Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-07-27

and especially to the central section Of
the United States is commanding more
and more the attention of those special
industries which falling water alone
can successfully operate. "Steam is
valuable and can be appropriated to
greater variety of uses and to dispense
with it would be an almost fatal loss
to civilization but power thus fur
nished and communicated to machinery
involves much greater outlay than
that supplied by falling water. The
apparatus required and the material
necessary in the production of power
by steam creates an expense which
forms no inconsiderable item in the
disbursements of the manufacturer
who uses it. The iron muscles to
which it imparts life and power may
never weary but they have to be
replaced at an expense vastly greater
than that which is necessary in the
utilization of water. Its generation is
preceded BY consumption of material
which in most localities is important.
But the flow of water is ceaseless, IN
consideration of which nature exacts
no royalty and with which the spread
of civilization does not interfere or
lessen" Each are valuably, indispens-
able in their turn. Steam, the fore
runner of civilization, the power which
to-day goes with the pioneer and by
whose agency man opens up the dense
forests and builds the cities of the
plains while the power created by
waterfalls is harnessed and applied to
the machinery which mans genius has
invented at a later day when the rush
ing, hurrying throng of pioneer civili-
zation has passed by and the generation
of permanent lasting growth has sue
ceeded it.
We have here within Wood County
and mainly within a limit Of ten miles
more safe, available and lasting water
power than is afforded by any stream
in Wisconsin excepting perhaps the
lower Fox and that the day is fast
coming when vast OUTLAWS of capital
will here be made in permanent manu-
factories to the great profit Of those
who wisely build we firmly believe.
The present year has opened auspici-
ously for the new era of onr advance
ment and that something of an idea
may be formed Of the improvements
going on and the further advantages
offered as indicated by our present and
Immediately prospective articles Of man
ufacture we will briefly call attention
to the mills, factories ETC., now in OPP
Grafton or building. Commencing on
the Grand Rapids side first on the
water power coming down the river we
have the
FIGURING MILL
of G. Podawiltz. Work on this mill
was commenced in April last and is
being steadily pushed to completion,
The building is two stories besides the
basement and is 40x150 feet. The
location is but short distance from
the G. B. W. & st. ?. r. r. and the
water power is one of the finest obtain
able. The mill is to use $50 horse
power and when finished will be
equipped with the latest improvements
Next in order are the
GRAND RAPIDS IRON Works.
owned and operated by J. Paterick &
E. Mahoney. These works have been
built and put in operation within the
past four months and consist of good,
substantial wooden buildings. Steam
engines are here manufactured as also
the celebrated Walsh Double Turbin
Water wheel, casting and repairing of
all kinds is promptly done by skilled
workmen.
Just below these works is the
PULP MILL
of Welcome Hyde & Co. which has
just been completed and commenced
manufacturing wood pulp out of pine
slabs, July 1882. This but marks
the commencement of what will soon
be mammoth pulp and paper manu-
factory. 100000 has been expended
in the building and equipipg of this
mill. Six grinders have been put in
and at present the manufactured pulp
is being shipped to Appleton, where it
is converted into paper. We are as
sured, however, that during the COM
ing winter large building adjoining
this will be erected for the purpose of
putting in a full and complete line of
the latest improved paper making
machinery.