Negotiations run into snag and contract is re-negotiated for glassworks

Glass Works — Blown Out.

Last week we published the statement that the contract was completed between the citizens' committee, of this place, and the gentlemen proposing to build the glass works at Cadiz, and that the work of erecting the buildings would begin at once.

That was in fact, the situation last week. The glass works party had gone so far as to make a contract for the purchase of grounds here, the five thousand dollars had been subscribed and pledged, and the whole business seemed to be settled:

But when the Bridgeport and Bellaire parties came down to business they found several difficulties. In the first place there was a valuable patent in the possession of one them, and there was some trouble to settle the value of it. Besides, there seemed to be other difficulties in the way. After having agreed with our local committee on all points as published in last week's REPUBLICAN, they came back to Cadiz four days later with new proposals and wanted to make a new contract entirely.

Our local committee yielded almost every point demanded. Instead of requiring that there should be a building and equipments whose value should be fifteen thousand dollars, which was the original proposition, they simply require that there should be a paid up capital of fifteen thousand dollars, and allowed out of this three thousand dollars for certain patents and that the proposed company should erect buildings of certain specifications, that would not have cost over seven or eight thousand dollars.

It will be seen that this was a very great concession from what was originally proposed, and we are of the opinion that the committee went much further than they had any warrant to go, in making it. They wanted to do everything reasonable, and they went to the very farthest limit of their authority, and more we think, in their concessions.

After every other point had been yielded by the committee, the glass works party demanded that the five thousand dollars should be paid, in installments, as the building of the works progressed. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. The committee said, — no, they wouldn't pay a cent until the works were completed, and negotiations were there-upon broken off.

After having taken some personal interest in this business from the start, we want to express our opinion that Mr. W. H. Wallace, who resides on Wheeling Island, and Messrs. Edward Pierson and John Kitson of the Buckeye Glassworks, of Bridgeport, three of the contracting parties, are all honorable men, and meant nothing but straight business, and would have been willing to carry out all proposals made by them. As to Mr. Terry, whose name was used, and who is understood to be a man of means, we have nothing to say. But as to Mr. Jefferson Bowers, of Bellaire, who is a gentleman of some means, and who assumed to dictate to all the others in the proposed contract, we have to say that we are of the opinion that he wanted to drive an uncommonly sharp bargain, and when he found that he would be held to legal and reasonable terms he kicked, and made every flimsy pretext possible to back out and get away. We are also of the opinion that the other four gentlemen are fortunate that they have not formed any partnership with him.

A word to Mr. Wallace, in parting: He has a patent fruit jar, the only one made entirely of glass, that will bring a fortune to him, provided he doesn't fool it away. One glass works company has offered him fifteen thousand dollars for it, in capital stock, but it is worth far more than that. The Cadiz glass works scheme was in the right direction, if he had been backed and supported by the right kind of men, which, unfortunately he was not.

Meanwhile, the town, of Cadiz, while not reaping any immediate benefit, has shown that it has a friendly feeling for any kind of business enterprise that will locate at this place, and possibly the attempt at these negotiations may lead, indirectly, to something of greater and more permanent advantage than anything that has yet been proposed.