The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-12-09
THE COTTON FACTORY.

THE COTTON FACTORY.
A number of our citizens interested in the
proposed Cotton Factory met at the City
Council Rooms last evening for the purpose
of hearing the report of the committee sp
pointed at last meeting Mr.. Henry Dart
filled the chair.
The committee reported through the
chairman, Mr.. J. R. M'Calisser, that they
had received the following offers OF sites for
| the nronossd fuetory: Messrs. p. l.. Mitch
ell and n. Chris, Jr., offered q full block Of
oround o. exchange street, the old Camden
road; John Deere offered building in
Moline, the Wooden Mill building, with a
capacity of Is looms; d. B. Sears offered
the necessary water power privilege at
Camden, to the amount of l25 horse power,
and offered also ground for the buildings at
half the rate charged by the Moline Water
Power Company; John Warner offered his
mill property, the lot l50xl7O, both to be
paid for in stock.
The committee hao also obtained esti
mates as to the cost of the buildings, which
they put at $4,000, which is probably
too low by IS 1000. They concluded their
report BY recommending the appointment of
a committee of seven to solicit subscription
and to decide upon the location, which was
acted upon and the following gentlemen
appoin ted to act as the committee
J. q. Wilson. J. R. Warner, P. L. Mitch
| ell, G. M. Aiken, R. r. Cable, A. c. Dart,
s. W. McMaster, j. R. MoCalisser and Mr..
| Little.
This committee were instructed to report
to the Board of Trade, and the meeting
adjourned.
! There was considerable discussion in q
general way, ell going to show that there
was no doubt but that the whole stock could
be taken. Mr.. Little was present and took
part in the talk, stating that in oil his
travels West, he had not found a more
favorable place for manufacturing purposes
than Rock Island, and that if the citizens
here would raise eighty or q hundred
thousand dollars, be and his partner, Mr..
Stanton, would come here and put their
money, $40, 000, into the enterprise. He was
perfectly certain, from facts that he had
demonstrated, $4,000 could be made the
first year 1t was no theory, buthis practical
experience that warranted the assertion.
| There was q firm determination on the
part of those present to make the enterprise
success, or to make the
effort to raise the money
and if MIR. Little did not come others would.
This is very commendable spirit on the
part of oar people, and shows how our
natural and acquired advantages are appre-
cisted. A continua,iorof this kind of work
will make Rock Island the Lowell OF the
| West, and with Camden, Moline and the
agricultural village Of banks, insurance
com panies and onions across the river, the
London of the New World.
| The committee named above will, in
canvsssing for stock, take into account the
| location ard also act as ineorporators of the
company. Another commendable feature
of the discussion at the meeting was a
disposition to avoid the difficulties tina,
attended the location Of the Watch Factory.
It is to be hoped there will be no rivalry
between Camden or Moline, and this city,
ss il is to the bes, advantage of all to aid i'll
building up each place. In the location OF
this Factory neither possesses any advantage
over the other, ss it is certain that the works
can be operated by steam much better than
| by water power, and especially so since
steam has to be used in the bleaching pro-
| oesses.
! On the whole it IS about a certainty that
this enterprise will come here, and with 1t
/ will come others. Once located here and a
| yarn mill will have strong inducement 10
come, by having market in the Cotton
! Factory that will! take all the yarn that one
mill can make. Thus We see that every
new enterprise established here soon brings
others. and in spite of the croskers, who, al
the beginning of this year, predicted a fail
ure of the efforts of this paper 10 induce our
citizens 10 act with liberality in these things,
and elect men TO Office who would improve
the city and make it attractive, SO that
eastern capitalists and manufacturers would
| be pleased with the location-in spite OF
their sneers, induced by petty partisan
spirit the city has been improved and these
enterprises ara being established and the
city rapidly growing in Importance and
wealth; and the money that has thus faI
been spent, is beginning to return on
hundred fold in the shape of those things
which can only make city. Let the worn
60 on, and let those engaged in 1t be lioer-
ally received.