from that locality.
The glass manufactured by the Messrs Way
and their successors was Of a very superior
quality and the demand for il was large. II
ranked second only to the Boston crown glass,
then considered the best in this country. The
first blowers employed at the works were Bo-
hemiaps, who possessed some closely guarded
secret about the business by which they made
the glass very clear-so clear. in fact, that al
most any number of panes could be placed to-
gether face to face and the light would come
through a. clear as spring water and with no
tinge of green. A description OF the work
done there, given by those who still live, indi-
Gates that Il was characterized by q conscien-
tiousness seldom seen in mechanical work nova
days. For instance. the wood that was used to
keep the melting furnaces at a proper tempera-
ture had to be OF a certain kind and quality and
had 10 have all the knots cut out and the fagots
cut of u certain size. and the workmen (called
-heerers) who fed the fire had to watch each oven
aud each stick as it burned so that the tempera-
ture could not get degree too high or too low.
An idea as 10 the amount of glass manufactured
there can he had from the fact that at one time,
when the demand for the product did not come
up to expectations, the storage accommodations
Of the works were exhausted and the large old
stone warehouse ut G. street wharf was rented
and was packed with glass from cellar to garrett.
suddenly orders began to pour In and In snort
time the whole stock was sold
And idea to the financial size OF the
business may be had from the fact that during
one season OF nine months the Pron's announced
10 $50, 900, though it 10 probable that sucn sea-
sons rare. 4
Across from the factory, on the north side o.
Water street. was a row OF about half a dozen
broad two story and attic brick dwellings,,
called Glass House Row." There was another
Blowers Row Most Of the houses were
frames ,
row of fine Lombardy poplar trees extended
along Water street and other hne trees were
frequent in the village. When business was
brisk about 100 hands, men and boys (st one
time 1881, were employed, most II not all OF
whom lived in the village. The good wages re-
ceived enabled the workmen to i've comfort
ably and well They took pleasure and pride
in their little cottages, improved them with
porches and verandas and covered and sur
rounded them with vines, nowers ana trees
and tables were furnished IN those primitive
The colored people who lived there had the
same pride in their houses. One old couple
named Tasker, who lived near Mr.. August
bchneider's shop on New iors avenue, nao
their cottage completely covered with an i'm
mense muitiiora running rose, and their home
was a marvel of neatness and cleanliness, within
and without
much attached to them and treated them kindly.
Amt Frances remembers that once, when q
iit,le Girl she was on the wharf fishing in COM
psny with her fathers little slave girl when the
fitfia regro fell overheard and her little mis-
tress ri.fed her own life by reaching down and
grabbing her by the wool and holding her head
above water until help came. And during the
cbolsra endemic in 1882 an old colored work
~ =, he factory named Orrs the frs.
SUFFERER from il In that neighborhood, and his
,I;,. f.llo.v workmen went to work on him
rnht,ipe him with mo. g. iinement until they
.i,no.t nayed him and their own hands, but
saved bis life.
SOME OF THE REsrDESTs.
Some Of the superintendents Of the works
were Mr.. Jewett, Mr.. Mclean and Mr.. Singer.
Mr.. Singer lived in the Glass House row.
Among the foremen and skilled workmen were
the KsUblocks Gather aud SOM, Mr.. Brewer
Gather Of Mrs. John Kraft and Mrs. Geo.
Kraft aud Mr.. Hartman.
Among the other workmen and residents at
different times were Messrs Gabler, Miller,
ieddick, James Hall. Patten, Leake. Adam
nnott, Grinder. Henry Parker, Pfster, Thos.
1inRy. two families OF Taylors. a family Of
1ohnsons, Mr.. August Schneider Cfrom whom
are aescsnded the foundrymen and hardware
ward nved on the north side Of E street Just
eass OF i4th street, and the Fillius family, who
aterward built on Pennsyivania avenue be-
tween 10Th and lin streets, but resided IN the
country. Ar. John Taylor lived ON the s~ath