Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-01
A BIG BOOM.
An Historic Review of the Pioneer Cot
tontMiIIs, Established Here Dur
ing the Last Year.
The Success OF the Mills is Assured Be-
yond Question A Large Fall
Business Expected.

Probably the most important enterprise
started in Memphis during he year hiss been
he Pioneer Cotton Mills. Memphis capital
lists were urged 10 this enterprise By the sue
oess which had attended the establishment
of similar undertakings 10 other cities. Inc
South is rapidly being dotted with cotton
mills. Nashville, Atlanta, Charleston, Mont
eomery and numerous other Southern cIles
have seen no reason why they, located In the
heart of the cotton region, should no devote
themselves TO lis manufacture. South Caro-
lima and Georgia have been successful De
yond their anticipstions, and Nashville has
several cotton mills that are doing most
thriving business For long time the CAPT
taIists Of Memphis held slooi from an enter
prise of this kind. Some Of the cotton
mills established with old fashioned ma
chineTy were, OF course, unable TO com
pete with Eastern mills which had the
latest and most complete machinery. The
consequence was that they went under. That
fate impressed the Imagination of Memphis
merchants for a long time, more than the
success Of other mills. Finally several long
headed men here saw that there wss money
in a cotton mill. They resolved 10 begin the
work Alright, with the very best kind of ma
chinery. These gentlemen were G. 3. Clarke,
| John K Speed, w. ]. Booker, S. II. Brooks,
John NJ. Peters, J.. 3 Horrjgan, L. B. Suggs
and others. The croakers predicted failure,
| as usual, but usual the croakers "goL Left"
| So the enterprise started. Its founders we're
| surprised at the encouragement they met
| With. The very best and livest business men
| in the city saw the value Of the undertaking.
| The result is that the cotton mills are now
| built in the southern part of the city. The
1 building is a neat one, the offices elegantly
| arranged, and near by are the pretty little
| cottages OF the laborers. These were built
| by the company, not for the pnrp pose o.
M akiug money, but TO afford their skilled
I labor suitable homes at the bare price of
| meeting the expense incurred. The cotton
| mills have been even more successful than
was anticipated by the founders. Chicago
| and st. Louis both offered TO take all the
manufactured goods for a year from the
company It would do any one good TO &c
down and examine the mill. To follow
| the progress OF the snowy staple from it;
| coarsest form, through all the delicate, re-
| fning processes Of the looms to its successful
| outcome as Irvine or rope; TO watch the many
employees, men, women and children, engaged
| in their neat occupation, is to see something
that one does not soon forget. 1t affords I
peculiarly pleasant occupation for womer
| and children. To the latter it is more like
play than anything else, and it is surprising
| 10 see how soon they learn all its details
| From $1,000 to $500 per week is paid foi
labor The company started on purely
| cash business. About 100000 was in the
treasury before The work was begun. The
mills have been using the loose cotton Of
| Memphis and thus have saved SO or Sl2 3
bale This sum gives the Memphis mills
that amount of advantage over the Eastern
| mills; and as the freight amounts to about
| 81 per bale, the advantage is increased tc
nearly SIG. With this start, the home mills
| ought certainly to come out ahead. The
good business management, the first class
machinery aud the lack of salaried officers
give promise OF Ene success. Not
piece of secondhand machinery
has been allowed 10 go into the
| will be about $50 persons, Of whom sixty
| will be females, employed. This fall we
may look for run of ms 1anpled pros.
| perity As for the dimensions OF the build
ing, it is 2S2 feet lorg by seventy-Lwo feet
| wide, with a wing of seventy three feet by
| tweniy-three on the west end. The site oil
the building Is Fort Pickering, near the
mound. Mr.. Clarke, the president, and Mr..
Booker, the secretary, have been devoting
their individual time 10 experimenting the
| work. They voluntarily offered their SER
vices, when the mill was started, for nothing
The oEicerc of the mills are as follows:
! President-C. B. Clarke.
zoe iesident-JOhn *. Speed.
Tressurer-W. J. Booker.
Directors-S. H. SS..ncks, John M. Peters
ohm K Speed, C. B. Clarke, L. =. Horrigan
L. B. Suggs and w. J. Booker.
The directors were elected July 9th. The
capital stock is $l25, 900. Not bit of stock
subscription was solicited by those interested
The prospects Of the mill were SO Gathering
that there was no necessity for it. This en-
terprise will be watched with interest. The
wisdom and the pluck that established il de-
serve, as they doubtless Will receive, the
finest SUCCESS. With the oncoming tide OF
prosperity, we confidently anticipate -four
ishing business for a cotton mill. The AZ.
PEAL welcomes all such enterprises, and
hopes to see more of a like nature. We
venture to say that within two years the
Pioneer Mills will be making an addition
larger than their main building. Success to
them