The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-04
PROFIT IN HARNESS MAKING,
SAVANNAH COMPLETES WITH THE
LARGE HANUFACTURING
CENTERs.

Twenty Thousand Dollars Invested
in the Industry Here-AII the Sa-
vannah Firms PrOsperOus-The
Opportunity for a Large Harness
Factory and misrepresentation
Tanned Leather Commands Good
Prices.
Harness manufacturing. in spite OF the
disadvantages under which Savannah la
bors. on account of the undevelOped state
Of its great resources, is an industry Of
importance itself, employing steadily six
teen hands, who receive in the aggregate
5000 in wages a year. The capital invest
ed by the four or five concerns is about
S20,O0O.
Although the industry Is comparatively
insisnificant in its present state. it is still
OF much interest as it demonstrates that
under more favorable circumstances just
as easily a capital of 100000 or $4,000 could
find remunerative employment and ten or
even twenty as many more hands could
earn their daily bread by it.
p J. McEneneany, at st. Julian and West
Broad STREETS, commenced the Manufacture
Of harness about five years ago. without
any capital to speak of. To-day he manu.
features successfully to a considerable ex-
ten for the jobbing trade. Mr.. McEnen-
eany showed bride, such as timber men
and turpentine men use. This Bride"
he said, Il manufacture here, and make a
fair profit on its manufacture. ! compete
with the Illinois state penitentiary made
bride and not alone compete, but 1 sell it
even at 10 cents per dozen less, and the 5a-
vannah bride weighs from two to three
pounds more per dozen brides, showing
that 1t is stronger and Of better and more
n.l Hrfrnf Nul rNral lou
ing a set of harness, by far superior to the
usual job lot of harness sold by dealers
This harness | make throughout and sell
20 the jobbing trade for s. per set; here is
still another set that l retail for s. per set
as the margin of profit is small, but could
still allow 30 per cent. to the jobber and
live on such sales. You must recollect that
j pay now from 30 TO 40 cents for leather
that only cost from - to % cents two years
ago. II l can compete now, how much
easier II would be with a larger capital or
southern tanned home leather, bought di-
rectly from the tannery. saving freights
commission and profits of middle mon. !
have seen excellent tanned leather here
and 1t is useless to question our facility to
tan leather here. My uncle, Mr.. Mahoney
when he died, was tanning his own leather
and was manufacturing thousands of
horse collars. -
Gen. T. McGlashan, who has had fifty
years of practical experience in harness
manufacturing and who is an intelligent
sand: The greateS disadvantage that
4ldIlltSSllldhlllB mas mere Is the want oil
tannerleS A year ago thought that this
obstacle had been removed, as the tannery
al NARROW was turning out $50 sides of ex-
Cellent leather per week. This leather was
tanned by a quick process which was in
vented and patented here. Even the heaV-
lest leather, | was told, was tanned in ten
or twelve days, palmetto being the main
tanning material used, although some
gambler was also used, on account of the
vat capacity to make the palmetto extract
being entirely too small for the extent of
the plant. The leather was excellent. I
made three sets of double drag harness for
j. b. Floyd & Bro, and after two years
use they are as good as ever. / only give
This as one instance. l used a great deal
OF the NARROW tanned leather"
Gen. McGlashan was asked if the tan
merry paid. Il was told" he said, that
there was clear profit of 81 per side, or
$lJV q week, on an investment of less than
$QOJO and have no reason to disbelieve
this statement. The tannery was burned
and has not been rebuilt, for what reason
cannot tell, but it certainly turned out
as good leather as ! would wish to handle
and believe II paid handsomely. Leather
was then selling for % cents per pound
pay now for this class of leather from
~ 10 AZ cents per pound. Hides have also
appreciated during this last yea, but not
In proportion to the rise in leather and
me profits to-day would be neArer 81 a
side than 81 year ago. 1 know OF no bust
ness that would pay better that would
give employment to a larger number of
hands to the capital invested, then tan
merry and harness factory operated to-
Eether. We have besides palmetto, num-
Der Of other available tanning materials.
mere is the sumach and can
bigfe that can be cultivated
eheaply and extensively. There is the
FAX bark in our hammocks and swamps.
lhousands of acres of sassafras could be
utilized for distilling the well known oil,
ana the remaining liquor is very rich in
fannie acid, as sasSafras contains 80 per
cent. of it. Our brewerIes throw away
dally from $50 to 200 pounds of hops
which still contain from to per cent
OF fannie acid which Is left after brew
Hlhg material. All we need is to make
an effort, and with $4,000 or 500, 0C0 a good
lannery and harness factory could be
started, and would be a paying industry
within four or six months"
W. Il. Nell says: I'VE manufacture
extensively the heavier and coarser kinds
OF harness, such as timber cart and tur-
qnlres especially strong harness. We GER
fanny can compete I'm both quality and
prices. i do not mean to say that we
COnnne ourselves to manufacturing this
CIass OF harness only We have turned
4ut as fine buggy and carriage harness
mere as anywhere in the United States
we can duplicate any order here for fine
harness, of the same grade made any
where, and for the same money.
n. l.. Neidlinger of Neidlinger e. Rabun
expressed views the opposite of those of
az other harness makers. He says he is
dble TO manufacture anything in the har-
ness line, but says that for the last ff-
manufacturing. While it formerly en-
Pioyed ten to twelve hands, 1t now en-
ploys but two. His trade Is now almost
pairing.