Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-03-30
Manufacturing in Lexington.

~ a. mp u VI IL
and intelligent farmers realize the sdran
tsses which they would derive from having
a manufacturing population In the county
In spite OF this theoretical correctness o.
opinion VIVA. Is the practice : The tow
people give little or no attention to manu-.
lectures in their midst. and the country
people pass by homemade wagons ant
plows 10 those not SO good. but probably 1
little more highly varnlSi!sd, like the tals
which II takes to sell them. Let u factory
OF any Kind he started here, and forthwith \
persistent effort begins TO belittle It's
work, and to lind a thousand far-fetched
reasons why 1t cannot turn out 80 good al
article, and why II Is among the impossi.
biiitiss that IL can compete with larger fac
tories and ultimately succeed. 1t may not
Or exactly polite to say that such u state OF
facts exists, but il is true, and We think that
IL Is best To speak OF things just As they are,
and not 10 paint them existing rs we would
like To have them. Those manufacturing
enterprises which have Succeeded best In
other places. such as the Studebaker,
MITCHELL, Coquiiiard and other wagons; the
Champion, Mccormick, aud other reapers;
the Russell and other threshers, have sprung
from comparatively small beginnings, and
SO 1t must be here. 1t Is exceedingly
doubtful II any of them would have met
with success unless they had first received
encouragement and patronage near home.
Ii is quite fashionable 10 blame capitalists
for not lending assistance aud countenance
to Industrial enterprises. and We are as
mil rl lIDprpsspi aS apynpa u,fb Tho i,cIt.f
that capital would be OF more value TO the
community Invested In industrial pursuits
than In shaving paper 1T usurious rates Of
Interest. but capitalists could not do 1t all II
they would. They are, in this community,
3 scarce commodity, in the trst place, and
even II they were to furnish every dollar
asked for by manufacturers, nothing but
disaster could eDSue unless the great body
Of the people determined to extend to them
their patronage. If it were practicable to
collate the figures, it would astonish our
people TO See what an immense amount Of
money they annually contribute 10 help
build up aud sustain the manufacturers and
farmers OF eastern ststss. This money eX-
pended at home would nearly all come back
TO them; circulated time after time in the
same community, it would DO much to build
up business and avert hard times. We do
not look tor any great mania for manufsc-
turing to se1zs our moueyed men-they may
do something to assist, but they will not be
apt to invest largely; and the only chance
that We have to build up manufactures in
our midst is to do as has been done In
Illinois, Ohio and states further east, and
that IS for the people Of moderate means to
co-operate-farmer-,. mechanics, lawyers.
doctors and merchants; all are interested
and all should assist. We have now several
young enterprises which should be fo-tered.
Wlnkler's furniture factory is on a safe and
prosperous basis, and should be liberally
patroniZsI. The work done there Is equal
TO any in the country for durability, style
and finish. Our wagon makers turn out ~
good wagons as can be bought any where,
1 sell them as cheap. and always stand ready
TO make ti.eir warrantces good. The har-
row factory, OF which we speak elsewhere,
shout by al mems be induced TO remain
here permanently: and the commencement
which Mr.. VIM. VI. Jordan has made in
manufacturing agricultural implements
should oe ripcned into an extensive bus
mess. 1t will be remembered that 4 frw
years ago all effort was made TO induce the
patrons OF hu,blnIry of the state TO esta'-
iish state work shop, at thi, place. Con-
siderable time and money WAS expended IN
bringing the committee, Who had the matter
in charge, here 10 examine our location, adj
vanta.es &c.; and a very respectable amount
or money and property was subscribed 10 be
offered As an inducemeDt to establish the
factory in Lexington. Boonville over-bid
us and 1t was determined to place the works
there; but owing TO the general financial
stringeucy which followed, and aivanta-
seous offers made by foreign manufacturers.
the Idea WAS abandoned. We aIlude to this
because We think tat the grange Of Lafay-
cite county should take an interest in Mr..
Jordan's factory. He can, without assist
| ance, manufacture Il hundred or Two hum
drsd riding and walking pEows, but with a
little encouragement and Il certainty Of sales.
he could easily build up u large business
which would benefit ali parties. He can and
does make as good pinws as anybody, and
he warrants them in every particular.
There IS no reason why he should not man.
ufacture several other implements OF prime
necessity, except for a lack OF capital, which
would. no doubt, be forthcoming II he was
certain OF ready suIes. In addition to
making a good article he would be enabled
to sci! to our farmers on much better terms
than they obtain now, il they would pur-
chase from him as does tue state grange
from certain factories. We make these
suggestions, feeling the importance OF the
subject, and hoping that they may result In
good. The executive committee OF the
county grange could not do the order q
greater service than to examine into the
matter. When Benjamin franklin made
Poor Richard say that ''God helps them
that help themselves" he crystslizsd a truth
which 1t is about time that our citizen,
were learning; and we hope soon to see
them, by a united spirit for the general wei
fare, plucking prosperity from the tree O.
life by the sheer force OF determination ant
pluck.
MasCrs NIhoalar T. 10 r rr,oyl,