Factory Notes; The moulders are busy preparing moulds at Hemingray

FACTORY NOTES.

Some Information Regarding the Present

Condition

Of Our Manufacturing Industries – Some Extensive Repairs – The Financial Condition Not Critical.

It is known that at this time of the season it is customary [sic] customary and expedient for most or all of the glass factories to suspend operations for a period of seven or eight weeks, partly because of the summer heat, and partly because it becomes necessary to repair their furnaces, annually, and to replace some of them with entire new masonary [sic] masonry and pots. A thousand and one repairs and conveniences both in the iron mills and glass fatories [sic] factories that have been needed during the active season are delayed until the “closing season” which now is at hand with our factories.

The close condition of money affairs at the present time is not calculated to paralyze the healty [sic] healthy conditions of our factories, as the information below assures. As a matter of course money and plenty of it is required to carry on the imense [sic] immense business that our factories are now doing, and the present lack of money, or confidence, rather, will be felt more or less. A surplus, and a large one, is necessary to tide any manufacturing industry over the dull season, and where proper provisions has not been made to meet such emergencies such industries must suspend when capital cannot be procured from outside sources.

It is well known that such factories as have located in the gas belt and had the advantatge [sic] advantage of cheap fuel, have made more money in the past few years than they care to speak of and a longer period than the present financial depression will be required to permanently close them.

The many glass industries visited, are at the present time making their usual annual repairs and expecting to do a greater business the coming season than they have done in the past.

Ball Bros. glass company turned out fires at the regular appointed time and will start their furnaces in a few days at their fullest capacity. They have been behind, however, in their stamping department and to furnish caps for their present stock of finished jars they will run this departmet [sic] department throughout the month of August. They employ 50 men and together with the cost of zinc their daily expenses are $2,000, for which they plank down the cash. They are building a new box factory and will manufacture their own boxes.

Over’s glass works contemplate a good business when the season opens and are repairing their two large melting furnaces. Two moulders are busy preparing moulds for the Hemingray glass company, which will be necessary in a few days for the extensive out-put of their factory. Neither of these factories could be found on inquiry to anticipate any crisis in their financial matters and will pay off without trouble when business resumes.

The Midland Steel Co. resumes operations again on the first of August. They will work 260 men, a slight increase over the past year. During vacation numerous repairs and improvements have been added to the mill. The soaking pits have been rewalled and a new dryer added. The smelting furnace is being remoddled [sic] remodeled. The train of mills have been lined up and when the first of August comes around they will start the big mill at its fullest capacity.

The Architectural iron works have not found time to suspend business, and instead of dismissing employes have added to their works 35 extra men in the past few weeks. Employes who were paid $1.25 a year ago are now receiving $2.00 a day. There is no semblance of close times in this management as the business has grown steadily through the past few months.

Another extensive industry, which is one of the most important, is the Indiana iron company. All the departments were closed down on the first of July, but the nut and bolt department, which has kept 150 men busy until 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon when the men dismissed until further notice.

The bar mill furnace will be torn town [sic] down and replaced by a 16-inch patent furnace that will give much more needed capacity. Two more furnaces will be added to the puddling department. Thirty-seven card-loads of wire and steel scrap iron, ten car-loads of car axles and old rails are in the yards, besides the regular stock of pig iron that will be converted into finished stock as soon as the mill begins.