Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1886 — Shall the Town Have a Future? [ARTICLE]

Shall the Town Have a Future?

The |%j|p&\ meeting held at ; the l hurt house last Saturday evenpng, for'*" the- purpose of ascertaining feeling of people in regard to ie proposed location here of Chicago Sewing Machine Cftonpany’s works, was well attended and unanimous in the feeling tibat if the institution" is what it ptofesses 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, ip- Hammond, by request or the chfjprnaan, made quite extensive remarks, setting forth in a clear slid logical manner, the greqt that would accrue to cation in this place of a reliable manufacturing' company, which would give permanent employment to frdm 75 to 150 men. He also proposed the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted: Resolved, that the people of Rensselaer and vicinity are in favor of the Chicago Sewing Machine 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 citizens xvhose duty it should be to go to Chicago, make a thorough inspection of the works and" bust ness of the company, obtain from them a definite proposition as to their removal to this place, and to' 1 report the result of their visit, at another meeting to be heldassoon as practicable, after their return from Chicago. The committee as appointed is made of the following named gentlemen: E. P. Ham- ! mond, A. Leopold, T. J. McCoy i John Makeever, Joseph H. Wiley, C. C. Starr, S. P. Thompson, (J. C. Sigler,-F. J. Sears, and B. F. Ferguson. .After the appointment of the committee remarks favoring the enterprise were made by Messrs. A. Leopold, F. W. Babcock, E. <?. Nowels, G. E. Marshall, B. F. Ferguson, and others. Mr. Ferguson, in the course of his remarks, stated that he was *in correspondence with the officers of j another manufacturing company, located in Illinois, which was meditating a removal of their establishment and were looking about for a favorable location. He stated thitfvith a view of securing a | possible favorable proposition | from the company he had corres- ; ponded with the managers of the |L. N. A. <fc 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,.fhe railroad. The meeting adjourned to meet at the call of the above named ottiMM' po»mlttes.