Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-01-03

here.
This town is blessed with schools,
churches and society of very high
order The elegant and commodious
school buildings in the two show con-
clusively that educational advantages
are fully up to the standard of eastern
cities.
A prominent gentleman remarked
to me that if a man with capital
would come here to start cotton fac
tory he would be literally treated:
For, said he, there is not better
place on earth for a cotton mill than
right here" Another gentleman says:
Iron ore has Recently been discov-
cred within fifty miles of here, and it
looks to me as if IRON works might be
established here; we have one ma
chine shop, but as they are doing
nothing but repair work, this is
good point for a machine shop,
foundry and boiler works" A
banker here says: Z" You must not
forget the excellent standing of our
people financially. While we don't
claim to have many capitalists we do
claim to have as thrifty and well-to-do
class of people in our midst as any
city in the state or the northwest"
I learned that the health of the city
compares favorably with those max
ing claims to be the healthiest city in
the west, and so on. This portion of
Wisconsin is regarded by many
prominent physicians as one of the
healthiest parts of the state.
The principal business houses called
on were all busy withouta single ex-
ception, and report trade to be largely
in excess of 1882. While there are
plenty of business houses here there
is not a single branch overdOne
There is plenty of mercantile and
clerical labor here for the present,
but for the skilled artisan with small
capital here is a good opportunity for
a paying investment. Young men of
brains and energy are the class of
people wanted here, and here is where
that kind of people have a wide field
for the display and further develop
ment of their business ability, energy
and capital
No matter what [ or others may
say regarding the advantages of this
city and Centralia, no man will come
here without first satisfying himself
as to the truth or falsity of these
statements. This is precisely what
you are requested to do, get map
and thoroughly look this country
over; don't take a railroad map but
get a correct map of this state and
draw a line from north to south
through the center of the state and
likewise from east to west and you
will find this town where the lines
cross, or nearly SO.
| think the Green Bay, Winona
and st. Paul railroad will have as
much to do with the further develop
ment of this section of country as
anything else, as it brings this town
In direct communication with the
better ports of Lake Michigan and
gives it direct outlet to the Missis-
sippi river. This is, as one of the
officers of the road said to me, a
freight road especially for through
freight from the east by the lakes to
points in Wisconsin and west. This
season this road will carry nearly
100000 tons of coal from Green Bay
through Wisconsin and to St. Paul
and Minneapolis. It will be seen
from this how this part Of the state
is fixed for getting coal for fuel if
desired. The main line of the above
road is about 230 miles, running
from Green Bay to Winona and La
Crosse, two important commercial
points on the Mississippi river.
Mr.. Abrams, Mayor of Green Bay,
and one of the officers of this road,
says: eve regard Grand Rapids and
Central1a as the most promising loca
ton for future great manufacturing
centre in our line, as it can not only
draw raw material over our line and
@. NJ. & st. P. r. R., but it has the
great Wisconsin river and it's tributar
les over which logs from the preiries
of the northern part of the state
can be foated to her doors, and I
think any kind of factories using
hard or soft wood, such as sash, door
and blind factories, planning mills,
hub and spoke factories and any in
stitutions OF that kind can be profit
ably engaged in here.
An argument in favor of this town
Is GudG d IOCdGlOH duu power from 1UU
to 1000 horse power will be given at
a mere nominal price to a man or
company who wishes to start fac
tory of any kind. The source from
which this emanated is perfectly re-
liable, and the secretary Of the Board
of Trade will furnish any further in
formation desired. The gentleman
who told me the city would deal so
liberally with outside capitalists, also
says that fully five or six thousand
horsepower, already improved, is go
ing to waste here, or at least six times
as MUGS going to waste as now being
utilized. Another citizen tells me
that if a cotton factory or other large
factory will locate here, the city will
exempt them from taxation for num-
Der of years. Arguments and offers
like the above are bound to put facto-
ries here and, as I remarked to one
man, it is only necessary to make
these statements public to secure the
benefits derived from manufacturing
I J. e