it set him to thinking and before the next morning he was of the same
opinion. The two men meeting the next day it did not take long to
compromise and unite. Mr. Ellwood dropped his own plans and accepted a
half interest in the Glidden patents, and assumed the management of the
business end of the concern, in which position he developed ability and
tact possessed by few business men in this country.

* * * * *

The barb-wire fence met an unexpected and general demand. We know of few
things like it in the history of manufactures. From this small
beginning, scarce ten years ago more than fifty large establishments are
now turning out this wire to meet an ever insatiate demand. The
establishment of I.L. Ellwood (making the Glidden wire) at DeKalb is the
most complete and extensive of them all. The building is 800 feet in
length, and is supplied with about 200 machines for twisting and barbing
the wire. It gives, when running full force, employment to about 400
men, and turns out a car-load of wire each hour for ten hours per day,
on an average, though this amount is considerably increased at certain
times of the year. These figures, though not given us by Mr. Ellwood, we
are satisfied do not overstate the production of this one factory. The
progress of the barb-wire industry of the whole country is shown by the
following record of the past nine seasons. In

1874 there were 10,000 lb made and sold.
1875 there were 600,000 lb made and sold.
1876 there were 2,840,000 lb made and sold.
1877 there were 12,863,000 lb made and sold.
1878 there were 26,655,000 lb made and sold.
1879 there were 50,337,000 lb made and sold.