Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1894 — “DEMOCRATIC TIMES.” [ARTICLE]

“DEMOCRATIC TIMES.”

Republican Testimony That They Are Here at Last. Business Reviving and Factories Resuming Everywhere. The Cincinnati Commercial Gazette and Indianapolis Journal, Though Both Harrison Organs, Are Forced to Admit That Their Calamity Howls Are Absolutely Baseless—The Busiest Time in the History of Many of the Indiana Factories—The Revival Extends to All Parts of the Country—Facts From the Record. A controlling interest in the Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette was recently purchased by Steve Elkins in order that ihe paper might be used to boom Ben Harrison for president in 1896. That paper, however, is very much of a newspaper, and in spite of the calamity fowling of its editorial columns permit* ts news columns to bear truthful testimony to the magnitude of the business revival under the operations of the new Democratic tariff law. In its Sunday issue The Commercial-Gazette under the heading: SIGNS OF THE TIMES. HILLS AND FACTORIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDLE ARE RESUMING ALL ALONG THE LINE, las these items: The Union ironworks at Erie, Pa., have resumed operations after a long idleness. The Gadsden (Ala.) carworks have relumed after a long period of idleness. Employment is given to several hundred men. Work has been resumed at the Pittsburg locomotiveworks, the plant having been shut down for several weeks. All the old employes were returned to their places, rt tho old scale of wages. The large papermills at Valley Falls, R. 1., which have been for a long time idle, are to be converted into factories for the manufacture of cotton wraps. Employment will be given to several hundred men. The Gaff nt y (S. C.) cottonmills are adding new machinery. Twelve thousand spindles and 300 looms will be operated day and night, requiring several hundred operatives. The extensive silk-mills at Carlisle, Pa., which have suspended work during the past eight months are now running full time, with an increased force of men.

Within two months over 9,000 men have resumed work in the mills, factories and workshops at Wheeling, W. Va., Martin’s Ferry and Bellaire, O. Tho major portion of these men are now receiving steady work for the first time in 14 months and an air of prosperity is plainly visible. The largest leatherboard factory in the state will be put in operation at Townsend Harbor, Mass., about Oct. 1, giving employment to 1,000 men. From 15,000 to 30,000 workmen have been given steady employment at Braddock, Pa., during the past five weeks. The Youngstown (O.) Iron and Steel Roofing company is a new concern, which now has under construction a number of large buildings suitable for the manufacture of metal roofing, siding and ceiling. When completed, employment will be given to several hundred men. The Standard Wheel company, manufacturers of wagon and carriage wheels, expect to start up their several factories in Indiana by Oct. 1. Except the Terre Haute works, these plants have been idle for nearly two years. The puddling mills of the Old Dorninion iron and steel works of Richmond, Va., have bee-i put in operation and a large portion of the plant is now at work.

The City Manufacturing company, New Bedford, Mass., started on Monday morning at the old scale of wages. This means that 350 of the operatives out on a strike were given employment, as the mill employs this number. The citizens of New Lisbon, 0., have raised $52,000 of the $60,000 required to secure the location of a large tinplate manufactory, and the remaining portion is expected to be obtained shortly. The concern, when completed, will give employment to several hundred workmen. Work has been resumed in every department of the New Haven Clock company’s works at New Haven, Conn., giving employment to 500 persons. The Spring Valley (His.) miners returned to work last Monday, after being idle nearly four months. Rents and ooal will be reduced in proportion to the reduction that the men suffer under the Columbus scale. The American Manufacturing company of Brooklyn announces that while bagging is now free of duty it will continue to pay the old scale of wages to its employes. The Morton tinplate works at Cambridge, 0., will be in operation by Dec. 15, giving employment to several hundred men. Conditions continue to improve at Nashville. During the week several factories put on extra men and it can now be safely said that there are no skilled workmen idle in Nashville. Pope, the bicycle man, is erecting a $750,000 plant for rolling steel tubing at Hartford, Conn. It will employ 2,000 men.

IM INDIANA. BepnbUean Testimony Ateyarglng tbs Jndustrial Boom. AT ELWOOD. The same issue of the CommercialGazette contains also ample evidence of the industrial boom which has come to Indiana since the enactment of the Democratic tariff law. From the Com-morci.l-Gazette’s Indiana dispatches the following points are taken: • The labor and manufacturing outlook in Elwood is getting brighter every day, and the busy jpdustry is rapidly filling every Ww .ig the city with thrifty workingmen, who fib much toward filling the Very air withproibeaty. Elwood u putting jipwn several miles of street paving. -•/.»> Moison &Weiskoppf’B bottle works re•wgHWfth 909 hands.

The MoOoy lampchimney plant ia running at full capacity in all departments. The canning factories are in full operation. The Elwood hoop factory has relumed. At the Elwood iron works the plant is running night and day and is constantly adding more machinery and putting on more men. The business is increasing rapidly and the men employed there earn good wages and are prosperous. The Holland radiator works, owned by the same company, are 60 days behind in their orders, while the works are running at their fullest capacity. The Diamond Plateglass factory is just at the present turning out some of the largest and finest glass ever turned out in the United States. There has been no disposition shown to reduce the wages of employes and it is believed no reduction will be made. The factory is running at nearly full capacity, full time. AT ALEXANDRIA. The trouble at the Lippincott Alexandria glass factory has been adjusted and a full force of men resumed work yes-, terday. The preliminary arrangements for resumption of work at the DePauw Plateglass works at Alexandria are making and in a few more days 400 men will go to work in this plant alone. The Alexandria Windowglass company has already begun operations. The DePauw plant resumed yesterday and 300 men began to make glass. The Kelly Ax Manufacturing company is having a great rush of work and is increasing its payroll daily. All the smaller Alexandria factories are running full time and business is on the increase. The city is putting in a $60,000 waterworks plant. AT ORESTES. . At Orestes 150 new residences are to be built at once and be ready for occupancy by Nov. 20. Factories are all in operation. AT ANDERSON. Mattier’s tinplate plant is surely secured. It will employ 800 men. The Anderson Iron and Bolt works will build a plant at once. The total number of men that will be furnished employment by new concerns by the first of the year will reach the 1,200 mark. This will, by July, be increased to 1,800. The resumption of the Victor Glass works Wednesday and the action of the North Anderson in putting factories 1 and 2 into operation Saturday and the announcement that the Union would resume Monday has had its effect in manufacturing circles, and things are beginning to show a decided immovement. The Buckeye Manufacturing company's plant will be put in operation the first of the month, employing 300 machinists. The Butler Flintglass company is enlarging its plant, from a 7 to an 8-mill concern. The force of 150 workmen will be increased in proportion. There has been a decided improvement in the labor conditions within the past two weeks. But few meu are now Loafing and they could, with proper exertion, get employment. The American Wire Nail works, which moved here five years ago from Covington, Ky., and is now employing 700 men, is being enlarged by the addition of a 60 by 100 feet galvanizing room. Work begins Monday on the building for the new tinplate mill, the new shovel factory and the Riverview Agricultural works. All of these plants are to he in partial operation bv the first of the vear.

AT KOKOMO. The industrial situation in Kokomo continues to be encouraging. The Bit works is operating at about two-thirds capacity, and a fairly good prospect of full resumption soon. Ford & Donnelly, founders and boilermakers. have added another line. They are now manufacturing tinplate machinery, and supplying new mills at Anderson, Atlanta, Montpelier and other tinplate factories starting up. They are also shipping goods to Pittsburg. The canning factories are in the height of the tomato packing season, and 1,200 employes work day and night. The Union Febroid mills, the paper mills and pulp mills continue to run steadily. The American Strawboard mill, down for a yw, will resume as soon as the river rises sufficiently to give them water. The Kokomo Enameling works, the largest in itbe United States, is operating full foreejS/jd with encouraging orders. The plateglass factory, since increasing the force at the Elwood branch, has ceased Sunday operations, but continues to run night and day. The close down of our factories last winter and spring cost the country $15,000 in “aid to poor,” the idle workingmen having no recourse but to appeal to the authorities for support of their families. The indications are more favorable for the approaching winter.

MORE REPUBLICAN TESTIMONY. The Indianapolis Journal’s Review Makes a Great Showing. The Monday Journal of Indianapolis in its weekly review of the busiaegs situation has thdke items: A. A. Barnes, proprietor of the Udell woodenware works, has 195 persons employed, the largest number since the works were established. The Dugdale can manufactory is still running to its full capacity, st?d this is to be its best business year since established. The Jenney electric motor people are now working more men than at any previous time, and are behind in their orders. E. Rauh & Son, manufacturers of fertilizers, are pushing their business beyond that of any former year. A large per cent of their product is exported. Lumber dealers and planingmill men report their business as some better, but jby no means what it should be. Especially in wholesale business is the dullness felt. The Cleveland Wire Fence .company is arranging to put in a number nwre braiding machines, increasing their capacity to two tons a day. This firm has recently received orders for wire from Canada.

Jhe Atlas engine works are not .pushed, although doing a fair busines and have 31$ men at work. Brown & Ketoham have 260 men Ph their payrolls, as many as they have employed at .any time in the last 18 months. Hetherton & Berner are more busy than at any time in some months in getting out ,i»pn structural work. THE SECRET OF IT.

Why RaHroua Attorney Fairbanks Wants a legislative Change, Charles W. Fairbanks, .the raijrrugj attorney of Indianapolis, is wandering ( up and down the good state of Indiana telling the voters who will consent to listen to him that the Democratic legislatures have been extravagant, just because they have employed a full force of doorkeepers. But Mr. Fairbanks neglects to tell them of the tenfold greater expenditures made by the last Republican legisIfitun ?f Indiana for pocketknives, sta■tibhery; bookj, etc., which were carried off by thd Republican members of the . u ; 7//7 A*