USA > Wisconsin > Marathon County > History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and representative citizens > Part 36
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The Employers' Mutual Liability Insurance Company of Wisconsin- home office at Wausau, Wisconsin-was organized September 1, 1911, on the mutual plan to provide the employers of Wisconsin who accepted the pro- visions of the Workmen's Compensation Act with insurance, furnishing the compensations and medical and surgical aid required of the employer to be furnished employes for injury or death resulting from industrial accidents. It was the first company organized in this country for the purpose of pro- viding the compensations of the law and solving the problems of workmen's compensations; the initiative was taken by Wausau employers of labor.
The first year's experience of the company, ending August 31, 1912, shows that at a premium rate of only 40 per cent of the rate charged by stock casu- alty companies this company provided all of the compensations required by the law, paid all management expenses, and was enabled to declare a 15 per cent dividend credit to its policy holders out of the casualty earned premium. The policies of the company now cover 25,000 lives, and up to November 30, 1912, 2,494 industrial accidents have been reported, 16 of which termi- nated fatally, and the payments made by the company chargeable to com- pensation have amounted to $48,733.22, and the company has on hand avail- able funds for the payment of claims, $56,288.92. The annual premium income of the company now is in excess of $100,000.
The officers of the company are as follows: G. F. Steele, president ; Wil- liam A. Fricke, A. Hirshheimer, W. W. Vincent, W. E. Brown, H. W. Bolens, vice-presidents.
Executive committee : G. F. Steele, W. C. Landon. C. A. Babcock, B. F. Wilson, Karl Mathie, L. M. Alexander, Neal Brown, William A. Fricke. Board of directors: G. F. Steele, Cornell; Walter Alexander, Wausau; W. WV. Vincent, Kenosha ; William A. Fricke, Wausau; W. E. Brown, Rhine- lander ; L. K. Baker, Odanah; C. C. Yawkey, Wausau; A. Hirshheimer, La Crosse ; W. C. Landon, Wausau; L. M. Alexander, Milwaukee ; H. J. Hagge, Wausau; M. A. Wertheimer, Kaukauna ; C. A. Babcock, Neenah ; G. D. Jones, Wausau; Karl Mathie, Mosinee; B. F. Wilson, Wausau; H. W. Bolens, Port Washington ; Neal Brown, Wausau.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Industrial Wausau in 1912.
CURTIS & YALE COMPANY
The Curtis & Yale Company is not only the largest manufacturing and labor employing establishment in Wausau, but as a manufacturer of sash, door, blinds, mouldings, and interior finishings, it ranks among the most extensive and best equipped establishments in the state of Wisconsin. The factory was established in 1881 by Curtis Brothers & Co., of Clinton, Iowa, as a branch of their large Clinton establishment of the same kind, and grew from a modest beginning to its mammoth proportions of today.
In January 1, 1893, the new firm succeeded to the business, having been incorporated under the laws of Iowa, with the following named persons as its officers : G. M. Curtis, president, residing at Clinton, Iowa; S. M. Yale, vice-president, residing at Minneapolis, Minnesota; C. S. Curtis, secretary and treasurer, residing at Wausau, Wisconsin.
The firm has jobbing houses at Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Detroit, Mich- igan; also branch sales offices at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and Washington, District of Columbia, and a purchasing office at Spokane, Washington.
The firm has two plants in Wausau : Plant No. I located on Clinton street and First avenue, is the original plant for the manufacture of sash, doors, and all interior finishings. Plant No. 2 was originally a chair factory started as a stock corporation with municipal aid to the amount of $10,000, given by the city of Wausau, and like most plants of this sort, had a short existence. The factory was sold by the assignee and purchased by the Curtis & Yale Company, an entire set of new machinery was put in, and it became plant No. 2 of the Curtis & Yale Company. It is located on the east end of Sher- man street, and there is manufactured basswood products and screen goods mainly. The main office is at Wausau, Wisconsin, on corner of Clinton street and First avenue.
The volume of business of this concern amounts annually to over $500,-
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000. It is incorporated with a capital stock of $300,000 and has a surplus exceeding the capital stock. It employs its own "designers" for planing "interior finishings" and first-class mechanics and artists in the line of wood cuttings and engravings. Needless to say, it has an automatic sprinkling sys- tem for fire protection and powerful pumps able to throw four streams of water completely over the mammoth buildings. Steam engines of 500-horse power, and two other engines for generating electrical current furnish the motive power.
It employs on an average about 600 men and, excepting a few weeks, when the factories close annually for repairs, it has been in continuous operation since its beginning in 1881.
Its present officers are : George M. Curtis, of Clinton, Iowa, president ; Stephen M. Yale, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, vice-president : Cornelius S. Curtis, Wausau, Wisconsin, secretary and treasurer; Walter E. Curtis, Wau- sau, assistant secretary and treasurer.
THE BARKER & STEWART LUMBER COMPANY
has its mill on the McIndoe Island on the main river just above the dam. It was erected in 1880 by Clark, Johnson & Co., which firm sold out in 1887 to C. C. Barker and H. C. Stewart.
This company organized later as a corporation doing business under its present title. It is a modern saw mill and capable of sawing about 80,000 feet of lumber in ten hours.
There is also a planing mill for planing, matching, and dressing lumber, capable of turning out 100,000 feet of dressed lumber in ten hours. Par- ticular attention is given by this firm to the retail lumber trade. The power to run the mill is furnished by a Corlis engine; boilers set up in battery supply the steam, and all machinery is of the newest approved patterns.
The company is capitalized at $300,000 and employs about 250 men, most of them at the mill in Wausau, only a few in the woods, as most of their logging is done by contract. The annual capacity is about 40 million feet of lumber, of which about 50 per cent is hemlock and the rest is hardwood and pine.
The officers of the corporation are: W. C. Landon, president and man- ager, Wausau, Wisconsin; S. B. Stewart, vice-president, Portland, Oregon; H. C. Stewart, secretary and treasurer, Wausau, Wisconsin.
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THE B. HEINEMANN LUMBER COMPANY.
The first and oldest saw mill property at the site of the George Stevens mill, which was built at Wausau in 1839-40, passed into possession of W. D. McIndoe in 1848, who tore down the old mill and erected a new mill a little further down. That mill passed into possession of the A. Stewart Lumber Company after the death of W. D. McIndoe, and was operated by it until I9II, when it ceased sawing having exhausted its timber supply.
The water rights were sold to the street railway company of Wausau, but not the mill proper, which passed into the possession of the B. Heinemann Lumber Company in 1912 by purchase, which has timber enough within less than fifty miles to keep up sawing for twenty-five years.
The saw mill proper consists of a Degroat, Giddings and Lewis band mill, one circular saw, each with steam feed, one combination Murray edger with strip machine, also shingle and lath mill, having a capacity for sawing 175,- 000 feet of lumber in 20 hours besides a large quantity of shingles and lath.
The planing mill has five machines for planing and matching lumber. One large double surfacer and cut off machine, and is capable of turning out 100,- 000 feet of dressed lumber in a run of 10 hours.
The power to run this mill is furnished by a Buckeye steam engine of 450 horse power, with 22-inch cylinder and 32-inch stroke. Four steel boilers each 16 feet by 60 inches set in battery supply the steam; the engine house is 23 by 34 feet, absolutely fireproof, the iron roof resting on iron beams. The planing mill is run by electric power furnished by the Wausau Street Railway Company.
The corporation is capitalized at $200,000. Its officers are: B. Heine- mann, president; W. D. Heinemann, vice-president; G. B. Heinemann, sec- retary and treasurer. Office at Wausau, Wisconsin.
MORTENSEN LUMBER COMPANY
commenced business in 1893, purchased in that year the Leahy & Beebe mill, situated on the west shore of the river opposite of the pumping station. It is a first-class saw mill in every respect. Its capacity is 75,000 feet in ten hours with the usual quantity of shingles and lath.
It has a planing mill separate and distinct from the saw mill, operated under its own separate power, situated a short distance west from the saw mill. It is incorporated with a capital of $100,000, all paid up, gets its logs nearly entirely by rail, and has been running every year since the present manage-
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ment took hold of it. Its output is about in the neighborhood of 15 million feet annually, mainly hemlock.
Its present officers are : J. Mortenson, president; F. P. Stone, vice-presi- dent and. secretary; Charles Edgar, treasurer; J. Henry Johannes, assistant treasurer.
THE SCHUBRING LUMBER COMPANY
is operating a first-class saw mill in the southwest part of Wausau. It was built only four years ago, although one of the incorporators, Mr. F. Schubring, had been in the lumber business for a number of years, and had owned a smaller saw mill in the town of Hamburg in this county. The mill has a band saw and a lath mill, is operated by steam, and has all the appliances of a modern mill, such as auto trucks, etc.
It is incorporated for $40,000 and does a large custom sawing besides sawing its own lumber. During the last two or three years, it was sawing for Boswell & Co., they bringing their logs for nearly one hundred miles to be manufactured by this mill.
Its output is nearly all hemlock and hardwood lumber, sawing about 8 million feet annually, and employing thirty-five men on an average.
The officers of the corporation are : F. Schubring, president and treasurer ; Mrs. L. Schubring, vice-president ; Carl Lotz, secretary.
YAWKEY LUMBER COMPANY
has an office at Wausau, but does not manufacture here. The same is true also of the "Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company," "Wisconsin Timber Com- pany," and "Cisco Lake Lumber Company," in all of which C. C. Yawkey is interested. But he is also largely financially engaged in the "Wausau Street Railroad Company," in the "Marathon County Paper Mills," in the "Wausau Paper Mills," in other large industrial concerns, and a stockholder in the banks in the city.
ALEXANDER STEWART LUMBER COMPANY
which succeeded to the mill property of the Hon. W. D. McIndoe some years after the latter's demise, was the largest lumber firm on the Wisconsin river until is ceased operations in 1911, having converted all their timber into lum- ber at that time, and it has disposed of its manufacturing plant. The corpora- tion is still alive, but employing but a few men, selling and disposing of the
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large stock of lumber on hand in thirty or more lumber yards in the western states.
It is incorporated for $500,000, and from the time of their organization their officers were: Alexander Stewart, president; John Stewart, vice-presi- dent; Walter Alexander, secretary and treasurer .*
THE UNDERWOOD VENEER COMPANY
is a well established institution. It was formerly located at Appleton, Wis- consin, but removed its machinery and business to Wausau in 1893, and has been in continuous and successful operation ever since.
It has now one of the largest veneer machines in the country, and is one of the best equipped factories in the West. It works up not only all kinds of native woods of Wisconsin, but imports and uses up large quantities of the finest southern woods. The products of this establishment is mainly used in the manufacture of fine furniture, but is not confined to that alone.
Picture backing "figured birch" and "quartered oak" are also manufac- tured by this institution, which purchases the hardwood logs which the for- ests of Marathon county yield in abundant quantities, giving the farmer a chance to dispose of his surplus timber to good advantage. The log is first put in steam vats and remains under the action of the boiling steam for twelve hours ; then the bark is removed and the log put through the machines, which cut the timber in all thicknesses demanded from 1/64 to 3/g of an inch.
Most of the fine birch oak is cut up in 1-30. 1-20 and 1-16 of an inch, basswood mostly, from 1/8 to 3/8 of an inch, and other woods are worked up comparatively in the same manner. The fine hardwoods are, as a rule, always cut thinner than soft woods. This factory has in its equipment a patent dry- ing machine invented by Mr. Underwood (its former president, now de- ceased), by means of which the factory is enabled to take a fresh cut log in the morning, cut it into veneer and have it dried by this process and made fit for use in one day.
This factory has run continuously even in the dull years from 1894 to 1896, losing no time at all, except on an occasional break-down. Some years ago it substituted electrical power furnished by the street railway company for its steam power. It employs on an average 125 hands.
It is capitalized at $120,000.
Its officers are : O. C. Lemke, president and treasurer ; S. W. Underwood, vice-president and secretary.
* Since the demise of Mr. A. Stewart there will be a change in the officers.
MOULDINGS
SASH DOO
CURTIS & YALE CO.'S PLANT
GINSENG BED OF J. H. KOEHLER, WAUSAU, WIS.
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THE WAUSAU BOX & LUMBER COMPANY
is situated on the site formerly occupied by the R. P. Manson planing mill. It manufactures all kinds of K. D. packages usually called box shooks. The material is cut to size ready to be nailed up into boxes at destination. This industry has grown to be a part of the commercial world, slowly but surely, the last hundred years, probably since goods began to be manufactured and shipped, as a package was necessary for the shipment.
This company is capitalized for $100,000. It was incorporated in 1892 and capitalized for $25,000 which was increased to $100,000. It employs on an average 125 men and boys and uses up 13,000,000 feet of lumber annu- ally. The power consists of 350 horse power Allis engine.
This industry is more or less dependent upon local timber and lumber for its raw material. All kinds of low grade lumber are used. This business is interstate, and the products are shipped to nearly all parts of the United States. But it has also a large export trade to Mexico. From 1893 to 1897 it shipped as high as 200 cars annually to Mexico. This business has dropped off somewhat owing to the development of Mexico's forest products which supplies a share of the home demand and also by the stagnation of business in that country owing to its unstaple government in late years. The demand in other parts of the United States for the product of this firm has more than made up, however, for the decreased supply to Mexico.
The officers of this company are: C. E. Turner, president; W. B. Schol- field, secretary and treasurer.
The president of this company, Mr. E. C. Turner, is the president of the Wausau public library board, and to his work in behalf of the library is due much growth of the library and its popularity. He is also a member of the board of water commission. William B. Scholfield is secretary and treasurer and has been on the school board for ten years or more. He is the son of Doctor Scholfield, the pioneer who build Scholfield mill on the Eau Claire river in the forties.
GOODWILLIE BROTHERS COMPANY.
In 1889 David L. Goodwillie and James G. Goodwillie came from Chicago where they had conducted a small box factory, and purchased the J. C. Smith planing mill situated on corner of Bridge and Main streets, east of the pump- ing station of the waterworks.
They converted the planing mill immediately into a box shook factory, and have conducted it successfully ever since.
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This concern manufactures shooks for boxes of all kinds, shapes and sizes for boxing all kinds of merchandise. While this is the principal article which their plant turns out, they deal also in special sizes of lumber manu- factured to order from standard sizes.
The capacity of the factory has been increased from time to time until they are now able to work up into shooks 125,000 feet of lumber a day, when working full time. The number of hands employed when running at full capacity is about 125. They use annually from 10 to 13 million feet of lumber. This firm is not incorporated and exists as it did from the begin- ning as a partnership.
THE WISCONSIN BOX COMPANY
is located on the southeast part of the city near the tracks of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad and the Northwestern railroad which have side tracks running in their yards. It manufactures boxes, box shooks, and lumber, and the annual output amounts to $200,000.
It employs on an average about 125 men.
The incorporated capital is $210,000, and its officers are : E. A. Gooding, president ; B. Heinemann, vice-president ; E. W. Behlke, secretary, and G. K. Gooding, treasurer.
THE WAUSAU NOVELTY COMPANY
has its large plant in the southwestern part of the city, devoted to the manu- facture of furniture novelties of all kinds.
It was incorporated in 1892 and began operations in January, 1893.
It has been enlarged from time to time and uses both steam and elec- trical power.
It employs about 80 hands on an average throughout the year.
Its capital stock is $50,000.
Its officers are: Frank Kelly, president and treasurer; E. A. Gooding, secretary ; O. G. Schilling, vice-president and superintendent.
WAUSAU FIXTURE & FURNITURE COMPANY .
is located a short distance east of the fair grounds. It is another of the factories which from a very modest beginning worked up to its present formidable dimensions.
It manufactures bank, store and office fixtures and inside finishings of all
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kinds. It employs on an average twenty-four men throughout the year; the power is furnished by an electric 80-horse power motor.
Incorporated with a capital of $50,000, its officers are: W. H. Thom, president; Gustav A. Janke, vice-president and superintendent, and N. E. Pardee, secretary and treasurer.
J. M. KUEBLER COMPANY
succeeded to the factory and business of the George Werheim Manufacturing Company in 1912. It continues to manufacture sash, blinds, doors and inside finishings, and has its own special designers.
The factory and yards are located on Third street and east and north on the line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, which runs a side track along a platform on the factory, giving it excellent shipping facili- ties. Besides manufacturing for home consumption, the products are shipped not only to all parts of the state, but the western and eastern states as well. The increased demand on the productive powers of the company since it went into the hands of the new management, made it necessary to enlarge the factory. It employs about 35 men on an average.
The capital stock is $60,000; its officers are: J. M. Kuebler, president ; John Lull, vice-president; George Silvernagel, secretary and treasurer.
WILSON-HURD COMPANY
manufactures some 70 different specialties of aluminum, wood, paper, sheet tine, and wire, all for advertising purposes. This firm began business in a small rented building about fifteen years ago, has been growing constantly, and two years ago erected a concrete factory building of respectable dimen- sions. It employs from ten to twenty hands during the year, and from pres- ent appearances will soon be forced to enlarge the factory again to supply the growing demand for their wares. It is incorporated with a capital of $50,000, and its officers are: G. G. McIntosh, president; W. D. Siebecker, vice-president ; A. J. Hurd, secretary ; J. D. McKay, treasurer.
THE WAUSAU EXCELSIOR COMPANY
is located on the east shore on the river, a short distance above the pumping station; it began operations in 1892 and has been running ever since, turning out about twelve tons or more of excelsior on an average of every ten hours. It uses up on an average eighteen cords of basswood bolts per day; the value
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of its output annually is about $60,000. The officers are: J. Loewenthal, president ; A. L. New, treasurer ; and A. Schreiber, secretary.
THE MURRAY MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
In 1874 Ely Wright came simultaneously with the Wisconsin Valley Railroad to Wausau and commenced a machine shop. He had come from Marinette, Wisconsin, where he had been in the same business. D. J. Mur- ray came with him as a partner, and after some years, Ely Wright sold his interest to his partner, who organized the Murray Manufacturing Company and has conducted the business since, and under his control and management it has grown and expanded to its present immense proportions.
The large machine shops and foundry are located on Third street about six blocks from the courthouse and on the line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. This concern makes a specialty of manufacturing saw mill machinery and is the largest institution of its kind in the central and northern part of this state. The excellence of its machinery and the many valuable inventions that have been made by this firm which have been cov- ered by patents, have widened and expanded its trade so much that not only are the principal mills in Wisconsin supplied with machinery manufactured by this firm, but orders are constantly received from distant states, even as far south as Louisiana. Railroad supplies also form a large part of the output of this institution. The plant has been enlarged from time to time, until its building and shops cover more than one city block of ground. It employs on an average throughout the year eighty men, but this does not include the number of men engaged in putting up mills after the machinery is delivered. The incorporated capital is only $50,000, but that represents but a very small part of its value. A very conservative estimate of the value of the manufactured product of this firm would be $350,000 annually.
The officers of this corporation are: D. J. Murray, president and treas- urer ; D. J. Murray, Jr., secretary.
WAUSAU IRON WORKS
are located on Tenth avenue south. This is one of the factories that located at Wausau only a few years ago, coming from the city of Appleton. It manu- factured steam boilers and similar apparatus, but soon branched out in the bridge building business, in which it was more than ordinarily successful. It found it necessary to greatly enlarge its plant, and employs on an average
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from 75 to 80 men, besides the men that are needed to put up the bridges over the streams. From the number of orders pouring in for their work, it is safe to say that it has a great future and will be one of the leading indus- tries in this city. Its capital stock is $25,000, with the following persons as officers : F. W. Krause, president ; Charles C. Wegner, vice-president ; T. J. Schott, secretary and treasurer, and A. C. Heinzen, manager.
WAUSAU FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOPS
is one of the oldest manufacturing institutions in Wausau. It was founded by J. A. Frenzel in 1874 and by him conducted until the incorporation of the present company. The business of repair work for saw mills, etc., is still carried on besides the manufacture of feed cutters, wood saw machines, hose powers, and other farm machines, but in late years and under the pres- ent management, the manufacture of gasoline machines has become a specialty in which this firm excells.
The factory is located on Plumer street and Prospect avenue. It employs on an average fourteen men throughout the year and is run by electricity. It was incorporated in the year 1903. The capital stock is $25,000. Its offi- cers are : Louis Kraatz, president ; B. Kraatz, vice-president ; Albert J. Kraatz, secretary and treasurer.
WAUSAU QUARTZ COMPANY
is engaged in crushing, grinding, and grading the white quartzite rock which is found on Rib Hill, and which is used for grinding, polishing, and finishing metals and for filtering purposes, and in other industries. The rock exists on Rib Hill in inexhaustible quantities and is of fine clean quality. The company has been doing business for over ten years with a steady growing demand for its product.
It is incorporated for $35,000; its officers are : W. L. Edmonds, president ; C. C. Yawkey, vice-president; A. L. Kreutzer, secretary; H. G. Flieth, treas- urer, and Ralph W. Collie, manager. Directors : C. C. Yawkey, D. J. Mur- ray, H. G. Flieth, A. L. Kreutzer, W. L. Edmonds.
THE WAUSAU SANDPAPER COMPANY.
The inexhaustable quantities of white quartzide forming Rib Hill were first put to commercial use about eighteen years ago, in a very small way,
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