The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-08-18

Correspondence Rep York Tribune.
G1oysRH1LIE, N. Y, August IA
This city Of $1,000 inhabitants is well
named Gloyersville. for it is the home
ola great community of glove-makers
the largest in the United States.
Here and in the neighboring village Of
Johnstown, containing 5000 inhabit-
ants, and only three miles distant, arc
made two.thirds Of the gloves yearly
used in the United States. This year
Gloversville and Johnstown will manu-
faeture gloves worth 100000; and
there will be imported, if one can judge
by the custom house records Of recent
years, gloves worth $5,oO0,ooo.
tits surprising even to the inhabitants
Of the two elove-making places that so
great an industry as they possess should
have been established in such an out
of.the-way neighborhood. Travellers by
the New York Central, who glance at
the village of Fonda, in the Mohawk
valley, ashley pass through Il, have no
hint that the little railroad which they
see winding out OF town and then up
into the,hills north Of the village, will
come, after four miles OF ascent, to an
upland plain covered with factories and
dwellings; where 5000 workingmen and
workinewomen labor and $4,000 persons
live in "the twin cities" of Gloversville
and Johnstown. Long before railroads
existed, in 1909, a resident OF this place,
having been disabled by some accident,
killed time duying the long winter
months in making gloves from
the skins OF deer that he had
shot in the Adirondacks. That was
the beginning OF glove-making at
Gloversville. The mans neighbors soon
discovered that he was coming money
in his new business and they also went
into the business of glove-making. Year
after year passed and glove-making con-
tinued 10 be the chief occupation OF the
inhabitants OF the place. Gloversville
has become the leading city OF the
United States in the manufacture OF
gloves. Yet Gloversville and Johns
town are not alone in their attachment
tothis line OF work. tits trade which
is shared by large proportion OF the
inhabitants OF the surrounding counties
Of Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga and
Montgomery. The farmers wives and
daughters sew gloves, and the farmer
himself at times aids them in this work.
The territory, for twenty-five miles in
every direction, from Glovers-
vile and Johnstown, Is filed
with working population which
should be, classified rather as glove
mixers than as farmers. The soil OF
much of this territory is poor, SO that
the farmers income comes much more
largely from glove-making than from
agriculture. The additional earnings
from ploye.making range from 500 to
E900a family yearly. The glove-mak-
ing region is now enjoying the greatest
prosperity. Every one Of the III glove
manufactures Of Gloveraville and
Johnstown is running six days in the
week at full time, and has more orders
for gloves than it can fill. Hands are
needed by many Of the factories, and
placards arg hanging upon their doors
announcing that fact. Several of the
companies have recently enlarged their
buildings and all of them are employ
ing more hands than they ever hired
before.
What is the cause OF this unwonted
and remarkable prosperity? The manu-
facturers and their workmen believe
that it is due to the operation OF the
Mckinley tariff. That tariff imposed
higher duties upon the finer grades Of
gloves, and as consequence the
American market has been widened
and securedifor American glove manu-.
facknrars. Formerly confined in large
degree to the manufacture Of low grade
goods they can now compete with the
foreign glove manufacturer upon nearly
Abilities Of gloves. As consequence
Of this expansion of the limits Of their
trade the manufacturers are now.
making more goods than ever before,
they have covered the price of their
goods, and they have increased the
wages Of their workingmen and work
inewomen.
In speaking OF this subject to-day NJ
S. Nofthrup, of YOUNGSTOWN, secretary Of
the Glove Manufacturers Association,
said: at was freely predicted by the
advocates Of low tariff upon gloves
when the cKinley act was passed that
we glove manufacturers would create q
trust and then raise the price Of gloves.
Despite the statement of Senator Vest
to the contrary, there is no trust in the
glove trade. There 10 competition all
along the line. We have reduced the
price Of our goods and our men receive
larger wages; for they are employed all
the time. Before the Mckinley act
was passed We used to have slack times,
when many factories would be closed
r II Ill