In 1899, there were 62 factories in the United States of varying sizes
and located in the following states: New York (Brooklyn), Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Ohio.
Employing 2340 wage earners. Importing a raw stock of $2,404,000, and
making products valued at $4,392,000.
In 1904, the factories decreased to 50 in number, the wage earners
increased to 2895, the imported raw material to $2,459,197 and the
products to $4,490,952.
In 1909, the factories increasing again to 62 in number, the wage
earners to 3142, the imported raw material to $3,435,000 and the
products to $5,940,000: corks selling from 3 cents to 40 cents per
pound.
This of course does not appear to be a very extensive business, but the
nature of the commodity will readily convince that the money figures are
not at all in comparison to the bulk of corkwood, for it would really
seem that if the trade should increase to an amount sufficient to vie
with other prominent ones, the ships would be at loss how to stow the
other freight. The imports of corkwood into this country and the
exports, for comparison, may be seen in the following tables: