New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-05
A CITY OF FACTORIES.
TuE RAPID GROWTH OF COHOEs.

THE RAPID GROWTH OF COHOES.
.rx op1Ar wArER-pOwER-COTrON MILLS.
KNITTING MILLS, AND OTHER INDUSTRIES
CONDITION AND MORALS OF ITS WORKING
rsoPLE-CO-OPERATION IN CHURCH BClLR-
tNG--EcCLEsIAsTIcAI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
MAIDS OF TIE PLACE.
CoaoEs, N. Y, Nov. 20.-Sitmted NJ the
eouauouce Of the Hudson Mohawk Rivera this city,
with her great aud stately churches oners s'"e
cours.t 10 the village OF ten years ago. Ola re0dohS Va
the vicinity returning after absence OF some years.
nau hardly, recognize tho sta whence this c"y me
xpruSe A Indian village In i1So Is add TO nave peea
,er, In, previous the present site OF the CITY
w,s ,mpv A barren waste. shrted by an unappropri'
acd wator power, aud known only 70 the "o1" a' as
tbr,usN tho wonders and beauties OF ms surrounding
.eeny ~ depleted by snch travellers ana tourists rs
had ,cc1 compelled 10y efcuns'a"ees VI P'-f'" "
ruri,&ly 20 visit it," -
As tate a. there not 30 ina0itants in Wnat Is
now the principal manufacturing portion OF the CITY
A, s, the population had increased TO 2ooo ana In lsi7
90 ,0l, .rr~us The place was Incorporated as village
III is In iso the population Was 10000 at present the
city numbers 40 inhabitants It's maniuactories
rom,rse six extensive cottOnmills, running 100000
inJc.: 10 large knitting mills, two founderes, three
I'm, shops roingm two ax-faotories, plan
NH saving aud beyelng establishment. and many
riAxe ,pd aouri.hing Industrial concerns The ag-
r,,, can't al invested i'll manufacturing operations Is
c.,,, VI 4, seoooo With such record, Cohoes is
w,;l worth a visit. history in detail points a moral
t. he c,nse OF Protection aud Industry which he who
r,,ns may rad. las '.1
rHr UTILIZATION TIE w1TER-PowER.
;,sr.r,, around the Falls Of the Mohawk commonly
aaowb ,g the Indians Cohoes Falls, took its name
, III, Indian word cohoos meaning fall OF canoe,
ho, s, originally the designation Of the old Indian
Tag present city clusters around the same falls.
ox..s ,is prusps ry tho great waterpowcr which
,hcy furnish The water-power was made nseful in
very carly days OF the village for gristms and saw
TUT, ytfrlsy nj
made 'ta,i 1911. when the CohOes Manufacturing Com
lny incorporated "tor the purpose OF manufactur
luz cotton wooden and linen goods, bar iron, nail rods
hoop AMI Ipnnnopgery." The goods manufactured
1T present all included In the schedule
given the act of 1911 hut it is doubtful whether the
r,oc,c, IF that enterprise dreamed Of the immense
kns -mls where untershirts. drawers and stockings
h,yo superseded handmade goods almost entirely.
rh, cunpauy failed after struggling for many years
..niae Of their factory in 1897 giving the finishing
Il, their arcaty disordered affairs. They took
oin dam built out in the flyer below the falls
md tY evidently Tar ahead OF se times, even
1874 '',n entire population of the veighborhood did not
lr,,i persons In sl Mr. Hugh White built mill
the first to draw its power from above
he ;ai-. In 1872 Mr. David wilkinson came to COhoes
.ro,n l., srclt. Rhode Isrnd and became one of the
"nr-r manufacturers He was man Of great energy
and for Vi character. and to this day there remain
evidchcrs of hi, foresight. Unfortunately, business
1ihr.s drove HIM away all OF which. however, were
Fsd inch have done much TO retard the progress Of
lndusr, IN country.
Up :" this time the COhoeS Fails had been principally
celebrated for their romantic beauty. Travellers de-
serih'i t,cr attractions and Tom Moore wrote poem
n 'r honor Their Industrial value now, Of far greater
consequence. Treseus III the City Of CUhOes an enduring
of their value To utilize their great natural
aLvau,. . company organized in 1926, taking the
its lGedecc the COhOes Company. It's
srs'n, raplta s.soOOo was Increased, by subsequent
in 1885, to $50 100. The Company added to
hrir orig purchase oi real estate from time to tme
sad the euiire water-pOwer OF the
,I,cr lr,nn O half mile above to mile
the fails. with total fall OF 120 feet
Tho precsDt dam built in 1865. and is sub
SANTA structure, LAB feet long. costing $4,000 by MS
lean, VI the Mohawk can be diverted
rom their natural channel and impressed intOthe
i,, n The manufacture. The water and II used
u Il ~ successive cana,s and Is again used from the
NJ tho dam which IS below the falls, and was
flgni-b water 10 the state Canal at this point
IN ISL he COocs Company built their first canal, Il
mites Ion. with fail Of IS feet. In 1S43 the Company
.,nelr,.ieJ second, one-third Of npiic long, with
.sll feet III the same yearea third canal was
trough. ,Iao use onehsf mile in length, with fall OF
- feet. The fourth aad flfth canals each 20 feet
ia!. tis sixth 10 ICON tho level OF the state
Ian. Il will thus BE- that the water is
n,.i =. different times The Company lease this
galcr lDwcr at $40 per horsepower per annum,
including quantity of land proportional to the power
k.n Oay the largest mills require 100 horsepower,
whch is Obtained the low of $4,000 per annum or
les, thaa onethird thecost OF steam The COhOes Com
mny have been progressive Their first dam. built In
SCI Vas of wood I,was carried away In the following
GEAR and a second the character shared the
same fsto in 1892 This Immediately rebuilt but not
lnt,l is the present admirable structure COM
,et This Company supply all the motive power used
II the ETY. and utilizing at the present time ABOUT
.ni NJ their available power say 800 horsepower
fine, puc,.e to extend and multiply their canals 10 as
om,s ,i,aoie this amount subservient to their pur-
pp,"-. 1890. -. -o,,r.
ia; ,,u,ny Mills are the largest IN COhoes, and COM
N., x distinct aud independent factories, which at
.r,.; attention as one approaches the city, and are
,nnu.: its most pronhnent features Ihe corporation
I.. back to 1885, with varied changes until 1850, when
:h prnr.y was sold out In 1851 the present Harmony
Mills t.vocany was incorporated and the factories have
oninisi under the management ever since the
.ap,i "a $lOODoV The mills OF this Company are: MIL
s ,,0x7o feet four stories; Mill No. 2, 66ox75 feet
three .ores: Mill No g. G75x70 feet. I'VE stories; Od
Harmony IJ0x5O feet four stores Ogden 6ooAoo 1ect'
I've stoTs Strong ?00x6) feet -FOUR sorles hi No =
Sp0x71 feet, five stores.
u,I NJ, ia now IN course OF erection, will contain
. ,s,ns and 5000 spndies and will he supplied with
NJ, the latest styles Of machinery to MAKE cotton printing
o,,, ON, Yard wide the texture as those OF the
vnx:,A lls This mill will be the first III the Chi,ed
STATE, to make this kind Of goods. Tie Harmony COM
oanc own all the cotton mills In Cohoes and have III tue
ggrs.;e At the present time 100000 spindes and 44Oo
,,-. md en- paoy 3O) hands, twO-thirds OF whom are
qyour.. ami girs CptO July 1871 the Company had
x@nd,i for machinery 81, 10000, and for real estate
S,.;,opl During the month OF September last thcy
turned ont 52G5,i9S yards OF cotton CLOTH Their aver
AZ" nanihiy product is o,sOoooo yards. They manu-
facturm J2.342.O0o yards. worth AoSs.2s last year
In making this large amount OF goods they consumed
~ rntfa