The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-04-28


\ SUGaEsTIoN.-0ne of the chief sources
of the prosperity and rapid advancement of
many of our Eastern cities is in the number
and great variety of their shop manufactures;
establishments. which each one by itself at
tracts little or no notice from the general OBJ
server, but from their number often form the
most important element of the growth of a
community. This is the case with Provi-
dence, X. l.. with Hartford, Conn.,. and espe-
cially is it the case in Philadelphia, where
though her commerce has not increased, she
has kept pace with New York in the ratio of
her increase, by the multiplication and
extension of her shop manufactures. There
are no more certain means Of steady and
permanent growth in a. town than in the in
crease of the small mechanical work shops
owned and managed by individuals. It ere
ates far more desirable population than the
operatives nd DEFENDANTS of overgrown and
mammoth establishments, in which the fac
ulties are cramped and kept inactive by the
routine Of labor. under the direction of a
common head, who does the thinking and
planning for all the rest. The master of
small shop, is stimulated by competition,
and has his faculties brought into exercise by
the necessity of thinking for himself in the
management of his own little business. He
is, too, his own masser, with a consciousness
of independence. and the spirit of freeman.
A population of this sort is the hcalthiest,
morally and physically that can be gathered
ed together.
There is no place that has more attractions
and advantages for this industrial class than
our own city-with its cheap fuel-cheap liv-
ing-healthy location-and every advantage
of intercourse to distribute shop wares to ev-
cry point in the West.
| There are great many men with the me-
chanical skill to engage in such works. and
with all the tools and implements necessary
for their trades; but who have not the CAPT
tai to erect shop and procure the steam
power they need for their operations; or if
they have the means to purchase an engine
they cannot run it, TO carry on their small
business so as TO compete with the larger
manufacturers who operate on greater scale;
for the small engine requires the same super
attendance as a larger one; and the per cent
cost of running it on small product is
too large tax for single shop workman to
bear. An engine that would afford power
enough for ten or twenty wori.men in
different branches of shop manufactures
would cost but little more to keep it in mo-
ton than each one would pay for the main
ta;nance of small engine for himself.
The best mode to draw such labor around
us, would be to provide shops and cheap
power for rent. a large cheap building di-
vided into proper apartments with nova
BILE partitions and furnished with large en-
CINE. with shafting extending through it, to
which all sorts of machinery might be at
taehed is what is much needed: the power
and the rooms might be rented for variety
of small manufacturers Of a great variety OF
articles. The building, though it should be
substantial, could be built cheap. With our
low priced fuel. and low rents we could ena-
bic the individual manufacturer TO compete
here with the large companies in other places.
The enterprise would afford good invest
ment for the builder; and while the capital
list who would erect such an establishment
would find Improbable to himself, he would
do more to build up the town, than he could,
by the Investment of like sum, in any 9TH
er way. Such enterprises have succeeded in
other places, and proved fortunate invest
ments to those who have undertaken them
We see that an Eastern gentleman has pur-
chased an unused and extensive Foundry
building in Indianapolis, and furnished it
with power and divided it into apartments
for the purpose of renting them to mechanics
who require steam power to carry ON their
trades. If such things can be done in 1ndi-
annapolis, they can be better done in Evans
vile. IL is unnecessary to enumerste the va