Bridgeton pioneer., 1905-06-29
GLASSMAKING
IN EARLY DAYS.

lN EAhLI LA Is.
John R. Downer writes from Glass
boro the following very interesting
| matter
Half invited by that most progress.
i've trade journal, the Commoner and
Glassworker, and again half inviting
myself to place in it's columns, the
writer begins series of articles here
with on the ancient glass factories of
southern New Jersey, now extinct, for
here is the very cradle of that now
gigantic industry in the United States.
While the Whitneys are at once the
successors and historians Of the first
| permanently successful glass factory
in America, established in IT'S, it is
still question whether this was not
the fourth attempt to make glass in
the colonies of this country, as a
Massachusetts, factory, according to a
reliable authority, was the first to be
operated in this country. It now
seems that the line of beginning in
New Jersey we're Alloway's Creek,
Glassboro, Clementon and Jersey City.
The Glassboro plant is still in opera
tion under the management and pro-
prietorship of John P. Whitney,
grandson OF Eben Whitney, whose
great grandfather, the gallant Col
Thos. Heston, Of Revolutionary fame,
came to the rescue of the seven
Stanger brothers 1876 years ago.
The credit OF successful introduc-
tion of glass manufacture into the
New World belongs to Jacob, Solomon,
John, Christian, Adam, Francis and
Philip Stanger, who left Wister's
works at Alloway's Greek and made
the first melt in little clear space in
the woods where Glassboro now stands
and where they had built a furnace.
The starting of other furnaces in the
great pine forests which then covered
South Jersey was primarily due to the
outspread of the Strangers, their sons
and grandsons joining enterprising
proprietors OF land located on navi-
gable streams such as Maurice, Egg
Harbor and Mullica rivers, which
seemed to afford better facilities than
the first factory in Gloucester cour q
that was nearly ten miles from nayi.
gable water, Mantua creek, at Car.
penter's Landing, now Mantua,
though the stream heads mile east
Of GIassboro.
The land and primeval forest soil in
these days at dollar or two an acre.
Sand was found along the swamps just
beneath the turf and for soda and lime
they used natures simplest manufac-
uured product, wood ashes, to make
the crude bottles of the times.
To establish glass factory meant
only the outlay of a few thousand dol
lars. the importation of foreign clay
for the furnace and pots. together
with a little pioneer grit. of which
they seemed to have plenty by the
way they built factories 70 to 100
years ago. Ample history Of the early
plants that are still in operation has, I
suppose, been written, but of the
ancient factories such as Port Eliza
beth. Estellville, Marshallville, HAM
monitor, Waterford, WinsIow, Batsto
and dozen others hope to give con-
siderable account, including the former
methods OF making both window glass
and bottles; the business customs, the
proprietors, the workmen- since we
find that to this day descendants of
those old glassmakers are still in the
trade.
The work Of gathering this data,
though tedious. is rather fascinating
to the writer, and it our readers show
the same interest no doubt we shall
have pleasant study together during
the summer vacation period. It is to
be hoped that old. timers in the trade,
| both manufacturers and workers, will
collaborate by sending in "reminiscences
Of the good old days of wood fires,
little pots. off-hand work and clay
molds and the now nearly forgotte
ways of making glass.
Fire Alarm Franks.