Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-03-07
Hitchcock and Plate Glass.

A cousin Of Hitchcock worked the;
young man into a good position at
: Hongkong in a commission house, and
"a few years later Ethan Allen Hitch
cock became manager Of the business
and member Of the firm. He made
only two trips back to America during
his twelve years In China. One Of
these was to get married. at the age
Of thirty seven he had accumulated
property enough to retire from bust
ness. Mr.. and Mrs. Hitchcock spent
two years travelling In Europe, then
returned to st. Louis. But, rich, this
young man Of thirty nine was not Of
the sort to sit down and loaf. He be-
gan to look around for something to
do. Here Is where the plate glass
comes in. sss4ss
Missouri produces great many
things In addition to train robbers and
mules. About forty miles south Of ST.,
Louis was natural curiosity which
| the natives and many others knew
about. 1t was a mountain Of pure
white sand, about 700 acres In surface
area. The country people in those
parts had used the sand to help scour
their floors. They knew no other use
for it From Detroit went rich, ec-
centric person, spiritualist, who tried
to manufacture glass out OF that sand
hill. He failed because no one in the
United States understood the practical
end of the industry.
/ Mr.. Hitchcock had built himself q.
fine residence in Yandeventer place,
st. Louis, for which he imported plate
glass from England at $3.50 a square
foot All the plate glass then used in
the United States was imported by q
firm In New York, Of which the father
of Theodore Roosevelt was member.
Mr. Hitchcock went down to the Mis-
souri, sand hill and looked 1t over.
Then he made a trip to New York for
information. He visited the elder
Roosevelt and told him about that sand
hill.
s'Mr. Hitchcock said Mr.. Roose-.
welt solemnly, there is no plate glass
sand anywhere in this country"
But Hitchcock returned to st. Louis
and went into the plate glass business.
He found 1t necessary to secure a spe.
cial kind Of furnace, which he bought
In Philadelphia. In that city he also
found a young Englishman who knew
how to make plate glass. He engaged
the Englishman. In short time he.
was selling Missouri plate glass to job,
bers at $1.05 a square foot. Around
his plant grew up the fourishing town
Of Crystal City, with railroad built
to It, Some time before plate glass
factory had been started In southern
Indiana. Mr.. Hitchcock's was there,
fore the second In America. IN time
other deposits Of plate glass sand were
developed. Twelve factories were con
so1idated, Mr.. Hitchcock becoming the
head Of the combination. But, unlike
the result of most Industrial combines.
prices went down instead OF up, for;
this combination was not a monopoly.
Several companies were left outside.
Plate glass today Is sold for 35 cents a
square foot at the factories.
ri In 1890, when Mr.. Mckinley was
writing his tariff bill, he sent for Mr.
Hitchcock to get information as TO-
plate glass and some other commodi-
ties. Thus began the acquaintance
which put Ethan Allen Hitchcock into
| the cabinet Of Mckinley and then into
| that of Roosevelt, son Of the gentleman
who thought there was no plate glass
sand in this country.
So 1t Is really plate glass which III
| the end has shed light upon the dark
places Of our public land administers
ton Future American citizens when
ever they see plate glass window or
I'm acre Of homestead land with a hap
lpy home upon 1t should think thank
fully OF Ethan Allen Hitchcock.