Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1907 — FACTORY CHANCE FOR RENSSELAER [ARTICLE]

FACTORY CHANCE FOR RENSSELAER

Lon T. Hammond Gives This City First Chance. TO MANUFACTURE LEADER FENCE Proposition Asks for Ground and Erection of Building Near the Railroad—Looks Like a Good Thing.

Lou T. Hammond, who prior to his removal to Wolcott about two years ago, was stationed for some time in Rensselaer as the manager o f a wo ’en wire fence ajency, has now on foot plans to organize a company for the manufacture of Leader woven wire fence and is looking for a location for his factory. He has very generously given Rensselaer the first chance to secure it, and has stated the condi tions upon which he will establish the faotory in this city. His proposition is that Rensselaer secure the ground and erect a build ing th«reon 70x100 feet in dimensions, to be used as the factory. .He does i ot state what kind of a ‘ building it shall be, and it may be made of brick, cement blocks or lumber. All he and his company will ask is that a suitable building, one that can be kept warm enough to work in, is given as a bonus to procure the factory. It is estimated that the building and ground would cost from $2,500 to 13,500. The company will agree to put ten men to work as soon as the

building is completed aDd they can get the wire fence looms and other machinery installed. It is confidently believed, Mr. Hammond says, that within five or si* weeks there will be positions ior 16 or 18 men and that ultimately the plant will employ 40 or 50 men. The wages to be paid will vary from 11.50 to $3.50 a day. The machinery at first will in elude two looms, one of them capable of making 2 rods of fence a minute. The Leader fence will be manufactured in three or four different patterns and the market is sufficient to use all the fence that can be manufactured. Mr. Hammond cited the case of Page W ire Fence Co , of Adiran, Mich., that began making fence with only 6 jgaen, now 160 are employed; another factory at Anderson started six years ago with 4 men and now employs 50 men. The opportunity Mr. Hammond presents to Rensselaer is one that should not be overlooked and per sons interested in the future welfare of the city and its business interests should confer at once with Mayor Ellis, who is familiar with the offer Mr. Hammond has made, and a meeting should be tailed for about Friday night to discuss the matter with the man who has brought the proposition up to us. Factories are Rensselaer’s hope, and a concentrated effort could do much now in the matter of procuring some. It is probable that an offer will never be made to place a factory in our midst on more liberal terms, and if the possibilities are what Mr. Hammond claims we should adopt a plan at once to snap this up.