Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1892 — M’KINLEY TIN MILL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

M’KINLEY TIN MILL

Sold by the Sheriff of Madison County. The Anderson tin plate works, sold by the sheriff recently to satisfy a mechanic’s lien of $2lB, had been extensively advertised by the protection press of the country as an immense plant which was supplying consumers with great quantities of American tin. The sale of the property by the sheriff, however, revealed to the public the actual capacity and working of the “first tin plate mill established in this country on account of the McKinley tariff.” Instead of being an extensive establishment, as advertised by the Republican press, it proved to be a mere shed with a pony engine. Four men, three boys and three or four girls were employed in this great establishment to supply the American market with tin. Three of the men were residents of

Wales at the time the McKinley bill passed. These four men were engaged in dipping imported black plates into imported tin. The boys and girls who made as high as sixty cents a day were employed in wiping and polishing the tin. There was very little bright tin dipped for the reason that none could be made of quality to compete with imported product. What little bright plate made was used by the Republicans for campaign buttons, cups, etc. Roofing tin or dull plate, which is made by dipping the black plate in lead with a small percentage of tin was about all the product of the “Anderson tin shed,” as the concern is referred to, locally. , But even by running full capacity, twenty-four hours a day, the shed could not have turned out enough dull plate to supply th .■ smallest county in the state. The black plate, which is steel rolled into thin sheets, was imported from England. The Cannonberg Iron and Steel cpmpany, of Pennsylvania, supplied black plate to the amount of $1,200 but the Anderson company refused to pay the bill because the plate furnished was “scaly” and worthless. At least that is the reason alleged for not paying the bill. The tin u e ed came from the Mines of Straits settlement, an English province, at the extremity of the Malay peninsula. This tin is mined with native labor who receive nine cents a day and a bowl of rice. Not an ounce of tin from the American mines W’as used, The palm oil and acids were all imported, also the machinery which came from' Wales, second hand, and which has not been paid fcr. The property, which included several acres of land, was sold by the sheriff to Samuel P. I loore, a Democratic lawyer. The real estate is heavily mortgaged and there are several outstanding claims for material and labor, some of which have been filed in court as follows: Henry Whittmore, importer of black p 1 ite, New York S7OO 00 Grosselli Chemical company,Cleveland, oils 500 00 Charles R. Hale et al., mechanic’s lien 400 00 Cannonberg Iron • and Steel company, P' tsburg 1,200 00 Anderson Rolling-Mill company.. 400 00 Jacob M. Sheets et. al., mechanic’s lien 75 00 Peter Labeht, architect 250 00 Daniel Edwards, of Swansea, Wales, through his attorney, Frank P. Foster, machinery and labor 4,317 50 The concern seems to have started without capital with the expectation to reap a rich harvest from the sale of campaign tin. The proprietor in an interview states that he has one year to redeem the works from the sheriff’s sale, and during that time he can snap his fingers at his creditors and continue to make tin unmolested. However, it is believed that the Republican managers will furnish him money to keep it from attachment during the campaign as the sale will have a bad effect on the g. o. p. The people are taxed two cents per pound on tin to maintain such frauds as the Anderson tin plate shed.