Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/785

UNITED STATES. of paper has developed mainly since 1890. In the $70,530,236 which represented the total cost of products in 1900, wood pulp was the principal item, and the cost of rags, old paper, and manila stock, which 50 years before were the only materials used for paper-making, was only $13,902,092. Spruce constituted 70 per cent. of all wood used in the manufacture of wood pulp, poplar being the only other variety extensively used. The wood-pulp industry is generally located near the source of supply of wood and where water power is available. New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin represent the bulk of the industry. Water power in 1900 constituted two-thirds of the total power used by mills for grinding the wood and for the beating and washing machines, while merely steam power is used for the paper machines. New York leads in the production of newspaper and wrapping paper. Massachusetts is the largest consumer of rags from which are produced writing and other fine papers. The Middle West still consumes large quantities of straw in the manufacture of paper, Indiana being well in the lead. The total value of products for the paper and pulp industry increased from $78,937,184 in 1890 to $127,326,162 in 1900. In the latter year 49,646 wage-earners were employed in 763 establishments.

. The pine forests of the Southern States—particularly Georgia and Florida—are valuable as a source of supply of turpentine, resin, and related products. According to the census estimates, the value of the combined product increased from $8,077,379 in 1890 to $20,344,888 in 1900. In the latter year there were 1503 establishments engaged in the industry. The average number of wage-earners employed was 41,864.

. Clay suitable for industrial utilization is found in almost every section of the country. The period 1880-1890 was one of remarkable growth in the production of clay products, the value of products having gained 114.8 per cent. during that period. The corresponding figure for the following decade was 64 per cent., the value in 1900 being $95,533,862. There were in that year 105,693 wage-earners employed in 6423 establishments. Of the total output, $78,336,447 represented the value of the brick, tile, and terra-cotta products, about one-half of which was accredited to common brick. Brick is manufactured in almost every part of the country in quantities sufficient to meet the local demands. The pottery products were valued at $17,197,415. This industry is chiefly in two localities, one in New Jersey and the other in eastern Ohio.

. The glass industry has made a decided growth during every decade since 1850,

and the value of products has increased over eleven-fold since that time. In 1900 there were 355 glass manufacturing establishments, 52,818 wage-earners being employed. The value of products was estimated at $56,539,712. Natural gas is the most desirable fuel for use in this industry, and the recent development of the industry has been mainly in the gas fields. In 1900 Pennsylvania produced 38.9 per cent, of the total product, Indiana 26.1 per cent., and Ohio 8.1 per cent. An excellent glass sand is found in southern New Jersey, and this is the only important glass manufacturing region on the Atlantic coast.

. The American chemical-manufacturing industry has never possessed the advantage of having a large number of highly skilled chemical specialists employed in its service. In 1900 only 276 chemists were employed in the establishments covered by the census. Moreover, the laws of the United States give the foreigner the monopoly of a patent without requiring that the protected article shall be made where the patent is issued. The United States therefore is seriously handicapped in competition with the Germans. Transportation costs, however, have favored the home manufacturer of heavy chemicals, and their production has accordingly increased rapidly. The following table shows the growth of the industry in 1890-1900:

The manufacture of fertilizers is mainly confined to the Atlantic Coast States. The phosphate mines of some of the Southern States supply a large part of the raw materials used in their manufacture. The manufacture of paints and varnishes, explosives and chemicals, is well distributed over the country. New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey being especially prominent in the production of chemicals.

. Since the granting of the Goodyear patent in 1844 the manufacture of rubber boots and shoes has developed into a large industry. The value of the product increased from $9,705,724 in 1880 to $41,089,819 in 1900, the number of establishments from 9 to 22, and the number of wage-earners from 4662 to 14,391. The industry is mainly confined to Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

. See table of production under.

In recent years there has been a rapid centralization of the tanning industry. This is due partly to the radical changes which have been made since 1880 in the processes and machinery of manufacture, giving large plants an economic advantage, and partly to the combination of sole-leather tanneries with those producing upper leather. During the decade 1890-1900 the capital invested increased 77.4 per cent. Hemlock and oak bark still furnish