The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11
Carri1ge Building and WoodSupply
By Frederic J. Haskin.


 Manufacturers and dealers in freight and pleasure vehicles will convene in Chicago tomorrow for their thirty sixth annual meeting. In 1872 they organized the Carriage Builders Ma tionai Association as a wise means of drawing together the leading car riage manufacturers of the country They aimed by mutal interest and CO., operation. to eliminate the hard feel ings that existed at that time in all trades. and to prove 1t best to live in unity The thiry-five years that have passed since then have proved the value of this wisdom. In that earliest meeting 1t was generally decided that the apprentice system was not the most satisfactory. that school trained workmeh would be best. and so sub scriptions were taken to establish the school now exsiting in New York. The latest proof of the elimination of all prejudice in the vehicle trade Is found in the fact that automobile makers have been given equal space with car riage makers in its exhibition.
 The TOO men who constitute this or ganization represent a goodly part of the big vehicle manufacturing industry of the United States that has grown to such great proportion in the past century. In colonial times, when there NtEC only SO tidHy COaSuCo diAu Sdh riages as a child might count and as late as 1791 when the nations 1900 miles of post roads were only so many bridle paths and poorly levelled dirt roads the vehicles used were nearly all imported. 1t was the war of 1872 that put stop to the importing of vehicles and gave the needed impetus to Ameri- can manufacture, though early Ameri- ca was sometimes too democratic to rfI Ia fF, ot -a1 h aora rH Ia rf1 famous old .ole boss shay"
 In 1770 there were only eighty-five carriages, coaches and chaises in New York City and fifty-nine persons of means owned all these. Today the factories of the country turn out over 50e,000 family and pleasure carriages at total valuation of nearly $5s.o09.- ooO. The famous conestoga wagons that made New York. New Jersey and Pennsylvania wheelwrights famous in the earlier days when they carried sturdy pioneers out over the old Cum berland or Wilderness Roads, have their successors in better and less cum bersome types--640.0OO being made within the year of the last vehicle census.
 The greater part of the wagon and carriage industry Is centered in the North Central States, Ohio being the leading State in the value of the pro- ducts. The North Atlantic States are second in value of products. while the Southern States are doing a manufac- turing business of no mean propor- tions. Approximately 5000 establish ments are engaged in vehicle manu- facture. capitalized at about $127.00O,- 900. and turning out products at a value of SIPS. 100000. These establish ments employ in all 66.000 men, women and children and hand out to them an- nually the sum of $3s. .000 900 in sala- ries and wages. Something over three million dollars worth of these Amer ican made vehicles are exported and find their way to the most remote parts of the known world.
 In the earlier factories almost the entire work was done in one particu- lar establishment. Now parts are man. ufactured in vairous places and as- sembled later. Even now wheelwrights ts make or repair vehicles and so raise the number above the given estimates which apply only to establishments of certain type.
 Hickory is the wood, that plays the leading part in vehicle manufacture because of its strength and toughness, and as yet there has been no substi- ute for 1t, unless 1t be the Australian eucalyptus. Neither steel nor wire spokes have yet been devised by man ufacturers that give the satisfaction afforded by those made of hickory.