Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-11-12
EXCELLENT SUGGESTION
Of a GlaSsworker Anent the Project to
Buy the Hobbs Plant

Buy the Hobbs Plant
FROM THE UNITED STATES GLASS
COMPANY PRICE is Elk
CESSIvE, AND A NEW SITE
SHOULD BE SELECTED-WEST-
WOOD PROPOSITION SHOULD BE
ACCEPTED-MICHAEL OWENS
SUGGESTED AS MANAGER.
The effort to revive the glass indus
try in the lower part of the city, by
the purchase of the old Hobbs plant
from the United States Glass Company,
has led to complications which have
been noted in the Register. 1t is the
concensus of opinionsa among those who
are familiar with the old plant, that
the price placed upon it by its present
owners is excessive. The project has
been given an impetus, however, and
while the old factory may not be pur-
chased, the movement may eliminate
IL TIC SACOt1ou dHu OpCI dliOu VI d utW
factory.
One of the best posted practical
glassworkers in the city, a gentleman
who learned his trade in the Hobbs fac
tory, and who has been closely watch
ing the movement to rehabilitate the
cid plant, said yesterday to a Register
reporter:
Il noticed in your report of the
meeting of the South Side business men
at Mozart Hall, last evening, for
the purpose of considering the propo
sition of purchasing and reopening the
old Hobbs glass plant, that there was
some opposition. l agree with the
many merchants pl esent who were in
clined to disapprove Of the proposed
purchase of the old Hobbs plant, and
would heartily endorse the forming of
new company with a view Of select
ing more advantageous site for glass
house, but would suggest the adoption
of the name, Hobbs Glass Company.
''The price asked by the United States
Glass Company-$52, 500--is too high,
considering that the old plant is moth
ing but a shell, with the exception of the
two furnaces. When the plant was de-
stroyed by fire in the year 1881 there
was nothing of the factory but the
furnaces and walls left standing, just
as the walls and furnaces of the old
Buckeye glass works, in Martins Ferry,
are standing to-day.
'The old firm, Hobbs, Brockunier &
Co., were doing rushing business at
h. Il Nil nf ar
ders on their books and they could
not afford to have their plant lay idle.
Immediately carpenters were put to
work and erected a temporary roof to
be replaced at some future time by
permanent one The temporary roof
answered the purpose as long as the
firm existed, and the temporary roof
is still doing service at the same old
stand to-day.
"In 1888, when the old Hobbs, Brock
unier & Co. firm dissolved and sold the
plant to the new Hobbs Glass Company,
they took into consideration the fact
that the plant was badly in need of
roof and placed the figure at 100000,
and let that amount go as their stock in
the new company. | have been indi-
rectly informed that the United States
Glass Company asked much less
amount than $50 600 a few years ago.
'The arguments used by the mer-
chants at the meeting last night in OPP
position to the location of the ola
plant, in my judgment, were correct
The margin on glassware is so small
that it is absolutely necessary to re-
ceiVe the raw material by running
switches in the stock houses, and every
building should be conveniently erected
to handle the product from one room to
another until it reaches the packing
room and from there loaded right on
the cars without any hauling whatever,
and that is impossible at the old plant.
THE suggestion to secure another
site for the new glass house was good
one and $4,000 would build an up-tC-
date factory The Westwood property
would be an excl ent location 1t has
all the natural advantages for a plant
Of that kind. If Mr.. Westwood has
made the offer suggested at the meet
ing to give the use Of the ground for
period of ten years free Of charge with
the understanding that the company
at the expiration of that time would
purchase the property, that much is
a big inducement and steps should be
taken immedia ely to secure an option.
If a glass factory can be started in
this end of the town, enough OF the
old Hobbs glass workers who are sober
and industrious and at present scatter
ed, could be secured to operate it.
Il notice also that it has been sug-
gested that Mike Owens" be called
home to assist n reviving this imDor-
tant industry AS a glass worker. l
think if Mike Owens could be induced
to come to Wheeling and hear the pro-
ject, it certainly would be a go. He is
to-day among the leading glass manu-
facturers of this country and has no
superior as a pyactical manager and
for mechanical ideas. Il has been ru-
mored that since the Toledo Glass Co
joined the chimney glass trust that
Owens is not permanently connected
with the above named factory. If such
is the haSe hS miohf he jp1uoed N