Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 January 1909 — FACTORY PEOPLE SEE OUR CITY [ARTICLE]

FACTORY PEOPLE SEE OUR CITY

Chicago Men Visit Rensselaer and Look it Over With a View to Locating Their Factory Here.

Two men from Chicago visited Rensselaer Wednesday and were shown over the city by members of the Commercial Club. One of the men represented the industrial association that will conduct the lot sale here and the other is the senior member of the metal furniture manfacturing concern that it has been proposed to get here if the lots can be sold. The factory representative said that Rensselaer was all that it bad been represented to him to be and he was quite pleased with the city. He was not ready to say positively that his concern would enter into a contract to come here, but he would talk to his partner after returning to Chicago and within a few days make a definite proposition to the Chicago company that is acting as an intermediary and they in return will submit the prop* osltlon to the Commercial Club. He said that their business was growing and was certain to grow for many years and that he feels Confident that within five years will employ 600 men. Their city quarters are crowded and rents are high and there are leas frequent labor difficulties In the country and the employee themselves live better and at lees expense in the small towns. But there is one important advantage in the city. There they are able to buy

on short notice anything required in their manufacturing buslnses. They do not have to carry a large stock of raw material as they can buy it as it is needed and in what quantities they like. In any country town they would be compelled to carry a vastly larger stock and their .cash investment would be much greater. They believe, however, that the advantages of the country would overcome the objections to moving, and they have practically decided to get out of Chicago. They must, at least, get much larger quarters if they remain there and with the proper inducements which Rensselaer must make if it lands them, they will probably come here. If they come the building they will erect will be 360 feet long by 160 feet wide, a one story brick building. Asked if there was a chance that if the contract was entered into and the building erected that they would not come then, the factory representative said that his company would be perfectly willing to give a bond in the sum of 110,000 that they would fulfill any agreement that they might make. They returned to Chicago on the 6:32 train Wednesday evening, and a proposition in-writing will be submitted to the Commercial Club wlthid a few days.