ALFRED DOLGE, Piano Forte Materials, No. 122 East Thirteenth Street. - One of the most remarkable careers in the paths of skilled industry and in the development of the most extensive and perfect manufacturing establishment of its kind in the world is that of Mr. Alfred Dolge, the internationally-celebrated manufacturer of felts, sounding-boards and piano-forte materials generally. It is a fact that the piano industry has been greatly assisted in its great strides for advancement by the repeatedly-introduced improvements of the most important materials manufactured by Mr. Dolge. As the leading, one might almost say the sole, representative of the combined industries conducted by him, a few facts in regard to his rise, progress, and the splendid establishments he owns will prove of deep interest to the public at large. Mr. Dolge was born in Germany, and early manifested great mechanical skill and inventive genius. Acquiring a thorough knowledge of piano-forte making, he came to America in 1869 and commenced the manufacture of sounding-boards in a small way. No felts had yet been produced in America of any service to the trade, and in 1871 he started his first factory upon a very limited scale in Connecticut. In 1872 he removed to Brooklyn, and finally, in 1875, with characteristic conceptions of the needs and future growth of the trade, he started far out into the wilderness of the Adirondacks, where his industry would have room to grow, and at a dreary little hamlet known as Brockett's Bridge, on the line of the valuable water power of East Canada Creek, he laid the foundations true and well of the giant industry of its kind in the world. He here put into its most creditable shape the true spirit of American enterprise, and erected a series of huge factories, each a perfect type of what such an establishment should be, and nowhere else duplicated. In 1882 Mr. Dolge finished his new felt mill, a very handsome structure from an architectural point of view, 70x300 feet in dimensions and four stories, representing 80,000 feet of floor space. This is probably the most substantially-built factory in the country. The stone walls rest on solid rock and are five feet thick at base, and three feet on top ; double rows of eighteen-inch pillars further strengthen the double hardwood floors in sustaining the tons' weight of machinery. There are here gathered all modern improvements, steam-heating, electric-lighting, automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus, etc. Their motive power is supplied by three Victoria turbine wheels of 1000 horse-power and two engines of 500 horsepower. Most of the splendid and complicated machinery here in operation originated and were built in the Dolge machine shops. He has one to perfectly purify and keep at the exact necessary temperature the water for wool washing. To this contrivance, with the enorroous capacity of 10,000 gallons an hour, are due some of the inimitable qualities that render the Dolge felts world famous. Here are in operation machines for fulling, washing, drying, and hardening the felt. The carding-room'is on the second floor, having sixty cards and perfect pickers, grinders, etc. On the third floor are the presses, shearing and finishing apparatus for piano felts, and many machines devoted to producing other kinds of felt, for such purposes as felt shoes, polishing felts, felt filters, etc. On the fourth floors are two immense water-tanks, holding 25,000 gallons, connecting with the fire extinguisher, and storage for the various grades of wool. A two-ton elevator and wide stairways connect the floors. There is a thorough system of organization enforced here, and the highest standard of excellence maintained. The factory has a capacity sufficient to produce all the felts used throughout the globe in the manufacture of pianos and organs and actually does supply over two-thirds of what is used, Mr. Dolge numbering among his customers all leading American manufacturers, and exporting to those of England, Germany, Italy, and France. Mr. Dolge neither fears nor notices any efforts at competition. If success is a test of merit the palm is then rightly awarded to Mr. Dolge. In 1871 he only made 1009 pounds of hammerfelt, and in 1887 the production reached the enormous figure of 250,000 pounds. The felt mills are but one in Mr. Dolge's chain of giant industries that have arisen, if not Aladdin-like, yet more worthy of astonishment, when the limited time the business has existed is taken into consideration. Old World concerns take a century to grow. Mr. Dolge has arisen in half a decade! His lumber works for making sounding-boards, etc., are immense four-story structures full of the finest wood-working machinery, much of it designed by the house. In 1876 Mr. Dolge made 260 sounding-boards ; in 1882 he made no less than 62,971, and though the product has largely increased he cannot keep pace with the demand. These boards are made in over 600 different patterns for manufacturers in both hemispheres, and require over three million feet of spruce lumber per annum. It is so care fully selected that 15,000,000 feet is cut and culled over for what is eventually used. The firm owns many thousand acres of the finest timber lands in the Adirondacks and (mark it well) are not beingruthlessly denuded of the trees big and little, but under the care of prpfessional foresters, brought over from Germany, the estate is being rationally cared for to secure a perennial supply of spruce of the greatest girth. Mr. Dolge has saw-mills in operation at Port Leyden, Otter Lake, and Leipzig, the latter a fine steam mill named in honor of his birthplace. The capacity of these mills is over 60,000 feet a day. The product is drawn to Dolgeville by sixty teams of horses and oxen, while 150 men are lumbering in the woods every winter. Dolgeville and Liepzig are now both bustling villages. The welfare of his workmen is a first consideratien with Mr. Dolge. There is a liberal pension scheme; life-insurance of $1000 every five years, they have their own-club house, a large hall for meetings, library, billiards, and gymnasium ; a brass band is in existence, fire company, etc. ; the main industry is surrounded by numerous others, more or less tributary, such as machine-shop, grist-mill, etc. Mr. Alfred Dolge, with headquarters in New York, gives hig general supervision, while his brothers permanently reside at Dolgeville, Mr. Hugo Dolge superintending the felt-mill and Mr. Arthur Dolge the lumber business. They are gentlemen of great ability and energy, and are universally esteemed both by the trade and the hundreds of men under them. The New York office and warehouse are centrally located at No. 122 East Thirteenth Street, where four entire stories are filled with the best of everything requisite to the production of the piano and organ. Large orders for felt and sounding-boards, wrest-pins, etc., are filled direct from Dolgeville, but here also is a most complete stock of all kinds of piano and organ materials such as hardware, cloth, leather, and similar goods. On the upper floors are carried the largest assortment of felts in New York, both for piano and other uses. A new branch of his business, and one of the highest importance and direct interest to everybody, is worthy of special mention ; Mr. Dolge's felts are the finest known to the world, manufactured by the most perfect process from pure, live wool. The sanitary properties of these felts have brought them into direct use for the purposes of dry, warm and healthful shoes, and Mr. Dolge is a public benefactor in introducing to the world the magnificent lines of felt shoes and slippers which have fairly taken the public by storm, so apparent are the beneficial results arising from their use. The prolific cause of coughs, colds, pneumonia - that deadly plague of American winters - and of consumption and rheumatism, is that of damp, wet feet. The average man, wearing ordinary shoes, is sure to get his feet wet in the ordinary condition of the streets on wet days and in winter. If he protects his feet by means of rubbers, he at once obstructs ventilation, causing cold, clammy feet, retarding perspiration, and laying a sure foundation for illness thereafter. The use of the Dolge felt shoes is a sure remedy for wet or cold feet. These shoes are wholly manufactured from Alfred Dolge's all-wool felt the best in the world. They are not the clumsy, heavy contrivances like the old so-called felt shoes, but light, graceful, neat-cut and stylish, having soles of solid felt, durable, economical, and a veritable life-preserver to everybody who wears them. All who appreciate comfortable feet, dry and free from perspiration, should promptly test the merits of these lines of elegant shoes. They can be had in all widths and standard colors of black and blue, and both as to price and wearing qualities cannot be duplicated in the market. As to their sanitary advantages, there is nothing in the world that compares with them, for they protect the feet not only against cold and dampness, but secure an equable, healthful temperature, preserving the proper flow of the animal magnetic currents and conducing to good health, comfort in body and mind, and longevity. These felt shoes are now staple goods with the trade. But a short time in use, testimonials of the most convincing character have poured in upon Mr. Dolge, proving emphatically every claim made for them and indicating that ere long they must necessarily come into universal use. Mr. Dolge is enlarging his facilities to meet the growing demand for these shoes, and already employs 300 hands in the shoefactory, the only one producing complete lines of these shoes for men's, women's and children's wear and the sole brand possessing the inimitable sanitary qualities found in perfection only in the Dolge felts. This is but a brief and imperfect sketch of one of the most interesting and useful industrial enterprises of the age. To Mr. Alfred Dodge belongs the honor of carving out in the wilderness a great typical centre of skilled labor, well requited and ably guided of practically and truly solving the great problem of how best to effect a mutual inter-relation 'twixt capital and labor - and those who cannot solve or see justice in the theories of socialism or a Henry George will be delighted to find that Mr. Dolge, in filling the demands of manufacturers for the best materials, and in producing his equally famous felt shoes and slippers, has also given the world a happy picture of the only amicable just basis upon which capital, linking hands with labor, can overcome the most gigantic obstacles.