The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-12-19
BEEcaHURsr BUDGET
Glass Plant HustIing--Se Houses
Going Up.


Yesterday morning visit was
made to the glass factory by our re-
porter and he was shown over the en-
tire plant by Mr.. Richard Bannister
who proved to be a very genial and
affable young man. About twenty
shops are now running and the scene
Is indeed a busy one. 1t is especially
so around the furnace which resembles
nothing so much as a gigantic bee
hive and the whole factory is equally
as busy. AS only the sand blast room,
the engraving room, cutler shop and
two etching rooms are running full
with the others about half, it will be
seen that when the plant is going full
that visitors will have busy time
keeping out Of the way. As it is the
management are literally swamped
with requests to be shown over the
factory and they greatly desire that
the public inform themselves as to
the days when visiting is in order. 1t
is expected that by Saturday week,
things will be in shape for them to go
on full and this will be great relief
to the company; as they are now over
run with orders and are sending out
seventy-fve barrels per day. There
are now six good pots in use, being
the total number of those that stood
the test of heating out of twenty that
were fired up. AS they each cost $40,
it will be seen that the loss has been
quite heavy, and as it takes four days
to fire up pot the delay caused is
considerable. However, by Saturday
week eight more will be put in, thus
giving as many as will be required.
A tour of the whole plant was made
and some Of the most interesting
phases of the work was noticed. The
etching and engraving being done is
| very beautiful and some OF the cut
| ting requires great amount of skill
| to do IL right. But now great deal
Of it is done by machinery and where
dozens Of men formerly were required
| it only takes few now. The sand
blast is perhaps the most interesting.
Thin plates Of metal are made and in
these are cut the designs which are de-
sired to be made on the glass. Then
the glasses covered by the plates are
placed in a powerful sand blast and
the sand cuts the exposed portions of
the glass and forms many beautiful
combinations. Other designs are
formed by the work of acids. The
glass is coated with beeswax and by
means of an ingenious machine vari-
Gus designs are cut in this. Then the
glass is placed in an acid bath which
attacks the exposed portions and eats
its way into them forming the requir-
ed design. The work at the glazing
furnace was also found to be interest
ing This furnace, although very
small one, is heated extremely hot and
in summer time the work is very dis
tressng on the laborers. The man
agement have found that the factory
is too small for their purposes and
they expect to build an addition as
soon as practicable.
Another thing that is heavily han
dicapping them is the painful lack of
houses. Many families are actually
suffering privations because the people
who have money to invest will not or
cannot see the great advantage to be
gained in building houses for their ac-
commodation. This matter is re-
ceiving some attention, however, and
seven new houses were started in the
last week, and grading is now being
done for Others. The avenue is
now a sea of mud and it is difficult to
see how any traffic can get over it at
all this winter unless something is
done to mend matters and it is not
expected that anything will be done
If we are to judge by the past. Among
the other enterprises that have start
ed on Beechurst as a consequence of
the boom down there are several
stores and one restaurant. Fred
Hough is already in successful bust
business on Sunnyside and Mr.. Wood
son is building another one there
Down below Mr.. Frank Bannister is
running store and Mrs. Daugherty
is building for another one. John
Hunt is putting up house in which
he will run restaurant, and Others
will undoubtedly follow. The boom
is still booming and the boomers of
the boom are just beginning to be APP
preciated by some people.