Pittsburg Commoner of last week states Hemingray will substitute it's day tank for a continuous one

FACTORY COLUMN

Many Items of General Interest

From Our Industries.

Pittsburg Correspondent Unearthed Most

of Them Last Week — Doings Among

the Boys Who Earn All They Get.

A staff correspondent of the Pittsburg Commoner and Glass Worker spent several days in Muncie last week and below is the result of what he learned among Muncie's industries and published in his paper yesterday:

"The Muncie Glass company are still spreading. The stacks 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 Northside 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 off as quick­ly as possible, and it will be immedi­ately torn down to make room for the operation of the tank. Superintendent 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 manufacturers 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 checker-work 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 ten 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 is pushed with orders, with which they can not begin to keep up. and are anxious to have their enlarged capacity in shape for operation as soon as possible.

"The Hemingray Glass company 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 has 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, is gathering insulators for James 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 is fond of fun as the average American boy.

"B. F. Grant, who is pressing here, likes Muncie very well, and has no 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, Tim Lane, Ed Hubbard and Joe Elliott.

"Charles Wolf, shipping clerk of the Muncie Glass company, 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 company'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 be 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 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 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 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 is 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 and the principle 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. Estlow and Josiah Finemore, of Millville, N. J., are now employed at the Muncie Glass company plant.

"Aug. Schuh is here from Gas City; also W. J. Ogilbee, of Newcomerstown, Ohio.

"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 company'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, Jas. Dunlay, Carl Ritman, Louis Edelman, John Layburger, Greeley Furguson and John McEnnany.

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

The funeral of Zed Oong, the win­dow glass worker who was killed by the street cars here, was largely at­tended. It was the largest funeral ever held in Muncie by the window glass workers."