Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-01-06

WOoL0n FACTOnlgS. bio AND LlTTLE.-
We have seen estimates made that buiid-
ings and mashinesy sufficient for = woolen
mill in one Of ou neighboring cities cannot
be had short Of some $6O,OO0. We bold
these figures to Le three times larger than
il necessary for the real business wants Of
any Of our towns, unless the factory is in
tended for an immense business. We can
cite n case in point right here At home
When Joseph Shields started his wollen
factory here, he invested not to exceed tn
,hous sand dollars. Events proved that .
larger mil vas required 80 he moro than
doubled his facilities, aud has invested in
buildings and machinery about thirty thou
sand. This makes safe thing Of it. Mod
crate beginning. and careful management is
wha: is wanted not huge capital and ex-
travsgsnt outlay. A large share Of the
money invested in magnificent mills, is
merely unproductive property used for orna
mcnt, and not a. means Of profit. Many
a noble project fails because too much
money is expended il getting reany to
commence the work and not because the
project woul d not pay if conducted on an
economical plan. In almost everything the
ornamental costs more than the useful, and
the greater part Of Our failures are attribu
ted to the " frescoing" instead oft the soiidi,y
Of the structure, and the necessities Of run
ning its various machinery.
But few men, comparatively, are compe-
tent to carry on an extensive business
They may be successful when they keep
within their depth, but when they get into
deep water, and lose their foothold the tide
becomes too strong for them, and they sink.
The same laws which hold in farming rules
mechanics and manufacturers. To succeed,
there must be system an economy in
the arrangement Of things. A farmer
would be considered insane 10 hitch span
&c five thousand dollar horses to wooden
plow in order to break up his land, and on
the scratches mace by that instrument, sow
his grain with the expectation Of getting
full crop The same may be said o. manu-
factures. The show part frequently re
ceives the heavy expenditure, while the
really useful is often ne elected. II such an
estab sh,nent fails, the fault is in building,
and the rccslessness in carrying it on, is
laid to the want Of the protection of the law
against foreign competition.
In many of our Western towns we notice
WOODEN factories are spr'nging up, ard high
hopes are entertained OF them. Rightly
conducted they will be source Of profit to
their prcpIictors. The multiplicity of these
mills should show their founders the folly
Of putting too much money in their struc
lures. Ii there was to be but one mill in
the whole State. it would be ell perhaps,
to rear magnificent structure, provided all
the wool raised hy our farmers was obliged
10 be manufactured there and the people
forced to patronize it to their utmost extent.
As it is, the business is open to competition
and wise men should look at the matter in
business point Of view. before branching
out into needless expenditure. There is
no doubt Of the prdi,ablcness of WOODEN
manufactures, wen conducted on the right
plan, hut it must be economically. Those
who follow t.,is plan will have no cause to
fail in business, and if they do not get sud
denly rich, they will make comfortable
living, and in time lay BY competence.