History of the city of Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio, Part 160

Author: Waggoner, Clark, 1820-1903
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: New York and Toledo : Munsell & Company
Number of Pages: 1408

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Resolved, That we request every laboring man to join a Laboring Men's organization that shall co- operate and sympathize with the Railroad men who have struck. And further, that every laboring man shall abstain from working until he receives $1.50 per day. And also that we appoint a commit- tee of three laboring men from each Ward, to call upon the proprietors or managers of all factories, lumber yards, and firms, and request them to pay their hands $1.50 per day, and inform them that until they do, their hands will not work.

In accordance with these resolutions, such committee of 24 was appointed and the meet- ing adjourned until the next morning, when a large crowd assembled at the United States Hotel and organized for the proposed visita- tion, by the selection of a leader. The proces- sion embraced about 200 men. They pro- ceeded from Perry down Water street to the Pennsylvania Railroad depot, stopping on the way to call upon such as they found at work to fall into line, which many did. On reach- ing a factory or other establishment employing hands, the leader would go in and demand a suspension of work. Usually the foreman would say in substance: " But our men are satisfied with their wages. What will be the result if they keep on at work?" The leader would reply : " It makes no difference whether your men are

INDUSTRIES.

3 20 3 co 28 00

3.00-100

797

STRIKES.

satisfied or nof. No one is to work until all are satisfied, and all are getting uniform and equitable wages. You keep on working till further notice at your own risk. You take your chances." At another place the leader said to the foreman : " You must shut down ; and don't you open again, either. So don't kick about it."

The mob passed from street to street, carry- ing terror wherever they went. It met no resistance at any point. The air was full of rumors of what the leaders designed to do in violence and plunder. No such condition of alarm had been known to the City. Among the establishments visited were S. C. Schenck's Coal Yard, Walterhouse's Lumber Yard, Loeb's Stone Works, David Smith's Saw Mill, Ainslie & Masten's Iron Foundry, Russell & Thayer's Foundry, the Bending Works, and Haughton & Kneisser's Machine Works. The march con- tinued from 10 A. M. until about 3 P. M., when it was suspended, for the reason that all places were found closed after that hour.

At night. the mob marched to the Board of Trade building (corner of Water and Madison Streets), with threats toward dealers in grain or other food property, but committed no act of violence. Thence they proceeded to the office of the Commercial (152 St. Clair Street), with the intention of forcing a suspension of work there, that paper having been specially ont-spoken in disapproval of their proceedings; but such purpose was not executed.

Upon the call of Mayor Jones, a large meet- ing was held at Market Space (between Monroe and Washington Streets), on the evening of this demonstration (July 25th), when the Mayor presided, and brief addresses were made by Messrs. J. C. Lee, C. W. Bond, the Mayor, J. C. Coffman, J. R. Swigart and others. There was an evident effort by the lawless to defeat the object of the meeting, but that did not succeed. A resolution was adopted. requesting the Mayor to appoint a Committee of Safety, to consist of not less than 20 from each Ward, whose duty it was made to enroll the law-abiding citizens of the several Wards, and to assist the authori- ties in sustaining order. The same night the Police Board passed an order for the immediate closing of all saloons in the City, they to be kept closed until further order. The Mayor very soon announced the Committee of Safety proposed by the meeting of citizens, which was as follows:

First Ward-S. S. Thorn, W. W. Cook, Fred. Wit- ker, Wm. Baker, J. R. Seney, J. E. Bailey, A. T. Hathaway, M. W. Hubbell, J. T. Greer, J. M. Ritchie, Geo. Mack, Ignace Wernert, C. C. Doolittle, J. W. Fuller, Edward Chapin. A. L. Backus, C. L. Luce, Hartwell Oshorn, V. J. Emmick, A. G. Clark.

Second Ward-N. A. Eggleston, J. F. Kinnear, II. A. Chamberlin, C. L. Young, B. Meilink, L. W. Foster, S. LI. Bergen, Phil. Blank, J. C. Wuerfel, A. H. Newcomb, Jos. Heinl, S. S. Linton, E. A. Bas- sett, P. C. Moross, Thos. Dunlap, Henry Spielbusch, Alex. Weber, E. B. Paine, G. H. Fisher, Fred, Gratz.

Third Ward-C. R. Heath, R. H. Bell, Geo. Emer- son, P. H. Dowling, A. D. Pelton, Chas. Meyers, C. II. Coy, C. G. Winfiell, 11. Arms, R. H. Warriner, J. W. Smith, A. E. Rood, Fred. Smith, Calvin Cone, Peter Wachter, Vincent Hamilton, M. Lyons, W. T. Ridenour, Win. B. Taylor, F. W. Preston, W. W. Tryon, D. D. Sturgeon, Langdon Smith, N. M. How- ard. S. M. Young, F. J. King, T. M. Cook, E. R. Wil- liams, Albert Moore, John Schunk, J. 11. Nolen, J. T. Southard, S. H. Standart. C. F. Curtis, S. Groif, Na- thaniel Haughton, Thos. Tiernan, E. T. Waite.

Fourth Ward- Rev. Edward Hannin, Gnido Marx, Roger Sheehy, Fred. Lang, Sr., W. W. Griffith, Christ. Wochler, James McGettigan, J. W. Toullerton, Chas. Dodge, C. S. Curtis, Gen. Meissner, Horace Thacher, Jr., John Daiber, Win. Breed, John Huberich, J. T. Maher, Chas. Wittich, R. S. Jennings, Frank Neis, HI. G. Neubert, James Mc Very, Geo. Brenner.

Fifth Ward-J. E. Phelps, Cyrus Spencer. Homer Bishop, Ed. Otto, Amos S. Kent, Bernard Kline, R. D. Niles, A. W. Judkins, P. Christie. Robert Hunter, 1. N. Poe, Geo. Stebbins, J. D. Ford, Geo. Vetter, S. W. Freeman, E. P. Raymond, L. Fritz, (. Richard- son, F. E. Seagrave, Dennis Fey, (. HI. Sawyer, D. Leary, James Sullivan, M. Higgins, J. S. Graham, Dennis Sheahan, P. Garry, James Coyle, Pat. Mur- ray, Frank Tillman, Ferdinand Johnson.

Sirth Ward -- L. A. Metzger. H. N. Howland, T. J. Webb, Chris. Meslin, Frank Tracy, Robert Navarre, Win. Prentice, J. H. Emery, Geo. Scheets, J. A. Brown, Joab Squire, F. P. Wilson. John Mack, Fred. laeger, W. W. Morse, Geo. Jee, Willis E. Clark, Erle Hamilton, Richard Dawkins, Bernard Lancto, Arnold McMahon, M. T. Huntley, II. McGraw, Henry Hulce, Elias Fassett.

Seventh Wurd-W. J. Meyer, John Karm, Peter Herber, Jacob Harbauer, M. Merickle, Wm. Henzler, M. Mclaughlin, H. T. Cook. Wm. Hook, N. Neu- hansel, C. J. Kirschner, Philip Hoffemeister, W. T. Walker, A. A. Andrews, Jr., Jacob Romeis, Chris. Gerber, J. R. Lawton, J. W. Kelsey, Geo. Milmine, J. Hakios, Geo. G. Keeler.

Eighth Ward-Owen Farrell, E. B. Hall, C. II. Eddy, T. P. Brown, Pat. Horan, James Malone, S. L. Stanthorpe, Syl. Donahue, Andrew Nesbitt, John Tallman, Anthony Eagan, Pat. Madden, Wm. Gor- man, Michael Geelan, Adolph Wolf, M. Lotterer, Pat. Owens, Sr., D. W. Stroud, John Walsh, Theo. Golden, David Bolan, Henry Lang, Henry Peiter.

Upon the call of Sheriff Albert Moore, a meeting was held at the Court-House on the morning of the 26th of July, for more thorough organization in support of the Committee pro- vided for at the meeting the night before. To this end, a force of Citizen Soldiery was raised for the common defense. Seven Companies were organized for regular military drill and patrol, and were made up largely of ex-Union Soldiers. They were under command of Colonel Nat. Haughton, with Lieutenant-Colonel Geo. E. Welles, Aide H. D. Waite, and Adjutant Randolph Miner. The Captains of the several Companies were as follows: First Company, J. W. White; Second Company, P. H. Dowling; Third Company, J. R. Swigart ; Fourth Com- pany, L. F. Lyttle ; Fich Company. C. W. Everett ; Sixth Company, D. R. Hunt ; Seventh Company. H. G. Neubert. Major E. O. Brown commanded the Shot-gun Company; and E. H. Chase the Pistol Squad.

This force was at once armed, and took the field against the mob. The result was, that

798

HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY.

within 24 hours the City was restored to gen- eral quiet, and in another day the Railroads were relieved, order restored, and business generally left to its peaceful course.

It is due to the Railway employes here to state, that the more serious features of that movement in Toledo, was not so much their work, as that of resident parties, who seized upon the occasion for gratifying their passions and promoting their selfish ends. But for these classes, the work of the strikers would have been confined to the suspension of opera- tions on the Railways, and the City saved the terrible experience and consequences far more terrible, so memorable in its history.

In discussing the subject of "labor as a market commodity," in connection with this strike, the Toledo Commercial then gave a table, showing the comparative prices of pro- visions and cotton goods in Toledo at that time and in 1864; and also a table showing com- parative rates for Railway transportation for like periods. These tables were as follows:

Reduced

1864.

1877.

Per Cent.

Butter, roll, per lb.

$0 45

$0 18

Flour, Superfine, bbl

11 50

7 00

Mess Pork, bbl

42 00

15 00

Sugar, raw, lb

Sugar, granulated

12}

Molasses, N. O., gal

1 25

White Fish, half-bbl,

9 50

5 00

Coffee, Java, 1b

Coffee, Rio, IL

Best Prints, yard

Best Brown Sheetings

Best Bleached Cottons

Best Tiekings

Best Denims

Average reduction on Pro- visions

Ditto on Cotton Goods.

Ditto on both

The table of Railway rates was as follows:

From Toledo.

1864.

1877.

Decrease Per Cent.

Flour to Buffalo

$0 35

$0 20

Flour to New York

1 26

Flour to Boston.

1 30

Average decrease

A strike among the stevedores at Toledo in July, 1862, was attended by a degree of excite- ment and violence at that time without prece- dent in the City. It seems that a portion of such employees on the docks and vessels had proposed a movement for an increase of wages, and in order the more readily to enforee their demand, they forbade the employment of Colored men in such capacity. July 8th, the strikers attacked the Colored laborers and with clubs and stones drove them from the dock. In the course of the proceedings two negroes were seriously injured, and one of the mob was stabbed by a Colored man whom he was assaulting. A prompt rally of citizens with such arms as they could find, aided very much

in suppressing the riot, but not before several small residences of Colored people in no way connected with the trouble had been attacked and injured. Prominent in the resistance made to the mob, was Rey. Father Boff, then Pastor of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church. He hastened to the dock, and to other points wherever his efforts could be employed in restoring peace. Several of the rioters were arrested, tried and punished.

A strike somewhat peculiar in its source, occurred in the Toledo Commercial office, July 21,1868. It grew out of a regulation established by the proprietors (Clark Waggoner & Son), on assuming ownership of the paper in Septem- ber, 1866, under which labor was wholly sus- pended on Sunday. The Commercial was issued in the morning ; and instead of stopping work on Saturday and resuming on Sunday, as then was, and still is, the common practice in such cases, operations were continued through the day on Saturday and until 11:30 p. M., and resumed at 12:30 A. M. Monday. Meantime all labor in connection with the establishment was forbidden. Such arrangement being a radical innovation on usage, and involving with em- ployees the inconvenience of sitting up until midnight or arising at that hour, a portion of them protested against it, and finally were successful in organizing a strike based thereon. The Toledo Printers' Union was induced to lend its auspices for such movement, which chiefly was the work of itinerants. The strike occurred on Sunday night, but with prompt assistance from the Blade office, Monday's issue, though somewhat late, and somewhat reduced in amount of reading matter, nevertheless ap- peared, as did all succeeding issues. In a few days the strike was unconditionally abandoned, and matters resumed their wonted order. In stating the case, the Commercial said :

By the rules of the Toledo Printers' Union, 40 cents per 1,000 ems is the price to be paid for composition on Morning papers, with no provision as to the days of the week on which such labor shall be performed. We hold it to be the inevitable inference in such case, that the Union designed to act in subordination at least to the laws of the State, and did not intend to require its members to labor on Sunday, or their employers to have their work done on that day-

leaving that question to the mutual arrangement of the parties. **

* Yet, it is claimed, that the Union has undertaken to do just that thing-going even so far as to demand, that no member shall hold a situation in an establishment that refuses to pay an extra price for doing its work according to what its proprietors consider the laws of God and of man.

Recognizing the fact of some inconvenience to employees of the office, involved in the sus- pension of labor on the Sabbath, the proprie- tors, when the strike had been fully suppressed, voluntarily made extra allowance therefor, which was continued so long as they conducted the paper, and until the aggregate of such bonus had amounted to fully $1,000.

CHAPTER III.

FUEL.

IN the rapid progress of improvement and de- velopment, the civilized world has met many great changes in the ways and means for the promotion of comfort and the prosecution of industries. Togo back to the rude conditions of man's outset, and follow his progress through the manifold stages of the advance to the present attainment, would involve too much space for the purposes of the present writing.

The element of human progress now most important is fuel. More than ever before, is this true as to domestic life ; but far more true, as to the great departments of manufactures, trade and commerce. This fact has been for many years slowly forcing itself to the front, and with such success, that to-day, above all other means to wealth and power, it challenges recog- nition. While water-falls and air-currents, in their various modes of application, furnished the only available force for moving machinery, the uses of fuet were pretty much confined to the needs of domestic life. During the past half century, however, these conditions have been radically changed. Mechanical indus- tries, for ages centering about water-falls and other available forces of nature, have now al- most wholly abandoned such dependence, for the more ready resources of the great agency of steam, the product of fuel. This change has been specially active during the past 30 years. Its progress is indicated by the tables of the United States census for 1870 and 1880. By these, it is shown that during the period last stated, while water wheels had increased in number 8.60 per cent., and horse-power 8.40 per cent. in the United States, steam-power in- creased 91.08 per cent. In 1870, water-power and steam were nearly equal, being, respect- ively, 48.18 and 51.82 per cent .; whereas, in 1880, water had fallen to 35.93, while steam had risen to 64.07 per cent -a loss of over 25 per cent. by the former. These figures are highly significant. They indicate that, with no intervention to check this race of forces, the next census will probably give them the rela- tions of 20 and 80.

Ax water-power for ages was the only motor for machinery, and by its location compelled industries to come to it; so, of recent years, has coal, recognized as best of steam-producing fuel, held like control over mechanical indus- tries. Advantage in the cost of coal, has made many Cities-notably Pittsburgh and Cleve- land. Accepting such condition as permanent, other Cities have sought, so far as was practic-

able, to secure the same great agency in pro- gress. Among these, was Toledo. The success in such effort has been notable, as shown by the rapid increase in the coal supply gained, which has placed that City abreast the most favored on the chain of Lakes. Such advan- tage has been supposed to be permanent with localities thus favored, sinco fuel better or cheaper than coal has not been regarded as possible. This assumption, however, must be taken with some allowance. While the use of coal for heating and for steam must, to greater or less extent, continue, the supremacy of the article, manifestly, must be surrendered-at least in large districts of this country. Gas is now challenging combat in that field-partly from the reservoir of Nature, now being drawn upon with such signal success, and partly from the various processes of manufacture employed by human skill. These various sources com- bined will soon largely subject coal, as fuel, to a subordinate position.

Not only is gas supplanting coal as fuel, but it is at the same time taking the place of steam as power. Few persons yet have a just appre- ciation of the great revolution in progress, which, in its attendant benefits and ultimate results, is to reach every department and in- terest of civilization. Gas for heat and gas for power-gas in the cooking and the heating stove, and gas in the engine-is soon to be the welcome successor of wood and coal in the one case, and of steam in the other. The extent of revolution in human industry involved in such change cannot, at this birthday of the new agent. be safely conjectured. But sufficient is known to indicate something of coming results. In no other department of human progress has been wrought a change more radical or more important than is that promised in this case, as a comparatively short period of time seems certain to show.

In the consideration of this matter, most persons regard it as an affair chietly, if not wholly, concerning parties employing large amounts of power, as in the great manufactur- ing establishments of the land. This is a seri- ous mistake. As the use of both water-power and steam tended to concentrate industries at favorable points and in the hands of capitalists, the substitution of gas will operate to diffuse industries and bring them within the reach of limited capital, and even into households with moderato means. It is difficult to conceive of the uses for power-whether by the manufac-

[799]

HISTORY OF TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY.

tory, the railway or the steamship, or in pro- pelling the sewing machine and other simple agencies of home industry-in which gas is not to be a common agent.

From the view here taken, it will appear that the beneficial results to be derived from the introduction of gas, as both fuel and power, are to be more general than has been supposed. The departments of industries requiring large supplies of both these agencies, will be greatly benefited, as a matter of course; and thereby manufacturing will be accordingly promoted, especially at points, like Toledo, possessing superior advantages for the distribution of pro- ducts. Not less, certainly, in its good con- ferred, will gas help many of the industrial classes to employments both satisfactory and more remunerative than those now possessed.

Something will be seen of what has already been accomplished in the production of arti- ficial gas, from the following statement of results:

1. Water Gas. It has been shown that 50,000 to 100,000 cubic feet of this article can be produced with the use of one ton of coal, according to the etleetive- ness of the apparatus. Coal at current rates, with a fair allowance for plant and other expenses, would make the cost of this gas not more than 10 cents per 1,000 cubic feet at Toledo. Of this article, the report of the judges at the Novelties Exhibition, of 1885, at Philadelphia, says: " Water gas, made by the inter- action of steam and carbon at a high temperature and composed essentially of hydrogen and carbonie oxide, has been known and employed for many years. It is only, however, of late years, that the difficulties in the way of its successful commercial introduction have been practically removed." The report further states, that as the result of recent improvements in production, " the problem of introducing it as a fuck for domestic and industrial purposes, can be no longer considered as unsolved." For use as fuel, the water- gas is said to be at least the equal of natural gas, but is not useful for illuminating purposes.

2. Combined Hydrogen and Carbonic-Oride Gas. This article has heretofore been known as Fuel Water-Gas, from which it differs in few respects, chiefly as to the proportions of elements. The extent of its real value has not as yet been fully determined ; but it is counted among the important kinds of fuel gas. It has been ascertained that 5,000 cubic feet of it may be produced with 100 pounds of anthracite coal, or 100,000 cubic feet of it to the net ton of coal. At this rate, it should be manufactured in Toledo for eight cents per 1,000 cubic feet.

3. Anthracite Gas. This article may be produced from either coal or the waste of coal (known as "eulm "). At the mine, the cost of producing it, is placed at 1.80 cents per 1,000 feet. The items of expense there are: One ton of waste, 50 cents; handling same, 30 cents; expenses of plant, $1.00 ; total for 100,000 feet, $1.80; or 1.80 cents per 1,000. The difference between this cost and that of the same article at Toledo, would be the amount of freight charges on the material to that City, which would be about $2.00 per ton. This would make the cost of the gas produced there, $3.80 per 100,000 cubic feet, or 3.8 cents per 1,000 feet. The process in making this gas, consists in pulverizing the coal to an extreme degree of fineness, and blowing it into the combustion chamber, where it is ignited and burned while floating in the air.

4. Petroleum Gas. Accepting the theory, that natural gas is produced by the passage of air through bodies of petroleum, and is found in reservoirs above such oil deposits. an Ohio inventor, J. J. Johnston, of Columbiana, Ohio, in 1886, patented a process based upon such theory. Ilis plan consists in foreing air through erude petroleum contained in six iron cylinders. This is done with an air-pump. After passing the cylinders, the air (now converted into gas and ready for use) is conducted into a gasometer. The inventor claims, that by his process, gas can be made at from one to two cents per 1,000 feet. For either illuminating or heating purposes, it is said to be superior to natural gas. The apparatus for its manufacture occupies little room, and can be set up wherever desired. The patentee also states that, from a single barrel of crude oil, he has produced 450,000 cubic feet of gas of the quality stated; and that the material left was worth, for purposes of lubri- cation, as much as the original cost of the oil, Should thorough test of this invention at all justify these extraordinary claims, the importance of Mr. Johnston's invention could now hardly be estimated.

As indieating something of the comparative values of fuel in mass and in the form of gas, the following table, showing the results of careful scientific tests, is given here :

Gas from

One 1b. Coal. One lb. Coal. In Crucible Furnaces.

Per cent. of heat utilized 33 90

Available heat (units) 455

7246

In large Blast Furnace.

Per cent. of heat utilized 36 90

Available heat (units) 1680 7246

Per cent. of heat utilized 10 00

In Domestic tise.

Available heat (units) 1300

7246

These figures will be a surprise to all readers who have never given the subject special exam- ination. The fact that to this time 90 per cent. of fuel has been wasted in use, seems almost incredible ; and yet, such is the declaration of science. It is further claimed, upon like au- thority, that the waste of power in the steam engine, is nearly as great as above shown in the matter of heat, which will mostly be saved by the gas engine. It is further stated, as the result of experience, that such are the advan- tages of gas over coal, that if the consumer pay an average of 40 eents per 1,000 cubic feet for gas, the cost to him will be no more than coal at average prices.

The writer is not unmindful of the fact, that the real test of the view here presented, in practical results, is for the future. To what extent such trial may justify the view taken, remains to be seen. And yet, it has been deemed proper that the facts here given be placed on record, for comparison with those hereafter to transpire.

NATURAL GAS AND OIL ..

The marvelous growth of manufacturing en- terprises in Northwestern Ohio in 1886, '87 and '87, was due to the discovery of high-pressure Natural Gas at Findlay in 1884. At that date that article was being used for fuel in many

-01

NATURAL GAS.

localities in Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. Its introduction and use in Pittsburgh on a large scale for two or three years, had turned the attention of the manufacturing world to that City. The cheapness of the new fuel; the economy resulting from different factors in its use ; the improvement in quality of the mann- factured products, combined to give decided advantage to centers fortunate enough to secure it, and to make competition seem almost hope- less to the localities outside of its boundaries.

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History of the city of Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio, Part 160

Author: Waggoner, Clark, 1820-1903 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: New York and Toledo : Munsell & Company Number of Pages: 1408

Author: Waggoner, Clark, 1820-1903
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: New York and Toledo : Munsell & Company
Number of Pages: 1408