Hammond Times, Volume 3, Number 171, Hammond, Lake County, 8 January 1909 — Page 13
Friday; January 8, 1909.
THS TIIXE3. 13
LAKE GOUHTY IS RAPIDLY
(1 A FRONT SEAT
Statistics Show That Nearly 25,000 Men Are Employed In North Part of County With Weekly Pay Roll Reaching Almost $300,000.
City. Men Kmployed. Weekly Pay Roll. CT 8,000 f 125,000 East Chicago..... 7,725 81550 Hammond 5,500, 65,000 Whiting 1,725 20,000
Totals 22,050
.1291,250
COMPARED WITH OTHER CITIES. Indiana polls 40,000 9650,000 South Bend 14,000 130,000 Terre Hante 12,000 125,000 Fort Wayne 0,000 89,000 Evansville 0,000 80,000 Monde 8,000 75,000 Richmond 6,000 74,000 Anderson 6,000 60,000 Vlncennes 5,000 75,000
Lake County la forging: to the front as the greatest industrial district in Indiana. Already there are more than half as many people employed in the Colnmet region, in a district closely compact and practically one city, than there are in the city of Indianpolis, and they are getting more than half as much money each week for their services. When it is known that Indianapolis is the largest industrial center in Indiana and that its population Is estimated to be 175,000, while the population of the Calumet region Is bnt 50,000) the fact that there are 23,000 men receiving f 300,000 weekly here, while there are but 40,000 men receiving but 9550,000 in Indianapolis, is significant. We can hardly believe onr eyes when we look at the figures. Here Is Gary leading the list of Lake county cities with 8,000 men who are receiving 9125,000 weekly, and the only other cltiea which are in her class, excepting Indianapolis, are South Bend, Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, Evansville, East Chicago and Hammond. East Chicago Booming. And then there is that little industrial giant East Chicago, which, of course, Includes Indiana Harbor. Not over eight years old, Indiana Harbor Is a veritable hive of industry and together with East Chicago it employes more men than such cities as Richmond, Anderson and Vlncennes, to say
nothing of such cities as Logansport, Goshen and Slishawauka. But if there is an inspiration in the figures which the industrial report shows, the fact that the people of Lake county have but begun a most marvelous growth, while many of the cities, in which statistics are given, are old settled communities with no expectation of more than a normal growth. According to the figures of the state bureau of statistics, Lake county has increased its manufacturing 1,000 per cent. The following reports from other cities in Indiana give an idea of the progress there and make comparisons with Lake county possible: Shows 25 Per Cent. Increase. Despite the industrial depression that affected the Btate early in the year and the uncertainty over the presidential election the year of 1908 has seen a substantial increase in the number of Indiana industries and the organization of manufacturing concerns. Figures compiled by the Indiana Bureau of Statistics show the amount of money is greater by nearly one-fourth than it was in 1905. Complete figures for the year 1908 can not be obtained as yet, but it is known that the number of factories in Indiana is now in excess of 9,500, and the total amount of money invested in manufacturing concerns is 1400,500,000. The annual value of Indiana's factory products is in excess of $394,165,383,
and the amount paid out annually to wage earners Is in exeess of $72,178,000. There appears through the affiliated industrial and commercial organizations to be a more concerted movement toward locating new factories In this state. Manufacturers are coming more and more to seek locations where land is inexpensive, raw material easily available, shipping facilities adequate, local labor ample and the best Inducements offered. Scores of Indiana towns are connected with principal markets by steam and electric lines. Some have the additional advantage of being situated on a navigable river or a stream capable of furnishing water power. Conditions Down State, Indianapolis has gained thirty manufacturing plants in the last year. The city now has more than 1,000 factories, making all kinds of products. Over 34,000 men and 6,000 women are employed In the factories, and the estimated weekly pay roll amounts to $550,000 The various Industries of South Bend afford employment now for 12,000 men and 2,000 women. The pay roll amounts o $7,000,000 annually or $130,POO weekly. Fort Wayne, the county seat of Allen county and the third largest city in the state, has grown at such a rate that it has come to be one of the great manufacturing cities in the central states. At the present time, in or near the city, there are 240 factories, making 18S articles, the most important of which are carriages, buggies, wagons, electrical apparatus, castings, engines, steam boilers, gas engines, bar iron, road machinery, gas works machinery, brass castings, lumber, hoops, handles, pulleys, sash and doors, furniture, windmills, washing machines, veneer products, organs, pianos, gloves and mittens, shirt waists, knit goods, cigars, soap and powder, ice, ice cream, confectionery crackers, meat packings and similar articles. The factories are now employing 8,224 men and 820 women and have an estimated weekly pay roll of $89,191. Through its business men's organizations Evansville has obtained 275 factories, including twenty-one furniture factories, eight foundries, eight brush and broom factories, eight box factories and eight agricultural Implement manufacturing concerns. The Evansville concerns employ in all 9,500 men, on a weekly pay roll of $SO,000. Terre Haute's factories now number more than 200, and embrace nearly every branch of manufacturing. In round numbers, 8,500 men and 3,500 women are now employed in the factories, on an estimated combined weekly pay roll of $125,000. Terre Haute has grown until it now has more than 2,000 business houses and 12,000 dwellings, the growth of the city having almost doubled since 1900. In the last nine years the Commercial club has spent $225,000 in locating factories. Commercial C lubs Count. Richmond has grown until it has 125 factories. The "Quaker City's" factory investments now amount to $7,000,000, and th annual output amounts to $27,000,000. Six thousand persons are employed in the factories of Richmond, on an average weekly pay roll of $74,000. During , the last year eighty-three buildings were erected In
Richmond at a cost of $250,30. Vlncennes is more, fortunate, than some of her sister cities in having organisations behind the movement to locate factories. The board of trad ami
the Merchants' and Manufacturers' as
sociation of Vlncennes have been actice in that city Interests, and the industries employ 2,950 people, and pay them $75,000 a week. There has been a substantial Increase in manufacturing at Mishawauka, where 3,700 men are now employed, together with 800 women. The average weekly pay roll amounts to $50,000. The combined industries of Lafayette now give employment to 2,600 men and 300 women, with a weekly pay roll of $30,000. The industries of Anderson employ 6,000 persons, on an average weekly pay roll of $60,000. Anderson has had a remarkable growth during the last year. The Commercial club is an aggressive body, and works with a factory fund behind it amounting to $58,000. The Commercial club of Muncie is one of the most active organizations of its kind In the state. There are more than 100 different manufacturing plants there, employing 7,025 men and 975 women. The combined wages each week amounts to $75,000. The Pennsylvania shops at Logansport, together with factories producing gasoline engines for motor cars, gray iron castings, radiators, handles, blank books, cigars, soap, employ 2,000 men and 100 women in that city, with a
weekly pay roll of $20,000.
INVESTMENTS, LOANS, REAL ESTATE IN THE CALUMET REGION Fire, Life, Health and Accident Insurance
CANAL AJ600D THING Men Behind Waterway Are Very Enthusiastic Over the Project.
PHONE 391 INDIANA HARBOR,
INDIANA
Great interest Is being taken in the movement to place Lake county on the route of the proposed canal from Lake Michigan to Lake Erie and men who are giving the project much thought are enthused over the plan as it is now being weaved out. As the plan is now the canal would start at Dune Park on Lake Michigan, east of Gary, running In a southeasterly course, touching Chesterton on the north. It would cross the Kankakee river and take a northeasterly route to South Bend, connecting with the St Joseph river, striking Elkhart, then down Pigeon river, across to Fort "Wayne and almost east through Toledo, O., to Lake Erie. In the matter of a canal from Chicago to the Mississippi river the state of Illinois has appropriated $20,000.000. It is proposed to follow the Chicago drainage canal to the Illinois river and to the Mississippi, making a navigable waterway to Chicago. A project Is also under way in the east to connect with New Tork via the Hudson river. The Lake Erie and Lake Michigan canal would give a navigable waterway from New York to the Missis
sippi and the route through Chesterton would be forty miles shorter than any other route and could be constructed at much less cost. A thing to be taken In consideration Is the water supply for lockage. It would be necessary to construct several locks and no other route would afford the water supply as that through northern Indiana. The Kankakee district, the St. Joseph river drainage area and farther
east the head waters of rivers in northwest Ohio would give sufficient water supply for reservoirs and in the higher altludes east of the ordinary flow of streams, and in the flood season the water could be confined In reservoirs, - making a storage in which the whole country would get the benefit. j Through northern Indiana, in a line between Indiana and Michigan there are inumerable small lakes which would afford places better than any other section for these reservoirs. The proposed route through Chesterton would have the advantage of all drainage and Is .more in harmony with a complete wa
terway as proposed from the Atlantic to the Mississippi river. There would be no special difficulty in construction of such a canal, as the soil is of such character and free from rock as to make excavation easy and would mean an Immense saving of cost
and time and in constructing reser
voirs and locks. The Lake Michigan and Lake Erie prcject is the first to be considered in the appropriation for surveys and for general study and working out of plans.
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Artistic Commercial Printing Times Office
1 The Most Desirable Industrial Locations in the Calumet District I ARB IN 1
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BEST LABOR SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES. Business locations in Indiana Harbor and East CThi niiTrvmA?i. -S-.n s11 tktig
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INDIANA HARBOR,
EAST CHICAGO