Glass Industry, Muncie, Indiana - Hemingray Glass Company Plant and Employees

BIG MUNCIE INCREASES.

The Muncie and Hemingray Plants

Enlarging — greens and the

Machines.

MUNCIE, IND., Oct. 24. — The Muncie Glass Co. are still spreading. The stack and foundations are under way for a new continuous tank of 20-pot capacity to replace an 11-pot furnace (the old Nelson plant, now known as the North Side factory). The pot furnace will be operated right along up to the time the tank is to be lighted. Then the hose will be turned into the furnace to cool it off as quickly as possible, and it will be immediately torn down to make room for the operation of the tank. Supt. Humphries expects to stop only about a week to make the change and get the furnace out of the way. This will be quick work, but when he starts to do a thing he does not usually delay.

This new continuous tank is the second of its kind which this firm will have in operation and will give them a total capacity equivalent to 66 pots, making them the second largest flint bottle manufacturer west of the Alleghenies. Mr. Humphries says he can operate his tank with much less gas than is required for a pot furnace. He uses checkerwork and utilizes as much hot air as possible in connection with his natural gas.

Mr. Charles Boldt, president of the firm, thinks that the tanks are easier on the men and prolong their lives 10 years, as on it they do not have to go down to the bottom of the pot or exert themselves at the close of the day as has been customary in working from a pot. The blowers hold entirely different views, and do not relish working at night as is necessary on a tank.

This enterprising firm are pushed with orders with which they cannot begin to keep up and are anxious to have their enlarged capacity in shape for operation as soon as possible.

The Hemingray Glass Co. are also arranging to increase their capacity and will soon put in a continuous tank to replace one of their day tanks in the insulator department. This firm have been having a good run, particularly on lamps, keeping six shops in operation on them. They are hustlers from the word go and always take care of their end of the glass trade.

A Russian Jew, Harry Norman [sic] Neuerman, is gathering insulators for Jas. Sullivan. He is the first we have ever met in the glass trade. There is nothing unusual about him. He is tall and thin and as fond of fun as the average American boy.

B. F. Grant, who is pressing here, likes Muncie very well and has no desire to return to Marion. He was formerly employed at the Canton. — Al. Meacham is blowing here and is the gayest sport in town. — Dan Burke and his brother James are both pressing at Hemingray's. — William Finan, who is a close observer of events in the glass trade, is still active in L. U. No. 23. — Thomas Carroll and Richard Gibson are working together in the insulator department.

James W. Kirby tries to hold Al. Meacham level blowing, but when it comes to talking he thinks that it would take six ordinary women to keep pace with Al. — John Sullivan is looking well and Muncie appears to be agreeing with him. He is blowing at Hemingray's, as are also George Beasley, Thomas Mocklar, Wesley Richards, Frank Unison [sic] Unkson, Tim Lane, Ed. Hubbard, and Joe Elliott.

Charles Wolf, shipping clerk of the Muncie Glass Co., after a week's illness was taken to the hospital here Sunday where he is now threatened with typhoid fever.

Joseph Bissou, the bottle blower has left here to accept a position at the W. H. Hamilton Co.'s plant Charleroi, Pa.

John Connell, the jolly bottle blower, left his window open when he retired on a recent warm night. John, in the fullness of his heart never dreamed that he or his pants would be the object of particular attention, but when he awoke the next morning he could not find his trousers. Later they were found hanging to a tree in the yard but minus their contents. John now goes outside to enjoy the breeze and is sure to shut the window before retiring. — James McMonagle and James Cavanaugh, two prominent bottle blowers and members of L. U. No. 91, have opened up the Opera House saloon here. They are both well known, the former being president of No. 91 and also a delegate to the Zanesville convention.

Thomas Hanlon and J. F., Jr., and George Hinckley, of Kane, Pa., are working here, being late arrivals. The two latter are sons of ex-Vice President John F. Hinckley, of the A. F. G. W. U. George Bryson, of Moundsville, W. Va., is pressing at the Muncie flint but expects to go to work at Ball Bros.' factory next week when an additional tank will be put on in the flint's department.

There is a rumor of Ball Bros. building another large continuous tank.

The Port Glass Co. started their factory here on last Tuesday.

The green glass workers who are trying to operate the fruit jar machine are said to be doing better than anticipated. Some who are intent on learning and staying at the work are said to be faring well, while there are others who do not take kindly to it and are only holding on temporarily and will give it up if something better turns up. These latter, of course, are not doing as well as the first. The green blowers have adopted a different system from the flints in operating the machines. They press and gather half an hour about. It rests them and it is easier. They also divide the earnings - $4.50 per day each. Some of the green blowers made 220 and 230 dozen on the third and fourth days trial. The flint pressers run from 250 to 260 of quarts.

There is much feeling here existing between the two trades and each are making accusations against the other which, if possible, should be overcome. It will do no good, and if anything will only make matters worse. The conditions have been developed now ad the principal effort should be to make the most of them for the general good of all concerned. Nothing will be gained now by trying to shift the blame.

W. A. Angelo, Harry Jackson, S. Eatlow, and Josiah Finemore, of Millville, N. J., are now employed at the Muncie Glass Co. plant. — Ang. Schuh is here from Gas City; also W. J. Ogibee, of Newcomerstown, O. John A. Knorr looks well after enjoying Conneaut Lake breezes last summer.

Among the many others here who greeted us cordially at the Muncie Glass Co.'s plant were John J. Allen, John Pollock, Sam Hudson, Ed. Ulrick, P. F. Casey, Louis Simels, Fred Gass, Ollie Verner, Henry Senn, Aaron Terry, John Cheeseman, Con Canning, J. A. Yerkeson, Jacob Heider, Allen Jackson, John Fody, Patrick English, John Staab, James Maleff, J. W. Probst, John Amman, Patrick Savage, Frank Bird, Thomas Larkins, James Barker, T. Humphrey, John Kimble, Owen Gaffney, Bert Weir, John Headland, John Hope, James Leonard, James Dunlay, Carl Ritman, Louis Edelman, John Layburger, Greeley Furguson, and John McErnany.

Harry Cline, the window glass cutter of Anderson, was here Saturday coaching a foot ball team from Anderson. They won. Several glassworkers were in the team.

The funeral of Zed Oong, the window glassworker who was killed by the street cars here, was largely attended. It was the largest funeral ever held in Muncie by the window glassworkers. — MACK.