
Up: Glassmaking

Reminiscences 63 of 123
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by the earthenware trade were confined to a very few articles, such as
German straw tumbler, cruets, salts, and plain decanters of cheap fabric;
of the finer articles, to cut finger tumblers, sham diamond cut dishes,
and Rodney decanters; a quality of glass and cutting that would not at
the present day command one-fifth of their then cost.
War having interrupted the importation of glass,
the manufactory supplied the then limited demand, and gave full employ for
their factory.
Contemporaneous with the South Boston enterprise,
a company was formed and incorporated under the title of the
Porcelain and Glass
Manufacturing Company. Their factory was located at East Cambridge,
then called Craigie's Point. Their china
department was directed by a
Mr.
Bruitan, but for want of proper materials it proved an entire failure.
Their glass-works were under the direction of a
Mr.
Thompson, who built a small six-pot furnace, similar in size to the one at
South Boston. Thompson brought out a set of hands, at a heavy expense,
to work the furnace, but the result proved he was in no way qualified
for the task, nor possessed of the least practical skill or knowledge
of the business, and of course proving an entire failure.
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