The village of _Stein_ did not formerly possess any church. For years all exertions to found a separate parish there remained fruitless, until at last the year 1861 brought their reward and in that year, in which the manufactory celebrated its hundredth anniversary, the peaceful clang of the bells for the first time invited the faithful to divine service in the newly erected church, the cost of which had been defrayed by the master of the factory entirely from his own means, out of concern for the spiritual welfare of his workpeople and attachment to his own native place. The formerly neglected little village has assumed quite a different appearance since then. From afar the slender gothic steeple of the church may be seen rearing its pinnacle proudly aloft, while the smoke of the surrounding shafts tell of busy industry and labour. The former picture of want has given place to a certain degree of wealth and the little garden of the humble house been converted into two large parks. Simultaneously however with this prosperity in general the manufactory had of course to experience some unpleasant incidents and obstinate struggles. The universal demand for _Faber’s_ manufactures was not slow in inducing other manufacturers to imitate and pirate the trademark of the manufactory, which is to be found on all articles manufactured there, and thus to pass off upon the public spurious goods possessing nothing more than the external similarity to the genuine articles, and which could scarcely aspire to mediocrity, which frauds were often repeated, coming to light in various countries. The manufacturing firm of Rubenstein at Moscow adopted the plan of making use of _Faber’s_ trademark and wrappers for their own manufactures and then to circulate them in the Russian market. These malpractises were carried on for a length of time in spite of every exertion to put a stop to them and the prohibition which the Russian Governement issued against the firm in question. Manufactures with spurious trademarks were constantly turning up in Russia until King _Maximilian_ of Bavaria during his protracted stay at Nürnberg in the year 1855 suppressed the evil. His lively interest for reviving industry had already induced him to decorate the proprietor of the manufactory with the order of merit of St. Michael, firstclass, in the year 1854, on which occasion he likewise honoured the factory at _Stein_ with a visit and made himself acquainted with all the details of its operations from the mouth of the manager of the factory, and as at that time these malpractises were brought before his notice he gave the matter all his attention and promised some assistance.