The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-11-17
THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL TUESDAY. NOVEMBER II. 1874

u N-VCI-eTUu uH6CT5U 70 THO W. HUII
Der OF manufacturing enterprises which have
been established in the Western
states. The manufactures of the Eastern
AID Middle states have heretofore supplied
the Western farmer with the principal mar
for his products, without which ne
would yet be compelled to travel upon COR
duroy roads and to long for the comm OF
the covered wagon of some friendly emil
grant who would help to. share the Ioneli-
ness of his prairie life; but recently the West
itself has commenced to consume the sur
plus crops of his farm, for the West has now
OF its own, and manufactures
always create q demand for agricultural
products. Western enterprise has always
been equal to every emergency,
and when it was found that manufactures
were necessary to the prosperity of the
West, they were established in great variety
and upon solid foundations. Western
p~rairies could produce the best of wool; why
should not the West build wooden factories
to make its own wooden cloths? Western
streams furnished abundant water power
and its forests the finest of timber; why
should not the West produce its own lum-
Der and offer to supply the world with all
kinds of wooden implements and utensils?
Underneath the soils of Western farms and
imbedded in Western hills lay immense de-
posits of iron ore and coal; why should
not the West make it's own iron
and light the fires ofmyriad steam engines?
III has lone all LDlS anu uOTb, duu lO-ud1 ~
manufacturing industries vie with those OF
the East in the extent of their equipments,
the vigor of their management, and he va
riety of their products. Missouri no longer
upon Pennsy lvania for its iron, but
it sends iron to Pennsylvania; Illinois no
longer depends upon Connecticut clocks
for a record OF passing time, Tor its own
Elgin watches tell the hour with unfailing
exactness in many Connecticut homes and
in most New England towns. The great
West was always worthy ofthe name 1t bears,
but now il is doubly worthy OF its proud
title, for it has manufactures as well as agri-
culture-the skilled workman besides the
toiling granger. Ofthe western prairie states
there are thres that have made marvellous
progress in manufactures since the taking
of the census of 1870. These are
INDIANA, MLINoI N MICHIGAN.
Four others have shown a fair appreciation
of the value OF manufactures, and have
given encouragement to their establishment.
These are Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and
Kansas. OF all the Western states, Mime
sofa NAV be regarded as the only n winch
vet adheres to wheat growing for distant
markets as the chiefsource OF its prosperity,
although at Minneapolis are made the finest
blankets in the world from Minnesota wool.
This year Minnesota wheat will bring on the
dTD Jul " Via " III q 0a-LOA-
Minnesota farmers would be better off
if they would grow and manufacture more
wool. and if they would make at least
their own farm implements, which they now
do.
1t will be interesting and instructive to
note some of the features of the manufac-
turing development o fthose Western states
which nave encouraged manufacturing en-
terprise. In travelling west, Indiana is the
first state we enter after leaving the great
middle states. At indianapolis, the capital
and chief city, we discover adegree OF manu-
featuring activity which is astonishing. The
proximity of the great block coal fields of
indiana, which are estimated to be as extern
sive as the whole coal area of Great Britain,
gives this city a supply OF cheap and excel
lent fuel, and the vast railroad system, OF
which it is the center, affords it an outlet in
every direction for whatever goods 1t may
see proper to make. The population of the
city is about 100, 900, and OF this number TO-
600 are skilled workmen employed in its
various factories and work shops. Iron is a
leading article of manufacture In 1873
there were produced S3.S0O,00O worth of mis-
c~ellaneous iron products, employing 1000
men, and requiring S2,2OO,OOO OF
great lumber market, while cooper's
stock. sashes and blinds, agricultural imple-
ments, wagons and carriages, sewing ma
chimes, furniture, railroad cars and other
timber products are largely produced. There
are also many other prosperous industries,
the yearly product of starch being 81, 600, 900;
OF clothing, 500, 900; of oils, $685. 0O; of cot
tons. $500. 600; of woolens, $3.50 900. The
city has an extensive grain and pork trade,
but it is as a manufacturing center that IL
has mainly attained its
AMONG WESTERN CITIES.
Terre Hauteis another city of Indiana which
has given prominent attention to manufac
lures. The "Terre Haute Association for
the Promotion of Manufactures is COM
posed of leading citizens who see in manu-
features a basis of enduring prosperity. AS
a result of the spirit of liberality to which
this association gives partial expression, the
city is growing rapidly, and now contains a
manufacture OF iron are superior,
and have not been neglected
Terre Haute pig and bar iron, nails, steam
engines, mill and mine machinery, railroad
castings and railroad cars having a reputa-
ton for excellence that is coextensive with
the country. At Evansville, New Albany,
and other points the iron industry has also
been firmly established. AT New Albany
there is also manufactured upon an extern
sive scale the finest quality of plate glass,
equal to the best that is imported. At Elk
hart there are various mechanical in
dustrles, prominent among which is the
manufacture of paper, starch, and
furniture. Laporte is a city of 10000
inhabitants, in Northern Indiana, which
possesses a great variety OF manufactures
There is a chair factory here which produces
annually v 500, 900 worth Of chairs; two
wooden mills which produce annually about
$500, 600 worth of ~hannels, blankets, cassi-
meres, jeans aud yarns; a file factory, a
large broom factory, a bedstead factory, an
exhaustive car factory. and various 6ata blish
merits for the manufacture of wagons, car
riages, agricultural implements and mill
machinery. South Bend wagons are a pop
ular speciality of the thriving city OF
that name. So are agricultural nipple
ments at Richmond. Fort Wayne is an
Indiana city of % 900 inhabitants. which
derives much of its importance from its rail
road connections, but it is also a manufacture
ing city of no mean p~retentions. AS many
| as ] 2lQ nassanna- and frainht cars haua hoo,