St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-03-22
Home Manufactures.

In various parts of Wisconsin the
people are investigating the policy o
establishing manufactures of various
kinds in their midst, rather than b,
dependent upon the East. A writer
at Beloit says the reason the times
are SO hard with them, is because they
are paying out all their money for la
Dor done in New England, and as an
instance of the cheapness with which
labor could be had in Bcloit, says:
There are now in this city 800
males between the ages of l6 and 30,
who could in six months be proftably
employed in this business, who are
now doing nothing, and have in fact
done nothing Of any amount for year
or two past.
understand that our neighboring
towns and cities are talking about
this thing, and it is unnecessary for
me to say that the place that gets the
start, in this business, will inevitably
take the lead.
a large and important meeting was
held at Beloit, to discuss the subject
Of manufactures. Nearly all the bus
mess men Of the place were present
and took part, declaring that they
would all take hold and do what they
could. to make Bcloit an active manu-.
featuring town. Many Of them re-
lated their experience in manufacture
ing, west and elsewhere, and the citi-
zens seem to be thoroughly alive to
the necessity of doing something to
bring about better state Of things
than now exists there.
A committe was appointed to confer
together on the subject, and report.
The report of the meeting is interest
ing, and the following will give the
drift Of the remainder
Mr.. B. f. Hale, of Milwaukee, being
present, was called on to give infor-
nation in regard to boot and shoe
manufactures in Milwaukee. Mr.. Ii.
Informed the meeting that there were
two manufactures Of this kind in Mil
waukcc, employing together about
five hundred hands. These firms bad
found no difficulty in competing sue
cesstully with Eastern manufacturers
in all kinds of coarse work. Fine
work they had found 50 far, could be
done to better advantage at the East
than here. Mr.. Hale also spoke ia
vorabIy of the manufacture of wood
en- ware
j. G. Kendall wished to know if
there was any kind Of manufacturing
that would pay two per cent. a month
If there was any such kind, that was
the very thing he wanted but if
there was none, he did not see how
manufacturing could be made to pay
50 long as money commanded its pres
cnt price. He thought there was but
one way to start any branch Of manu-
featuring, and that was for all inter
csted to subscribe what they could to
give outright, with no expectation Of
any return. In this way something
might be done He considered Boot
and Shoe manufacturing best adapted
to our circumstances.
Mr. T. l.. Wright favored the intro
ductinn of the manufacture of numcr-
Gus small articles, such as buttons,
combs, &c He had known the whole
history of the button manufacture of
Massachusetts, beginning with a sin
gle man, whose family made "A few
buttons, and sold them to the tailors
of ncighboring village. This man
now possesses an immense fortune,
and controls the sale of all the buttons
used in this country.
Mr.. Rosenblatt, of the firm Of Rcit-
Ter & Roscnhlatt, thought that cloth
ing might be manufactured success
fully in Belot. During the last year
they had manufactured all the clothing
they had sold, giving employment to
thirty hands.