Early Merts & Riddle

Merts & Riddle of Ravenna, O., employ sixty-five hands in their carriage factory, and will soon increase that number to seventy-five. They are building a great many heavy jobs, such as Clarence coaches, coupes, hearses, etc. They intend to turn out five hundred new jobs this year.

On Friday, the 11th inst., a fire broke out in the wood working department of Merts & Riddle's extensive carriage-works in Ravenna, O., and gained such rapid headway that all attempts to check the flames were found to be useless, and efforts were turned to clearing the buildings of all the work and material, which was promptly done. Merts & Riddle's loss, including two large frame buildings, which contained varnish rooms, trimming-shop, wood-shops, office, lumber rooms, and old repository, and in addition, one dwelling house, amounts to about $20,000 with no insurance. In less than twenty-four hours after the fire occurred, with their usual enterprise, they commenced clearing away the ruins, and making plans for the erection of a new shop, which is now well under way, and will be, when finished, a fine four-story brick building, 75 feet front, by 110 feet deep, including about 40,000 feet of flooring. It will probably be ready for occupancy within ninety days, when it will constitute one of the largest and best appointed carriage factories in Ohio.   —P. J. S.