Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1902 — A Promising Manufacturing Establish ment. [ARTICLE]

A Promising Manufacturing Establish ment.

Rensselaer has a manufacturing establishment that comparatively few people even know the existence of, yet it is already doing considerable business and its product gives constant profitable employment to" one traveling agent, not to speak of what work is done here. It is a growing business already, and will be greatly extended in the near future. The article manufactured is the Barous Horse Stocks. Some years ago our townsman George Barcus invented and had patented a most complete and successful device for holding horses while they are being shod, or otherwise dealt with. By its use the wildest or most vicious horse or mule can be shod quickly and conveniently, and without the least danger to the animal or to the horse- shoers. The machine has been manufactured in a modest and moderate way, but there is no town of any size anywhere in this portion of the state that has not one or more blacksmith shops equipped with one of the machines; and some of these have been used for years; but so far not a single accident to man or animal has occured where they have been used. Mr. Barcus started manufacturing the machines some time ago in a building formerly used as a shop by W. T. Perkins & Son. His orders are now coming in faster than his present facilities can care for, and be is arranging z to greatly increase their capacity in a short time. There are a variety of castings used in the stocks, but these he has made in a city foundry. The finishing of the castings and the assembling of the machine is done here.' So far their sale has mainly been confined to this state and Illinois, but some orders have been received from lowa and even Nebraska. It will sell wherever there are blacksmiths, however, and when the facilities for manufacturing it are increased its sale will be correspondingly pushed.