Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-14
HARRISBURG COTTON FACTORY.
The Capacity Of its Machincry-A ShO'
Sketch of the Enterprise

The Capacity Of its Machincry-A Short
Sketch of the Enterprise.
The Harrisburg papers and people con-
tinue to express great satisfaction at the
purchase by George Calder. jr., of this
city, Of their cotton mil,. The Telegraph
gives quite history OF the mill. Its ca
pacity is as follows:
Looms, two hundIed and eighty one.
Spindles, eight thousand.
Operatives two hundred aud fifty.
Productions. seventy six thousand yards
per week.
Hours per day. under the old orsaniza-
tion, eleven.
The mill made brown sheetings. shirt
ing and driliings. Cotton used per week
sixty bales. The average pay per year,
100000.
The first floor was used for cardins.
second for weavins-third for spinning,
and the fourth for dressing. The cloth
room is located in the second story Of the
new brick building, where the goods were
brushed, trimmed, folded, stamped and
baled for the market.
About the year 1851, the success OF
the cotton mills at Lancaster. built by Gen.
James, Of Providence, II. l., induced a
number of the enterprising citizens of Har-
risburs to consult with that gentleman as
to the erection of q similar mill in this
(thenI borough. General Jamess knOwl-
edge of cotton spinning was very extcn-
sive, and at a meeting held in the court
house. he presented the practical points to
be considered by those who were asked to
subscribe the necessary capital to erect
such al establishment, aud joint stock
company was organized, which embraced
many OF our most prominent capitalists
James Mccormick, William Calder,
Isaac G. Mckinley, Michael Burke,
John II. Briggs, Philip Dougherty and
others. A contract was entered into with
| Gen. James for the erection of 4 first class
mill, and the company started i'll its opera,
| tions about 1S49-50, James Mccormick,
president; William Buehler, treasurer.
! All the original board Of directors are
dead, the only surviving officer being VIM.
Buch!er. Starting with i limited knowl
edge of the business, the directors wcrc
wholly dependent on the Judgment of the
superintendent. The success OF the
enterprise was varied, but on the whole
profitable. One of the effects of the
mill was to increase the value Of real
estate in the upper end OF the city, tht
indirect profits of which paid for the cree
| ClOn OI Jllc HILL tWiCc OFci. AZ tlIS ocSSih'
ing of the war the company had fail
working capital and were in first-ratt
standing. Supposins that the war would
be of short duration, operations in the mil
were suspended, the result Of which was
that the establishment was idle until abOu
! 1865. BY this time number OF the di
rectors had died, and those remaining
were not willing to undertake its manage,
mcnt. In this condition ofaffairs the mil
was sold at public auction, Hon. J. d. Cam
eron and others becoming the purchasers
Samuel d. Mason, of Providence. X. l..
was the first superintendent. When th'
mill was put into operation under the ncv
ownership, Mr.. Kelly was supcrintend
cnt for about a year. In 1866 Samuel Fisl
took charge Of the mill, conducting its al
fairs until 1870, when Edward Andrew
took charge of it, by whom it has bee
managed until its late suspension. Th
mil! will begin spinning on the 1st Of Jan
uary, 1881. Mr.. Andrews, whose nlar
agenent of the mill under the late owner
ship was SO satisfactory, will remain wit
Mr.. Calder until the establishment is III
der full operation, and for aught we knO'
longer He is certainly one of the mos
successful men in lis line in thc country