The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-04
~GLAss-MAKING IN INDIANA.

The man who should have predicted
twenty-five years ago that Indiana would
become the second glass-producing State in
the Union. or that the capital invested in
the industry in 1900 would be two-thirds as
much as the capital employed in glass
making in the whole country in 1850. would
have been suspected OF having many wheels
in his head. Such. however. is the fact. In
diana in 1900 had one-hfth Of the capital
in the country invested in glass-making,
namely. s12, 1889 of the total of SCI, 49,
500. In 1890 Indiana's capital in glass-making
was $3.556.5ss. This is probably the most re-
markable expansion that any industry
has ever made in any State in a single dec
ade. The entire number Of employees in
the glass industry in the whole country in
1900 was 52,s1S, compared with 1882 in 1890;
the number of employees in Indiana glass
works in 1890 was 3,O16. but in 1900 the num-
Der had risen to 13,O15. or S33 per cent. in
crease. The total amount of wages paid
glass-makers in the United States in 1890
was $50, Ss5, 961 and S27,Os4.7 40 in 1900; the to-
tai of wages paid to Indiana glass work
tAo III LoJV We AgfDJsAfJr anu III AVyy ts--OsNht
which means that nearly all of the in
crease Of wages during a decade was paid
in Indiana. The value of window glass
made in the United States in 1900 was ST.
o96, 234. but in 1850 the value was only So
915.6ls or only 1904. 600 more than the value
of Indiana's output in 19OO-$5.7 III, 94S. In
diana made one-fourth Of the plate glass
- -
blown glass and bottles and jars in 1900.
The Indiana output Of this last class of
goods rose from $1,163, 664 in 1880 to So, O45. 935
in 1900. The whole value Of glass products
in the United States in 1900 was S56.5S9. Up,
to which Indiana's contribution was S14,-
7s7.SSS. In 1890 the value of Indiana's out
put was 1895. 400.
It is worth while to note that the first
plant which succeeded in producing polished
plate glass in the United States was in New
Albany, in this State, in 1873, the factory
being owned by Hon. w. C.-De Paw, and
it was not until 1879 that he was able to
produce such glass at a profit. Since the
extensive manufacture of plate glass in
this country the price has fallen nearly 90
per cent. The annual consumption of win
dow glass in the United States is estimated
at $4,000 boxes. In 1900 7S3. LAG boxes were
imported in the face of the high duties. The
number Of fruit jars made in 1900 was 1884,
29S gross. valued at 81. 9S5. O36. The largest
fruit jar factury in the world is in In
diana. 1t has a daily capacity of $4,000 ma
chine-made jars. In 1890 the average price of
such jars per gross was s5.17, compared with
1872 in 19OO-a decrease of % per cent. The
increase in quantity in 1900 over 1890 was
1884 per cent. Not a fruit jar was manu-
featured in Indiana in 1880. but in 1890 and
1900 this State headed the list, the output
being 559,449 gross in 1900 valued
at $2,1O6.25 or 7.9 per cent. of
the entire production. Indiana produces one
fourth of all the bottles and walls used by
druggists. Illinois leads in the manufacture
Of beer bottles, but nearly half the lamp
chimneys used in this country are made
in Indiana. There is no class of glass-mak-
ing which is not done in Indiana.
In no industry is the average of wages
paid in this country so much higher than
is paid in Europe as in the glass industry.
The per cent higher here than in England
is 200, and 800 higher than in Belgium. The
census bulletin bears out this statement.
The finisher who receives $92.10 a month
in the United States gets s2S.95 in Belgium;
the American foreman in the grinding de-
partment gets s121.2O a month";; the Bel
gian 1914. First layers in this country get
SLIGO, in Belgium, S23.16: mixers in the
United States receive $7S.12 a month and
$17.37 in Belgium. These are samples taken
from a long list of comparative wages.