USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Sketches and statistics of Cincinnati in 1851 > Part 15
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Baskets, Cradles, Wagons, and other willow-ware. Seven shops, with thirty hands, manufacture a product of eighteen thousand dol- lars; raw material, 35 per cent.
The finer qualities of baskets, as well as the willow wagons, cradles and chairs are made from a variety called the Italian or white wil- low, which is cultivated for this purpose in the vicinity of the city. The willow sprouts are cut off, so as to leave a stump or head, which grows thicker yearly, but is not suffered to form a regular top, the new sprouts being taken off in the spring as fast as they become large enough for use. There are many small patches in this vicin- ity, amounting, in the aggregate, to several acres, cultivated to much profit for this purpose. The common baskets sold in our market are made of the common or swamp willow, which grows spontaneously on the banks, or in the water-courses of our creeks and rivulets.
Bell and Brassfounders .- There are two bell founders who are also brassfounders and finishers ; and ten brassfounders who do not connect bell founding with their business. The entire value of the products made in these twelve founderies is, bells-eighty-five thou- sand dollars ; raw material 67 per cent. Brass castings finished, one hundred and twenty-four thousand five hundred dollars ; raw material 35 per cent .; total product, two hundred and nine thousand five hundred, and an average of 45 per cent., cost of materials.
G. W. Coffin & Co., of the Buckeye Foundery, Second street, near Broadway, have made during the past season, four hundred and forty-seven bells of all sizes, from a dinner alarm to the largest class of church bells, which have weighed four thousand and ninety-five pounds. The aggregate weight of these bells was forty thousand and seventy-six pounds. This is the only bell foundery in the United
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States, in which bells are constructed upon purely scientific prin- ciples, and made to conform rigidly to the laws of acoustics.
An ingenious invention, on the principle of a set of keys-original with Mr. Coffin, has been introduced in playing upon chimes of bells, made in his establishment. By this, the connection of which with the bells, is out of sight, musical pieces are played as on a piano or any other keyed instrument. Obviously, this is a great improvement on the old and awkward mode of ringing by ropes.
The " Buckeye" is the largest bell foundery in the United States; indeed, the only one that approaches it in magnitude, is Meneely's, in Troy, New York.
One or two incidents to bell casting, which are connected with this foundery, may not be out of place. A large bell made here, was put up on the Fulton bagging factory, and during the conflagration of that building, in 1843, was consumed, or at least, so far destroyed, that not a vestige of it could be found. The only reasonable conjecture respecting its fate is, that as the cupola, with the roof below, were burnt before the rest of the building, the bell, in melting, spread out upon the sheeting and remaining roof, among the ashes, into particles so minute as to be absolutely lost.
It is a debatable point whether the addition of silver to the metal usually prepared for bells, improves the sound; and one still more disputed, whether that precious ingredient ever actually composed a part, at least any great part, in the composition of bells. One of the bells cast here, was for the Roman Catholic church at Mobile. This was a large one, and the old bell, which had been cracked, made a part of the new one. The old one had been cast at Toledo, in Spain, and one-eighth part of its weight was made up of one thou- sand four hundred and seventy Spanish dollars. Mr. Coffin con- siders it one of the finest toned ones he had ever cast.
Samuel Cummings, Front street, east of Pike, makes every variety of brass work. for land and steamboat engines, city and steamboat fire engines, of any pattern or size. Hydraulic machines --- such as water rams, fire plugs, and stop valves for water works, of all kinds. „Plumbers', brewers', and distillers' brasses, well, and soda pumps. Makes four fire engines annually ; fourteen hands.
Kirkup, Potts & Co., Pearl street, west of Walnut-and Front street, east of Deer creek bridge ; manufacture all kinds of copper, brass, zinc, and anti-friction castings ; steam, liquor, soda and water
15
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cocks and valves of all descriptions, hose, salt-well and other joints, spelter solder, copper rivets, &c. They employ twelve hands.
R. T. Thorburn & Co., Front, west of Walnut street, make bells and brass faucets of every description ; brass bannister and bar rail- ing for steamboats and hotels ; fountain cocks, and generator work ; hose and salt-well joints; oil globes; cylinder and gauge cocks; steamboat-table castors ; copper rivets ; also plated faucets for tea- urns and water-coolers. Employ eight hands, and make nine thou- sand dollars worth of work.
Bellows .- Three factories supply this market with blacksmiths' bellows, for home and foreign demand; eight hands are thus em- ployed ; the value of product, is eighteen thousand dollars ; of raw material, 75 per cent.
Blacking Paste .- Three factories : one of them on a large scale ; sixteen hands ; value of product, twenty-four thousand dollars ; raw material, 50 per cent.
Butler & Brother, 215 Main street, make blacking extensively. The boxes for the blacking, are all made by machinery. Of these, they use yearly to the extent of eight hundred and sixty-four thou- sand, in putting up six thousand gross of blacking.
Blacksmithing. Eighty-two shops-Two hundred and twenty- three hands ; value of product two hundred and thirty-five thousand three hundred and ninety-five dollars; of raw material, 50 per cent.
Blinds, Venetian. Six shops .- twenty-seven hands; value of product, forty thousand dollars ; raw material, 70 per cent.
H. Read, 147 Sycamore street, employs eight hands, as an aver- age; and sells annually, to the value of ten thousand dollars. These blinds, even to the tassels and binding, are all made in Cincinnati.
Block, Spar, and Pump makers. Five shops .- Eighteen hands ; products, twenty-one thousand dollars; value of raw material, 40 per cent.
Boilers for Steam-Engines .- There are ten boiler yards, employ- ing ninety-seven hands. The product for 1850, is seven hundred and thirty-five boilers ; three hundred and forty-nine thousand dol- lars in value, inclusive of repairing operations ; raw material, 70 per cent.
In 1840, four yards, with ninety hands, made but one hundred and sixty thousand dollars worth of work.
Washington McLean, on Congress, east of Ludlow street, employs
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MANUFACTURES AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS.
sixteen hands; and manufactures boilers to the value of fifty-two thousand dollars.
Bonnet bleaching and pressing. Ten shops .- Thirty-three hands ; product twenty-two thousand dollars ; raw material, 5 per cent.
Book-binding. Fifteen binderies, with one hundred and thirty- six hands. Of these, some are connected with printing offices or book publishers, whose work they finish-others, with booksellers and stationers in the blank-book, pamphlet, or job line-others, again, work principally or entirely on job-work. Of these binderies, again, some are branches of publishing houses, and some of printing offices; which makes it difficult to present accurate statistics of bind- ing business operations. The amount of binding for publishers, is, therefore, not included in this article, as it will be embraced in the value of books published, in a subsequent paragraph.
The value of products in these establishments, exclusive of what is done for publishers, is one hundred and twenty-two thousand dollars ; raw material, 35 per cent.
James T. Morgan & Co., book-binders, 111 Main street, bind for a number of publishing houses ; employ thirty-eight binders and folders, and execute work to the value of thirty thousand dollars annually. Their binding, of which " Cincinnati in 1851," is a spe- cimen, will compare favorably with the highest order of work, in this line, done for the New York and Boston publishers.
J. F. Desilver, blank-book bindery. Among those who have spared neither efforts nor expense, to supersede the dependence of Cincinnati on the eastern cities, for the finer class of blank-books, is this establishment. Books of accounts or of records, may be had here, in a style unsurpassed elsewhere. Spring backs and raised bands, which as well as the ends and fronts, are of prime Russia leather, confine the pages as firmly as if on clamps ; so that whether laid open or shut, the edges are kept mathematically exact, and the book is rendered strong enough, to resist the strain to which such heavy books are exposed by constant use. The ends, fronts, and backs are finished with gold filleting of the richest style. The paper, cream or blue laid, of superb texture, and made of the finest linen materials.
Boots and Shoes .- Of these, there are every variety made in Cin- cinnati; fine and coarse work for foreign markets, and custom work for home consumption. The purchases of our own citizens alone, annually, reach four hundred and fifty thousand pairs of boots and
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shoes; worth more than one million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Two-thirds of these at least, are made here, wholesale, or at custom shops. There are three hundred and seventy-four boot and shoemakers, with seventeen hundred and sixty hands; and a product of eleven hundred and eighty-two thousand six hundred and fifty dollars ; value of raw materials, 40 per cent., as an average ..
Filley & Chapin, corner of Pearl and Main streets. Every day is adding to the variety, as well as to the extent, of our manu- facturing operations. When the statistics in this line, of the census of 1840, for Cincinnati were taken, although the value of the leather annually manufactured in the place, was three hundred and thirty- five thousand dollars, yet, at that period, the entire consumption of leather here, was by custom-work boot and shoemakers, and the amount of raw material beyond that demand, was exported east, whence it came back, to a great extent, worked up into the cheaper qualities of ready-made boots and shoes.
Within the last three years, a beginning and successful progress has been made in changing this course of things, by Filley & Chapin, C. W. Williams, M. A. Westcott, and other business houses, who have entered the field, as wholesale boot and shoe manufacturers; and there is no doubt, that in the course of ten years or less, not a pair of boots or shoes will be brought here, of New England manufacture; and a high probability exists, that within a few years more, we shall be supplying the very markets in which we now purchase.
A brief statement of the business of Filley & Chapin, will illus- trate the subject. Their manufacturing operations are carried on in the upper stories of the Clayton building, on Second and Sycamore streets. Here they occupy eight rooms, of a space equal to four- teen thousand and eighty square feet. Their operations are in fine and coarse shoes and boots, principally the last. The leather, with the exception of a small portion of hemlock tanned sole, is all made in this city. They work up yearly, ten thousand sides sole leather, twenty thousand sides upper leather, No. 1, and 2, in equal quanti- ties ; twenty thousand sheep-skins, and two thousand five hundred calf-skins : of value-sole leather, twenty thousand dollars ; upper leather, thirty thousand dollars ; sheep and calf-skins, each five thou- sand dollars. This, with five thousand pounds boot nails, six hun- dred bushels shoe pegs, and other trimmings, run up their annual supply of raw material, to a value of sixty-seven thousand five hun-
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dred dollars. As nine-tenths of these materials are manufactured in Cincinnati, these details exhibit the manner and extent to which this, as every other new branch of business embarked in here, aids existing manufacturing operations, or contributes to the establish- ment of new ones.
Messrs. Filley & Chapin, employ two hundred hands in the vari- ous branches of their business, principally journeymen, although the stitching and binding is done by women. It is pleasant to no- tice, that one beneficial result of this enterprise has been to find employment for the poor and the destitute. A case occurred here, recently, where a woman with three boys, earned in this business, three dollars a-week, and each of the boys, three more ; and another, in which an elderly man, who was out of employment when he came to Cincinnati, is now earning, with three or four children, twenty dollars per week. These are evidences, that employment for our poor, is of more efficiency, as well as less burthensome to the community, than the periodical efforts made to relieve distress in the community, after it is rendered apparent.
This firm manufactures, weekly, at the rate of one hundred and forty cases, or seven thousand five hundred cases of boots annually ; what falls short of this, is made up in shoes. Sixty thousand dollars is paid out yearly to the hands, and not less than one thousand living beings are fed by earnings in this establishment alone.
Every description of boots and shoes, as has been ascertained at this factory, can be made as cheap here as at the eastward, and the finer kinds much cheaper.
The only inducement to purchase in eastern markets that remains, is the long credit of four and eight months given there, which tempts new beginners of limited capital to submit to the higher rate of cost, which carriage and exchange-at least ten per cent .- to say nothing of traveling expenses, imposes on our dealers who lay in at the east.
This is so well understood by capitalists here, that heavy dealers, who can afford to buy for cash, make their purchases principally of this firm. As an example, the heaviest shoe and boot merchant in Louisville, himself owner of a boot and shoe factory, in Grafton, Mass., deals largely with Messrs. Filley & Chapin, and has a standing order on their books to the value of eleven thousand dol- lars, in deliveries of one hundred and forty dollars per day, or in that proportion weekly. The country merchant can buy always to
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better advantage in the west, also, not merely in the saving of tra- veling expenses and freight or carriage, but in the certainty of getting his goods almost at his door at a day's notice, and of indi- viduals within reach, of responsibility for the wares they mann- facture.
Thomas Sharkey, a journeyman in Filley & Chapin's employ, has frequently made six pairs of these boots per day of eight hours, and has more than once made twelve pairs at a sitting of fifteen hours in each instance, and will make a pair of boots at any time, in the presence of any one curious to witness the performance, in one hour, or even less.
These are feats which cannot be paralleled or even approached in New England, the head-quarters of the boot and shoe manufactures.
Another class of boot and shoemakers consists of those who measure for customers, beside keeping a supply on hand, of the same quality, for those who require to be supplied on short notice, or without notice at all. A proper representative of this class, is Eshelby, No. 16 West Sixth street, a man, who has acquired con- siderable celebrity in business. He employs, on an average, thirty hands, manufactures as many pairs of women's and children's shoes as of men's, and all of the finest quality of materials. He makes to the value of thirty thousand dollars annually.
Eshelby makes one article that deserves special notice ; this is a substantial calf-skin boot, tanned with the hair on, which is turned inside, and is designed for winter wear, especially of persons whose business exposes them to travel through the snow or water-sur- veyors and railroad parties, for example.
Yet another class exists. There are persons in large numbers in cities, who rarely, or never bespeak their boots and shoes, but purchase at the period of want, and many of them at its last moment. They expect, however, to get an article equal to the best, both in neatness and service.
C. M. Williams, Fifth, east of Walnut, supplies this line of cus- tomers, and on the most extensive scale. He employs from seventy- five to one hundred and twenty-five hands, all upon fine work of men's dress boots, congress boots, and fine shoes, and ladies' gaiter boots, buskins and slippers. These are of every suitable material, calf-skins, morocco, lasting, and patent leather of the best material and finish. He makes what is termed seamless gaiter boots for ladies, which are so constructed, that there is no strain whatever
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upon the boot except at the corded side, which being gored with elastic cloth, accommodates itself to the pressure. As these gaiters adjust themselves to the shape and fullness of the ankle, they are equally neat and durable. Mr. Williams sells yearly to the value of sixty-seven thousand dollars, and like all city manufacturers, for cash only.
Every article here is sold under guarantee of its quality, both of work and materials, and the extent of the sales enables Mr. Williams to supply his customers at as low rates as they might otherwise pay for an article inferior to his.
There are great advantages, in manufacturing, over purchasing at the eastward for this market. The latter course requires keeping large stocks on hand, part of which lies over and deteriorates in various ways, by lying on the shelves ; the sizes put up in assorting the cases do not run out equally ; the extreme small and extreme large lying on hand.
The seller here is held responsible for the quality and durability of an article for which after his purchases reach home, he finds no corresponding responsibility. On the other hand, by manufacturing for himself, he can use up his stock as closely as he chooses ; he can take off or put on hands according to his convenience or interest, and fill up the demand with the exact kind or size he happens to want ;- and his journeyman is just as responsible to him for faithful work, as he is to his customers.
M. A. Westcott, No. 42, and 197, and 199, Walnut street, is in the same line of business, substantially, as Mr. Williams; and much of the statement just made will apply also to his business. He employs one hundred hands in various capacities, and manufactures to the value of forty-five thousand seven hundred dollars.
E. G. Webster & Co., corner of Fifth and Lodge street, and opposite Fifth street Market-house, is at the head of yet another class. He employs one hundred hands, who make, annually, sixty thousand pairs of ladies', misses', and children's shoes. They use French and Philadelphia calf-skins, colored roans, patent and enameled leather, morocco, French and English kids, drillings, and shoe-duck, lastings, French sateens and Italian cloths. This list of materials, exhibits the variety of the stock they keep on hand, all of their own manufacture. They manufacture gentlemen's dress boots, also, although theirs is principally a ladies' shoe-store.
They are also extensive wholesale dealers in eastern boots and
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MANUFACTURES AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS.
shoes, and keep constantly for sale the various materials already specified, as well as other trimmings.
There is lastly, a class who make ladies' shoes to measure, in all cases : such as Todd, Fifth street, who employs twenty hands, and makes ten thousand dollars value of ladies' and misses' shoes. These are all of the finest quality of work and materials.
Brand, Stamp, and Venetian Blind Chisel makers. Six shops- Sixteen hands ; thirteen thousand five hundred dollars, product ; raw material, 10 per cent.
Breweries .- Of these, there are twenty-one in Cincinnati, which employ one hundred and seventy-two hands. These make respec- tively, per annum, of half barrels beer or ale :
25,000
13,040
6220
25,000
12,500
6220
25,000
12,500
6220
25,000
12,500
5240
16,900
10,400
4160
16,900
8,320
2780
13,540
7,480
2080
257,000
Of this, there are :
Beer
205,000 at $2
$410,000
Ale
52,000 “ 3 156,000
$566,000
Of this product, 75 per cent. is raw material.
Bricks. Sixty brick makers .- Employ three hundred and sixty- seven hands ; value of product, two hundred and seven thousand dollars ; raw material, clay and wood, 40 per cent.
Bricklayers and Plasterers. Two hundred and eight master workmen .- Eight hundred and seventy-six hands; labor value, four hundred and eight thousand, six hundred and fifty dollars ; raw material, 5 per cent.
Bristle and Curled Hair dressers. Four establishments .- One hundred and four hands ; product, forty-eight thousand eight hun- dred dollars; raw material, 5 per cent.
Britannia Ware .- Two factories, which employ thirty-two hands, and make a product of thirty-eight thousand six hundred and ninety dollars in value ; raw material, 45 per cent.
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MANUFACTURES AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS.
Sellew & Co., 208 Main street, manufacture Britannia coffee and tea-sets, pitchers, cups, lamps, candlesticks, castors, tumblers, candle-molds, &c. One of the curiosities of this business, is the difficulty of preserving the manufactured ware, from the ravages of rats, who seem to gnaw it for amusement, or a worse motive. This firm employs twenty-two hands, and manufactures thirty thousand dollars in value.
Brushes. Of these, there are fifteen factories, all small, except one or two-ninety hands ; annual product, sixty thousand five hun- dred dollars ; raw material, 40 per cent.
Sleeper & Mintzer, 163 Main street, are making brushes to con- siderable extent, and in infinite variety. They manufacture not only most durable and convenient articles for housekeepers, but many descriptions of goods finished to a degree, that might gratify even the fastidiousness of a Parisian exquisite. They employ thirty- six hands.
Buckets, Tubs, dc .- There is but one of these factories here, that of N. C. McLean, which is on an extensive scale. One thousand to twelve hundred buckets, and one hundred and fifty tubs are turned out every day at these works. These are all made by ma- chinery, and finished, including painting, in the best style; annual product, eighty-four thousand two hundred dollars; raw materials, 48 per cent.
The logs, which are brought from the head waters of the Alle- gheny river, are floated to the factory, by the agency of the Miami canal, at whose termination it is built. There they are sawed into stave lengths and bottom pieces, split into blocks of suitable size, and fed to a cylinder saw, which cuts them into staves of the proper thickness and curve. They are then put into the drying-house, jointed, hooped and sandpapered, to smooth the inner and outer sur- face ; eared and handled, and lastly, painted in the usual variety of colors. There are four large drying-houses, and eight of smaller size, through which the entire stock of material is passed, being kiln-dried or steamed, to the necessary point of thorough seasoning for use. It is hardly possible to name a single feature, in the com- parison of these buckets with the old-fashioned article they super- sede, in which they have not the advantage.
These buckets come into market in competition with an article made at Beaver, Penn., which they must finally supersede to a great extent, if not totally, for the following reasons :
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MANUFACTURES AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS.
1. The Beaver bucket is made with ears projecting above the edge, which are thereby unduly exposed to being broken off. The ears of these are made differently, and can be set below the edge of the bucket.
2. The Beaver buckets are coated with paint mixed with glue, dissolved in water. These are painted in oil colors.
3. Lastly, all purchasers prefer buying an article made on the spot, as they can avail themselves thereby, of a direct responsibility in the seller, if the article they buy prove inferior to the warranty. Every business man understands the advantage of this.
Burr Millstone makers. Four factories .- Nineteen hands; value of product, twenty-four thousand dollars; raw material, 65 per cent.
James Bradford & Co., 65 Walnut street, manufacture yearly, seventy-five pairs burr millstones.
The burrs, of which the millstones are composed, are imported from France, in cubes of about twelve inches average. We have the same material in our own west, but it is not hard enough for service. The burrs are cemented with plaster of Paris, which is received from Nova Scotia and the Lake Erie region ; and each stone is secured with four bands of iron, which being put on hot, as they shrink in cooling, serve to confine the whole under any amount of strain to which it may be exposed.
Butchers. One hundred and twenty-one .- Occupy five market- houses. This does not include a large number, who slaughter cattle and sell them either by the quarter or entire carcass, outside the markets. There are six hundred butchers, employers and journey- men. The value of pork, beef, mutton, &c., cut up and sold in our markets to families, public houses, steamboats, and sent off to fami- lies in the vicinity of Cincinnati, reaches two millions eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars, per annum; raw material, 80 per cent.
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