Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1886 — Shall the Town Have a Future? [ARTICLE]

Shall the Town Have a Future?

The citizens’ meeting held at the Courthouse last Saturday evening, for the purpose of ascertaining the feeling of the people in regard to the proposed location here of the Chicago Sewing Machine Company’s works, was well attended and unanimous in the feeling that if the institution is what it pi of esses to be, the people of this place and vicinity ought to be willing to accede to every reasonable demand to bring it here. The meeting organized by electing Mr. E. C. Nowels chairman and G. E. Marshall secretary. Judge E. P. Hammond, by request of the chairman, made quite extensive remarks, setting forth in a clear and logical manner, the great benefits that would accrue to the town and county, from the location in this place of a reliable manufacturing company, which would give permanent employment io from 75 to 150 men. He also proposed the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted: I Resolved, that the people of Rensselaer and vicinity are in favor of the Chicago Sewing Mac.juue Company locating their works in this place, and will do

anything reasonable to secure that result. On motion the chair appointed a committee of ten represenative ' itizens whose duty it should be to go to Chicago, make a thorough inspection of the'works and business of the company, obtain from them a definite proposition as to their removal to this place, and to report the result of their visit, at a; other meeting to be held as soon as practicable, after their return from Chicago. The committee as appointed is made of the following named gentlemen: E. P. Hammond, A. Leopold, T. J. McCoy, John Makeever, Joseph H. Wiley, C. C. Starr, S. P. Th< imp son, C. C. Sigler, F. J. Sears, and B. F. Ferguson. After the appointment of the committee remarks favoring tbe enterprise were made by Messrs. A. Leopold, F. W. Babcock, E. C. Newels, G. E. Marshall, B. F. Ferguson, and others. Mr. Ferguson, m the course of his remarks, stated that he was in correspondence with the officers of another manufactoring company, located in Illinois, which was meditating a removal of their establishment and were looking about for a favorable location. He stated that with a view of securing a possible favorable proposition from the company he had corresponded with the managers of the L. N. A. & C. Railway company, in regard to the freight rates which such a manufacturing establishment could expect, and was fairly astonished at the very liberal offers of the railroad. The meeting adjourned to meet at the call of the above named citizens’ committee.