New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-24
ANOTHER TARIFF MIRACLE
INCREASE OF WAGES AT DOLGEvILLE.
THE EDGE OF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
THE wORKMEN SAY ABOUT THEIR
wAGEs-AN INGENIOUS SYSTEM
OF PRoTT-EARNING.
rrnoaA srArr CONFECTIONERY OF THE rnInuv.. |

mark the chain of manufacturing towns that ex-
tends practically from Albany to Rome-a dis
tance of over 100 miles. Factory after factory
comes into view as the train follows the winding
path Of tine Mohawk River; and this year the
smoke that pours out of their chimneys denotes
that every manufacturer has work TO do and
plenty of it In consequence of the passage of the
Mckinley act. But the factories in the valley do
not tell of all the prosperity in this manufactur-
ing range Of territory. Back Of the valley, high
upon the hills overlooking it, there are numerous
towns. like Johnstown, Gloversvlle and Dodge
vile, which add to the manufactured products of
the region Dolgeville is situated eight miles
northeast of Little Falls. It can only be
reached over road which is rough even in mid
summer, and must be well-nigh impossible in mid
winter or early spring There is steady ascent
upon the road for mile after it leaves Little
Falls, and it crosses series of high hills and de-
sends into several valleys before the traveller
sees before him in the valley Of East Canada
Creek the tall smoke stacks of the factories and
the roofs of the houses in DOlgeville There has
been gradual rise in the road. however, and at
Dolgevle one finds that he is 400 feet above the
level of the Mohawk River.
The village is one of those miracles of the
protective tariff system and of the Mckinley
act which have recently excited so much sheer
ing comment in the columns OF Democratic news
papers. If there ever was an industrial miracle
il is the town of Dolgevillc Only sixteen years
ago it was forlorn-looking and obscure little
hamlet situated on the edge OF the great Adiron-
dack forest region, known as Brockett's Bridge,
with $50 Inhabitants and two three village
stores; and its sole evidence of manufacturing
spirit was old wooden building of small size
which had once been used as tannery, but had
been abandoned for many years No more
promising place in which to establish great man.
ufacturing industry and TO test the efficacy of the
American protective tariff system apparently could
have been selected. 1t was eight miles from q
railroad. Moreover, the dirt road leading to Little
Falls was in wretched condition, and crossed some
Of the steepest hills in Herkimer County. Trans
portation of supplies and manufacturing material
to BrOcketts Bridge. and also of the manufactured
product in return would inevitably be difficult and
costly. What could seem more incredible than the
conversion of an Adirondack village, with no rail-
road outlet, into a thriving manufacturing town
Alfred Dodge, "a young Gernan-American. who
had begun in Brooklyn in 1874 the manufacture
of felt for pianos in a small way when he visited
Bracketts Bridge in 1875 thought that he per-
ceived there good site for his factory. He
needed thousands of gallons of pure water daily
in which to wash the wool that he converted into
water, East Canada Creek. which flowed out of
the Adirondack forests only few miles north Of
the village. Mr.. Dodge bought the old tannery.
filled it with machinery for making felt and
began work in it in 1876. Satisfied in a few
years that he had made mistake in the location
of his factory, he began the erection Of q far
larger building of stone for his use. This new
factory, as il was then termed, he finished IN
1882. 1t is a fine looking building Of white
limestone four stories in height 300 feet long,
20 feet wide and with total floor space OF
10000 feet. Each story has a height of fifteen
feet and has double flooring Of hard wood to
stand the shaking of the many tons OF heavy
machinery at work. Subsequently Mr.. Dodge en-
gagged in another entcrprie-that of the manu-
facture of sounding boards for pianos. large
wooden building in which the sounding boards
are made stands north of the felt factory, and
nearby along Dolge-ave., are piled up hundreds or
thousands of feet Of lumber curing for its use in the
manufacture Of sounding boards Mr.. Dodge also has
saw mills at three points of the Adirondack wilder
pess-at Port Lyden, at Leipzig, and at Ottar
Lake. where the spruce lumber used in making
sounding boards is turned out
The lifelees town Of Brockett's Bridge, with
its unemployed population of $50, its rough
streets, its Imprinted houses, has disappeared, and
in the State. 1t is village with well-sraded
streets and with fine parks, with electric lights
cleaning in its houses at night II has popula-
ton of 1000. The factories of Mr.. Dodge en-
plov 500 persons A piano factory just erected
will have within six months in its service 200
men. There is woollen factory in course OF
erection which will employ $50 men. There is
a piano wire factory from Germany now building
which will employ 100 men. Then there Is
Union Free School with an artistic building
which cost O,0O0 and has excellent teachers,
and there is an academy just erected at cosc
If $4,000, filed with the latest educational
appliances, and also having most competent
teachers. Added to this the village possesses
IN aThc Degeville Herald" such strong' interest
inc weekly newspaper that it has State-"iae
circulation The newspaper very naturally cnaIi-
MONS the cause of Protection to American III
dustry, and having living example OF the oene-
fits of Protection to a manufacturing community
under its own eyes, speaks with much authority
and influence on the subject. Moreover, rail-
road which starts at Little Falls and circles about
,broupb the hills for eleven miles, with con-
stantly ascending grade until IL reaches Dodge
vile. will be opened for travel and the transporta-
tion of freight within thirty days. 1t Is no
wonder that in recognition Of the merit of the man
whose indonitable spirit, constant industry anu
busness skill transformed this out-ofthe-way h'-
tie village into a thriving manufacturing to"h'
the name of the place was changed In 1871 iroiii
Rrockett's Bridge TO Dolgeville by the State
.utborities upon the unanimous request OF It's
citizens.
Mr.. Dodge paid heavy price in labor ana
thoucbt in accomplishing this Protection mir
aclen lie was a man of small capital when ne
undertook the manufacture of felt in 1874 Ihe
foreign manufacturers had complete possession OF
the American market. They had annihilated all
former American competition. They had been able
70 raise the price of felt in the United States
AZ ore time to as high price as S13 pound
lnef lnlNllN by bis