Glass Industry employs 15,000 people, Harry McDonald of Hemingray oldest glassworker, started in 1869

GLASS INDUSTRY

EMPLOYS 15,000

East-Central Indiana Plants

Have $25,000,000 Payroll.

The glass industry of east-central Indiana employs about 15,000 persons and has a normal payroll of approximately $25,000,000 annually. These statistics have been gathered by the Muncie Chamber of Commerce in connection with its annual spring dinner meeting which is to be held Wednesday night at the Masonic Temple in recognition of the glass industry of east central Indiana.

This section's glass industry plants are located at Alexandria, Anderson, Dunkirk, Elwood, Gas City, Hartford City, Lapel, Muncie, Marion and Winchester. These plants manufacture glass block, bottles, pressed, blown and machine made glassware, fruit jars, insulators, containers, table, bar and soda fountain glassware, glass moulds, lamps. reflectors, globes, glass melting pots, glass machines and other glass items of varying kinds.

McDonald Oldest Employe.

Manufacture of glass in this section dates from the gas boom days of the late eighties. Ball Brothers Company and Owens-Illinois Glass Company (Hemingray Division) were among the first glass plants to be established in this section.

Research in the present day glass industry detail discloses the fact that Harry McDonald of the Hemingray division, Owens-Illinois Glass Company, has the longest continuous service record of any present day employes, though he has worked for two different companies since 1869 when he first started with the Hemingray Company at Covington, Ky. The Hemingray plant was moved to Muncie in 1888 and Mr. McDonald continued his employment with the company here, therefore, he has worked for Hemingray and the Owens-Illinois Company in Muncie for fifty years and had a prior service record with the Hemingray Company of nineteen years at Covington, Ky., consequently he has been in the glass business for sixty-nine years. He was born September 4, 1860.

These and many other facts which have been discovered by the chamber in its compilation of data about the glass industry in the east central Indiana section will be related by H. F. Guthrie, president at the dinner meeting, Phil Hanna. editor, Chicago Journal of Commerce, will be the principal speaker. Ticket sales for the dinner meeting up to Saturday noon amounted to 203. Tickets are available at the chamber offices. Sales will be discontinued at 5 o'clock tomorrow afternoon