Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-04

! - de oullutnS OF q factory for the u1anrk
facture OF high-grade glassware viii ID
commenced in this city within the neu
six weeks. The site has been selected
near the Southern Glass Company at AftG
and Hospital streets. and the preparatora
work OF matchmaking the streets In th4
vicinity Of the proposed factory has al.
ready begun The new industry win start
with capitalization Of 100000, which
under the provisions Of its charter caa
be increased to sI0.oco A meeting al
the stockholders will be held IN this csts
Wednesday, January 7th, when the Ink
corporation Of the company will be. elects
ed. and plans inaugurated for the erec<
ton of the factor3 and the equipment 81
the plant.
This enterprise is the hrst OF it's kfn6
In the South There are at present tws
factories In the city engaged in the maM
ufacture of bottles, but no high gradA
glassware is turned out from then and
the establishment OF the new plant VIII
mark an era In the Industrial line along
which the city is rapidly progressing.
An encouraging feature OF the enterprise
is the fact that four of the five stock
holders who have undertaken the move,
ment are residents Of Richmond. the
fifth being large New York capitalist
who is Investing in the Plant In this city
in the belief that. Richmond Is the logt-
cal manufacturing centre for a 1arga
southern territory whose trade Is now
diverted to northern and western marketS
In the line of high-grade glassware.
Skilled Workmcn Coming.
The plant is expected to be put in oper.l
alton within four or five months from tha
time 1t is started. and over one hundred
workrnen will fbe employed frem the cut
set. Skilled gIass-b blowers have been ems
gagged from, Rochester, N. Y: Marion.
Ind. and ether points The foreman OF
the plant, an expert glass-blower from
Rochester, has been In the city, look
ing over tho field, and davising plans.
The plant. will be equipped with tina
most modern furnaces and other OUTFIT.
and while 1t Is the purpose of the pros
n1oters to supply the labor In the fac
tory from the city, 1t win be necessary
at first to import skilled artisans from
cities where giass-naking factories have
long been established. as very little OF
the work can be done by novices.
The output Of the factory will atssfrst
be confined to tank and pot goods ID
glassware parlance, which represent thd
medium and good grades OF table wars
of the plant will be- enlarged for ths
manufacture of the higher class of goods
such as hne engraved glassware and
cut glass. To accomplish this work there
will be brought to the city class Of
artisans up to ..lts time unknown In thd
Industrial circles of Richmond-men wfF
have become expert In the art OF glass;
blowing and designers OF the most dsli%
cate fabrics In glass The establishment
OF the plant viii open up new field
for labor apprenticeship where skill and
dexterity Of raw hands can be trained to
a high degree of perfection In an art that
has heretofore been a sealed book to the
ambitious and intelligent manual work.
ers Of this city. as well as the entirs
South
A Bright outlook.
Men familiar with the markets for
glassware In the South believe that ths
enterprise to be started here will be suc-
cessful from the start. Material necea.
sary for the manufacture OF the mar
ketable product Is readily accessible to
this city, ard with smaller operating ex.
penses Incidental TO the conduc. OF the
plant In the shape of labor and applied
power. the new industry promises to bt
a formidable competitor In the manufac<
turing world with the older glass facto<
ries In the North and West. Il.