USA > Michigan > Allegan County > A twentieth century history of Allegan County, Michigan > Part 69
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Not alone has the farming area been extended, but farming methods
497
HISTORY OF ALLEGAN COUNTY
have undergone change. Farming has become easier with every year. Its conditions and surroundings are no longer those of the common laborer. Several things have contributed to this change. Some claim that the inven- tion of labor-saving machinery and its general use has done more to elevate agriculture than any other factor. It certainly is not wide of the mark to measure the progress of agriculture by the difference that separates the self-binder from the cradle. Yet there are other factors. The working and hiring of help has been quite reformed from the methods of forty years ago. The progressive farmer no longer depends on transient labor. Not many years ago, when harvest time or other extra press of work arrived, the farmer would start out into the surrounding country and hire by the day such men as were available. This is neither practicable nor possible now. Improved machinery has done much to relieve the farmer of the necessity of hiring day laborers. His policy now is to hire a man by the year, and often a man of family, who will live on the farm and give it his entire atten- tion.
Transportation has also effected many changes in farming methods. In place of marketing by the bushel, the farmer now markets "on the hoof," that is, feeds his grain products to stock on his own land.
One of the methods of caring for crops should be mentioned. Within recent years progressive farmers have built silo plants for the purpose of pre- serving the essential qualities of fodder during the winter season. One of the first things to catch the attention on many farms in the county is the silo plant, and often there are several of them. In these large cylindrical, air-tight tanks, built of "silo lumber," and some of the recent ones of cement, the nearly matured corn, stalk and all, after being cut up by a machine is stored very much as vegetables are canned. While in the reservoir it under- goes a slight fermentation process, but with the exception of a small portion on the surface, which rots and molds just as the top of a can of fruit often does, and which is thrown out before the rest is used, the entire contents of the tank are preserved with original sweetness and wholesomeness for feeding to stock. In 1880 there were only 80 silos in the entire country. It is probable that any agricultural county of Michigan could show a greater number than that at this time.
The silo is especially valuable to the dairy industry. Dairying, though well suited to Allegan county's soil and natural advantages, has advanced to an important place among the productive industries only during the last few years. Furthermore, the Michigan Dairy and Food Department is a recent institution, a product of Governor Warner's administration, and only two years old. The information collected by this valuable department of the state service unfortunately does not render a comparative statement of progress possible. However, the commissioner, A. C. Bird, has furnished the following figures, which are of interest and show the dairy products of the county for two years, though not complete because some of the factories did not report their output.
The following creameries, skimming stations and cheese factories received for the year ending December 31, 1904, 30,074,565 pounds milk and 78,666 pounds cream, and manufactured 1,558,216 pounds butter and 202,622 pounds cheese :
498
HISTORY OF ALLEGAN COUNTY
Wayland Creamery.
Springdale Cheese Factory.
Hilliards Creamery.
Riverside Cheese Factory.
Overisel Creamery.
East Saugatuck Creamery.
Bentheim Creamery.
Daisy Creamery, Graafschap.
Hopkins Creamery.
Salem Butter and Cheese Company.
Monterey Skimming Station.
Martin Creamery.
Kellogg Creamery.
Otsego Creamery.
Plainwell Creamery.
Merson Skimming Station.
Dorr Creamery.
The following named plants in Allegan county, although registering, did not report amount of business done :
Fillmore Center Creamery. to Sanitary Milk Company.
Moline Skimming Station, belonging
Pearle Creamery.
Rudell Skimming Station at Bradley. Allegan Creamery and Cold Storage.
The following creameries, skimming stations and cheese factories received for the year ending December 31, 1905, 45,124,923 pounds milk, 141,586 pounds cream, and manufactured 1,961,397 pounds butter and 106,- 833 pounds cheese :
Dorr Creamery.
Kellogg Creamery.
Hilliards Creamery.
()verisel Creamery.
Wayland Creamery.
Bentheim Creamery.
Merson Skimming Station.
Fillmore Center Creamery.
Plainwell Creamery.
Fast Saugatuck Creamery.
Hopkins Creamery.
Salem Butter and Cheese Company.
Miner Lake Skimming Station.
Daisy Creamery Company.
Monterey Skimming Station.
Allegan Creamery.
Chicora Creamery. Hamilton Skimming Station.
The following named plants in Allegan county, although registered, did not report amount of business done :
Hopkins Cheese Factory.
Pearle Creamery.
Rudell Skimming Station, Bradley. Martin Skimming Station.
HORTICULTURE.
In 1850 the value of orchard products in Allegan county was $2,582. This little item in the county's economy indicates a beginning point in an industry that has since attained to remarkable proportions. Allegan county is a part of the "Michigan Fruit Belt," extending along the lake from Ber- rien county on the south to Oceana on the north.
Some of the pioneers brought seeds or roots of several kinds of fruit along with them to the county. Various persons have claimed the honor of raising the first peaches, apples or other fruit. It is a tradition that the Indian traders or perhaps the Indians themselves had a peach orchard near Saugatuck before the coming of the settlers. But the fruit that was raised during the first twenty years was not a large source of profit and was almost entirely for home use. But it was early recognized that the soil and climate were admirably adapted to fruit culture, and as soon as the pioneer period was over attention was directed to this industry.
Otsego Creamery.
Springdale Cheese Factory.
DURING THE PEACH-PACKING SEASON ON J. K. BARDEN'S FARM, CASCO TOWNSHIP IN H. C. BARDEN'S PEACH ORCHARD, CASCO TOWNSHIP
499
HISTORY OF ALLEGAN COUNTY
Especially in the western townships, after their area was denuded of the forests, was horticulture encouraged. Unfortunately, statistics for indi- vidual townships are lacking, but it is true that the greater proportion of the fruit-raising interests are in two western ranges of the county. Saugatuck, Douglas. Fennville, Glenn and several smaller places in Casco and Ganges, besides South Haven just across the county line, are all busy fruit-shipping centers. For a more detailed account of the fruit industry at these points and some mention of persons prominently engaged in the business, the reader is referred to the histories of those centers in a previous chapter.
The most graphic account of the fruit industry in the county is found in the following figures of production for three decades. The correspond- ing items for the adjacent counties of Van Buren and Ottawa are appended for suggestive comparisons :
Census.
Counties.
Acres. 10.701
APPLES. Bushels. 112,706 48,977 1,208.949 60,950
Value.
Acres. S,367 13.112 12.067
PEACHES. Bushels. 172.849 685,698 463,811 8,836 23.213
397.099 67.960
1884 )
4,975
984
1894 Ottawa
5.260
35.247
1.507
1904 J
5.395
335,767
91,617
3.259
49,570
46.204
1884}
10.997
140,778
2.181
13.555
104,393
1894 &Van Buren
9.983
32.078
3.5SS
76.727
1904 ]
8.362
814,190
176,581
12,745
177.411
156,864
Census.
Counties.
Acres.
Bushels.
Value.
Acres.
Bushels.
Value.
1884 )
1894 & Allegan
1904 ]
161
4.590
$ 8.339
131
5.744
9,100
1884)
1894 >Ottawa
1904 |
12,723
27.264
3,505
6.206
1884 )
...
1894 >Van Buren
480
6.982
12,319
110
4,214
7.497
Census.
Countics.
Acres.
Bushels.
Value.
Acres.
Bushels.
Talue.
1884)
1894 & Allegan
800
6,072
1904 )
1.412
42,676
$31,121
S04
16.334
$16.310
18841
190
987
4,405
255
6.506
4,787
1884}
. .
. .
1904 J
884
18.548
15.402
508
5.775
6,147
Census.
Counties.
Aeres.
CURRANTS. Bushels.
Value.
Acres.
Bushels.
Value.
1884 )
1894 } Allegan
1904 }
220
8,536
$14.298
37
1,432
$2.036
1884 )
1894 }Ottawa
12
162
316
2
44
63
1884 ) 1894 Van Buren
100
3.404
4.892
52
2,000
3,054
CHERRIES.
-STRAWBERRIES.
Census.
Counties.
acres.
Bushels.
Taluc. Aeres.
Bushels.
Talue.
1884]
1894 } Allegan
536
7.189
$13.023
700
45.626
$65.962
18841
r
..
. .
. .
₹
767
1,450
414
16.508
. . 30,476
18841
.
....
. .
1904 J
711
4,145
7.342
1,170
49.874
63.635
1884 )
1894 & Allegan
10.602
1904 |
9,213
$294,845
RASPBERRIES.
BLACKBERRIES.
1904 ]
-PEARS.
-PLUMS.
. .
1904 ]
203
5.937
1894 Van Buren
4.103
1894 }Ottawa
1904 |
92
1894 }Van Buren
....
GOOSEBERRIES.
1904 |
1904 J
1904 |
1894 &Ottawa
. .
Value. $346,677
500
HISTORY OF ALLEGAN COUNTY
-OTHER SMALL FRUIT .-
GRAPES.
Census.
Countics.
Acres.
Bushels. Value. Acres.
Pounds.
Wine, Gals.
1884 1
216
51,151
180
1894 > Allegan
51
2,203
$3,077
279
716,693
*$9,714
1884 !
. 158
129,367
450
1894 }Ottawa
1
1'70
150
339
1,044,633
*$13,709
1884 ]
260
135,791
15
1894 >Van Buren
1,821
3,273,939
1904 J
136
. 1,755
4,454
12,131
13,461,546
*$209,393
* Value.
It is noteworthy that, so far as the figures for the census years given are to be relied upon, the acreage and fruit production of the county have not increased during the last ten years. Allegan county began raising fruit in quantities for commerce about 1870. In fifteen years the fruit busi- ness had been developed almost as far as at present with regard to acreage and yield.
It appears that other forms of productive farming are encroaching somewhat on the fruit business. In the northwest part of the county a large acreage is devoted, especially by the Holland population, to the pro- duction of sugar beets. A large sugar factory in Holland consumes all the yield of this section. Another product that has been profitably culti- vated is peppermint, though not to the extent found in other southwest Michigan counties.
Undoubtedly this diversification of farming, which is one of the mod- ern progressive. tendencies, has reacted against some of the staple crops, both of cereals and fruits, and the farmer of to-day, in order not to "put all his eggs in one basket," gives attention to various crops.
With regard to the present outlook for the fruit business, an address by H. G. Welch of Douglas at the recent meeting of the State Horticul- tural Society did not indicate a very promising future, as he said that owing to the combined effect of frosts and freezing, yellows, "little peach," and San Jose scale, many of the peach-growers are going out of the fruit busi- ness. If this continues for the next five years as in the past, the acreage of orchards in Michigan will be greatly reduced. The trouble is largely due to the neglect of the owners, who leave the trees without cultivation and do nothing to replace the plant food. At present it would be better for the owners if one-half of the peach orchards were dug out. While San Jose scale and yellows can be readily detected in orchards, it is extremely difficult to detect the presence of "little peach," especially in orchards that are neglected, and hence this disease is more difficult to handle. The future is bright for those who cultivate, prune, and spray their orchards, and if the fruit is carefully graded and honestly packed even better prices can be expected than in the past. In some sections where peach trees are being taken out the land will be reset with apples.
The Saugatuck and Ganges Pomological Society, organized in Douglas in September, 1871, was first known as the Lake Shore Agricultural and Pomological Society, its scope of work and influence embracing the entire western half of Allegan county. It is significant of the increasing promi- nence of fruit raising in the county that in 1877 it was decided to drop the name Agricultural and also to confine the society's interest, in the main, to Saugatuck and Ganges townships. A quotation from this resolution in 1877 has direct bearing on the growth of the fruit business during the
383
756,759
1904 J
....
318
1,159,578
1904 ]
...
501
HISTORY OF ALLEGAN COUNTY
early years of the seventies, namely: "Since the organization, seven years ago, the production has increased from not enough to supply home con- sumption to over 100,000 bushels for shipment from the towns of Sauga- tuck and Ganges alone, and only a small proportion of the trees in full bearing." The production of peaches in 1906 was over one million bushels, besides a large amount of other fruits.
The first president of the society was D. W. Wiley, who has been prominently identified with the fruit interests of this section of the county for over a third of a century and is the present incumbent of the office of president of the society. Other well known farmers and fruit growers were among the first officers, namely: J. J. Holmes, S. R. Lewis, James McCormick, B. F. Dressler, R. C. Eaton, R. B. Newnham, C. A. Ensign, E. W. Perry, J. S. Owen, H. H. Goodrich, J. P. Leland, Alexander Hamil- ton, J. F. Taylor, Thomas Gray, Daniel Gerber, Levi Loomis, H. L. House, D. C. Putnam.
Besides Mr. Wiley those who have been longest and most directly concerned in the society's work have been: Will Dunn, J. P. Wade, P. Purdy, Robert Reid, Sr., Thomas Gray, and Levi Loomis. The present most active members are Ed. Hawley, Edward Huchins, R. Bennett, John Crane, C. E. Bassett, H. H. Goodrich. C. B. Welch and H. G. Welch. The present officers of the society are: D. W. Wiley, president ; C. B. Welch, secretary, and H. G. Welch, treasurer.
CHAPTER VII. MANUFACTURING.
In the summer of 1905 Allegan county was visited by the state factory inspector, and his report on the establishments of the county furnishes the latest official statistics of manufacturing. The number of factories in- spected was 89 and the total number of employes 1,067. These were dis- tributed according to villages as follows :
No. Factories.
No. Employes.
Allegan
25
214
Douglas
I
I28
Fennville
2
9
Otsego
9
468
Plainwell
14
99
Wayland
5
26
The details of the report showing name of factory or firm at the time of inspection, the location, kind of output and the date of establishment are given below :
Name of factory or firm.
Location.
Goods manufactured or handled.
tablished.
Allegan Lt. & Power Co ..
Allegan
Electricity
1886
Foundry & Mach. Co
l'lows
1899
Creamery Co.
Butter
1896
..
News
Printed matter.
1899
Gazette
..
1882
Baines & Masier Cabinet Co
Kitchen cabinets. 1904
Baker & Co ..
Furniture
1895
Born, W. G.
Farm wagons
1900
Bensley, Edward
Monuments
1868
Carl Cigar Co.
Cigars
1903
City Water Works. .
Water
1871
Dayton Folding Box Co
Corrugated paper
Fairfield & Kolvoord.
Flour
1847
Guard, S. O ...
1891
Grigsby & Stratton.
Grain
1903
Koons, A. J.
Wagons
1879
Morse, C. J.
Cigars
1905
Oliver Co. ..
Writing desks.
1855
Perrigo, L. Co
Extracts
1888
Pullen, W. S ..
Lumber
1903
Rowe Bros. Manufacturing Co.
Wood carving.
Seery. A. B ..
Interior finish.
1894
The Allegan Press.
Printed matter
1902
The Farmer Milling Co
Flour
1903
Wright, S. R ...
Laundry work.
1890
Young & Stratton Bros
Flour
1897
Bentheim Creamery Co
Bentheim
Butter
1899
Henderson & Sons.
Bradley
Grain
1883
Rudell Creamery Co
Skimming station.
1894
502
1904
44
=
Ycar es-
503
HISTORY OF ALLEGAN COUNTY
Heck, George
Burnips Corners .. . . Flour
1867
Salem Creamery Co
Butter
1895
Gray. W. F ...
Flour and feed.
1904
Weed, E. E. & Co.
Douglas
Fruit packages.
1876
Cooper, W. HI. ..
Diamond Springs
Lamber
1894
Loker. (. J. & Co.
E. Saugatuck
Butter
1886
Fillmore Center Creamery Co.
Fillmore
Butter
1904
Daisey Creamery Co ..
Graafschap
..
1897
Allegan Creamery Co
Hamilton
Skimming station.
1902
Brink & Hagelskamp Co
Bullding material.
1880
Ilope Roller Mills.
Flour
1903
Kolvoord. John
Flour and lumber
1893
Palmer. M. W.
Machine repairs.
1902
Zeeland Brick Co.
Brick
1883
The Hilliards Creamery Co.
Hilliards
Skimming station.
1903
Deal, Joseph
Hooper
Staves
1888
Buskirk, Mrs. Ida.
llopkins Statlon. Cheese
1889
Ilicks, M. W.
=
Butter
1902
Loeweke, G.
44
Grain
1900
Walters. L. C ..
Lumber
1894
Martin Creamery Co
Martin
Butter
1899
Redpath & Campbell.
Graln
1870
Gray. Milo F ..
Moline
Flour
1895
Moline Creamery Co
Skimming station
1903
Bardeen Paper Co
Otsego
Paper
1887
Henry Homer
Laundry work
1903
Iloag. P. G ..
Flour
1866
Otsego Chair Co ... Creamery Co.
Butter
1902
Water Works
Water
1888
Siple. G. II ..
Graln
1890
The Eady Shoe Co.
Children's shoes
1903
The Otsego Inion.
Printed matter
1875
Hoffman & Son.
Ground feed.
1902
Overisel Creamery Co.
Butter
1896
Brownell. II. II.
Plainwell
Planing mill.
1863
Electric Co.
Electrielty
1895
Chambers. S. W
Printed matter
1900
City Water Works
Water
1890
Eesley. J. F. & Co
Flour and grain.
1887
Estes. M. W.
Clgars
1903
Harwood. F. A.
Produce
1 890
Michigan Paper Co.
Rook paper
1887
Middaugh. O.
Cigars
1903
Plainwell Creamery Co.
Butter
1893
Shayles. B. C ..
Flour
1870
The Plainwell News.
Printed
matter
1899
..
Enterprise
Trowbridge
Electricity
1898
Henderson & Sons
Wayland
Flour
Powell. F. E ..
Lumber
1880
The Saturday Globe.
Printed matter
1884
Wayland Creamery Co
Butter
1898
Walbeacht & Pickett. 44
Food
1904
In 1900 there were 234 establishments in Allegan county classed under the head of manufacturing. The total of capital was $1.348,336, the average number of wage-earning employes was 1,066, representing about 3 per cent of the population. and their earning capacity was measured by the sum of $445.914. These plants produced articles valued at $1,862,480.
PAPER MANUFACTURE.
Of the thirty-one paper and pulo mills in Michigan three are located in Allegan county, one of them being among the largest in productive capacity. Mr. George E. Bardeen, one of the leading manufacturers in Michigan, who is at the head of the plant at Otsego, recently contributed
Dorr Creamery Co.
Dorr
Fennville Roller Mills. Herald
Fennville
Flour
Printed matter
1892
1875
Hopkins Creamery Co.
1902
Strout. II. H ..
Monterey
Chalrs
1890
..
Overisel
1850
Stout. . I. A.
1885
Commonwealth Power Co =
1903
504
HISTORY OF ALLEGAN COUNTY
an article on the progress of paper manufacture during the past thirty-five years, and the following extracts will be pertinent to this history :
"In 1870 there were very few mills in this state, all having a daily capacity for production : Soda pulp, 24,000 pounds ; ground wood pulp, 40,000 pounds ; book, writing and print paper, 19,000 pounds; wrapping paper and boards, 27,000, a total of 110,000 pounds. At the present time we have about 33 mills in this state with a capacity for the daily production of rag, wrapping and boards of 541,000 pounds; fibers and news, 547,000 pounds ; book and writing, 704,000 pounds ; ground wood pulp, 139,000 pounds ; sulphite pulp, 466,000 pounds, a total of 2,397,000 pounds, showing an increase of over 2,000 per cent since 1870.
"Statistics show that in 1870 Michigan stood number twelve in the state list of mills in the United States, and in 1905 it stood number seven in the list of mills, the increase meaning more than the actual figures represent. In 1870 Michigan stood number fifteen in the list of tonnage and in 1905 it stood number five in this list, and, too, during this period the two mills making soda in the state have discontinued, so that no soda wood is pro- duced within the confines of the state. In the meanwhile the production of all other grades has increased many fold. It is a matter of interest that in 1870 a rag news paper was considered the best news paper produced and sold at 14 cents per pound. The same paper today sells for 1.85 to 3 cents per pound.
"In 1870 the products of mills in Michigan were mostly marketed within our state and Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Today they are shipped to almost every country on the globe, and while the production of rag paper has increased very materially, the great increased production is due to the use of sulphite and ground wood pulps.
"The book paper industry was started by L. A. Barnes at the Penin- sular Paper Company, Ypsilanti, in the early '6os. The Kalamazoo Paper Company was started in Kalamazoo in 1867, B. F. Lyon being the first superintendent. In March, 1870, he was succeeded by S. A. Gibson. The product was high grade rag news. In June, 1870, G. E. Bardeen joined the Kalamazoo Paper Company's forces. In September, 1872, the Kala- mazoo Paper Mill was entirely destroyed by fire. A new mill was built and started up in May, 1873, making book paper.
"In 1887 Messrs. Bardeen and Bryant started the Bardeen Paper Com- pany at Otsego, later the Botsford Paper Company; afterwards the Wolverine Paper Company (now the Kalamazoo Paper Company) was built. Then followed the Bryant Paper Company, the King Paper Com- pany, the Superior Paper Company, the Lee Paper Company, the Standard Paper Company and the MacSinBar Paper Company, all officered and run by parties formerly with the Bardeen Paper Company. The Kalamazoo Paper Company sold their mill to the Gibson Paper Company and built a large mill east of their mill No. 2. The Gibson Paper Company sold to the Monarch Paper Company, who have demolished the mill and are erecting a modern mill on its site.
"George E. Bardeen started as bookkeeper of the Kalamazoo Paper Company in 1870, then became secretary and later president and manager of the Bardeen Paper Company, vice-president of the Lee Paper Company. and treasurer of the MacSinBar Paper Company.
505
HISTORY OF ALLEGAN COUNTY
"Noah Bryant, who started as machine tender. for the Kalamazoo Paper Company in 1874, was made foreman and then superintendent of the Bardeen Paper Company, and later president of the Bryant Paper Company. F. H. Milham started in 1887 as receiving clerk of the Bardeen Paper Company, later was bookkeeper, then secretary and manager of the Bryant Paper Company, and is now the secretary of the Superior and Munising Paper Companies. John King came to the Bardeen Paper Company as machine tender, then was made foreman and later superintendent of the King Paper Company. Walter S. Hodges started as bookkeeper for the Kalamazoo Paper Company, later held the same position with the Bardeen Company. and was made president of the Superior Paper Company.
"Henry D. Eddy came to the Bardeen Paper Company as a clerk and was later made manager of the Standard Paper Company. George O. Com- fort started as bookkeeper for the Bardeen Paper Company, later was with the Bryant and the King Paper Companies, and is now president of the Monarch Paper Company. F. D. Haskell came with the Kalamazoo Paper Company in 1887, later was made president of the Gibson Paper Company and is now secretary of the King Paper Company. F. M. Hodge came to the Kalamazoo Paper Company in 1887 and has been with them as presi- dent since the death of Mr. Gibson. Norman Bardeen was first with the Bardeen Paper Company, later becoming secretary and manager of the Lee Paper Company. W. H. Goodenough, superintendent of the Lee Paper Company, came from the American Writing Paper Company. and has always been identified with high grade mills.
"Mr. W. B. McClellan started as a paper dealer in Minneapolis and later joined the Bardeen Paper Company's forces and is now president of the MacSinBar Paper Company. S. W. Simpson came to the Bardeen Paper Company as a machine tender, later was made superintendent, and is now vice-president of the MacSinBar Paper Company. R. W. Reynolds joined the Bardeen Paper Company's forces in 1899 and is now secretary of the MacSin Bar Paper Company."
THE MICHIGAN PAPER COMPANY, of Plainwell, which ranks foremost among Allegan county's industrial concerns, was established in 1887 as a corporation. Among the prime movers in its organization were such well known business men as J. W. Hicks, H. W. Page. C. O. Gilkey and William J. Thomas. It was established as a one machine mill, and its product included finished book paper, French folio. catalogue and specialties.
Its present officers are : J. D. Wagner, president : F. M. Storms, vice- president : J. I. Bush, treasurer : J. W. Gilkey, secretary and manager. and William J. Thomas, superintendent. In addition to the officers the direc- torate includes: R. L. Soule, of Plainwell: E. W. Bowman and G. E. Dunbar. of Kalamazoo. Michigan : J. W. Beardsley. of Holland. Michigan, and F. C. Miller, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Under the capable manage- ment of this corps of officers the business grew at a rapid pace and it soon became apparent the plant must be enlarged. In the spring of 1906 the capital stock was increased from fifty-six thousand to one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars and the plant shut down for remodeling. With the exception of the engine room the old plant was torn down and imme- diately new buildings were erected as follows: A stock house and sorting
506
HISTORY OF ALLEGAN COUNTY
room, including three stories and basement, one hundred and twenty-eight by sixty-four feet in dimensions; a two-story chemical and duster room fifty-six by forty feet; cooker room, two stories and basement, forty-six by ninety feet ; beater room, one story and basement, one hundred and thirty- eight by sixty-six feet ; bleach room, thirty-two by seventy-five feet ; machine room, one story and basement, two hundred and eight by sixty feet ; finish room, seventy-two by sixty feet, one story and basement ; engine room, one story, sixty-four by forty-eight feet; boiler room, one story, thirty-two by forty-eight feet, and thirty-five feet high; and coal house, forty-eight by forty-eight feet. It is equipped with the latest and best improved machinery and has been increased to four times its former capacity. The floors and supports of the buildings are of solid concrete, and both in construction and equipment the plant will be unexcelled. From one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five people are given employment, about half of them being women. Every convenience has been provided for the employes, notably a rest room for the women. The plant is provided with water and steam, and the entire plant equipped with the automatic sprinkler, which guarantees safety from fire.
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