The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-20
A Monument Of Western Progress
JUST WHERE IT BELONGS.
A NEW USE FOR CHEAP IRON.
A Great Industry Finds Its Home
In the Place Cut Out for
1t by Destiny.
The U. S. Now Possesses the Biggest
and Best Metal Fence-Post Manu-
factory in the World.
Old Ideas Discarded and New Methods
Carried Forward to Grand Results.
Entertaining Facts Of Vital Interest to the
Trade and the General Public.
Old Ideas Discarded and New Methods
Carried Forward to Grand Results.
Entertaining Facts Of Vital Interest to the
Trade and the General Public. 4

glrts the globe Ihey have given the Eastern States
a prestige and power as permanent it has beer
rapid Manufacture, added to its unparalleled ad
vantage as grand agricultural focus is what is build
ing for the United States a commercial supremaes
as long as world EXISTS
This week witnesses the realization of a manufac
turing project, the value Of which TO the parties i'm
mediaeiy concerned as well as 10 the whole farminf
and railroad interests, hardly be estimated at the
first glance
AHUGE FACTORY
Is to be set in motion, the products of which are
as certain to leap at once into widespread and
permanent favor and use, as the sun is certain to
rise each morning in the east. Steadily and l,lp.
idly with typical western vigor, yet without max
ing any unnecessary fuss about it, the work of
hitting up an establishment has been driven for
ward. The enterprise has been in the hands of
men VINO weighed deliberately what they were
about to undertake; who then pushed system.
atIcally and Understandings at the project and
who now stand on the threshold OF its successful
fulilment.
Right here is a good place to ask the reader if
he has ever paused for moment to think of
THE STUPENDOUS AMOUNT OF FENCES
in the United States. This paper doubts if even
the wholesale lumber and post dealers, and 9th
srs, who themselves handle such vast amounts al
this article, fully realize the amount in cOntinl
GUS use. When it is remembered that the VAST
acres ana the 1fty Observation-Disclosures of the land,
one may begin to have an appreciation Of the
quantity In steady use. As the immensity of
the consumption daWns upon the mind the ne Yf
thought is sure to be,-Why have not the palpa-
bic advantages of iron for the manufacture of
fence posts been seized upon long ago2 1t is this
perfectly natural query which this paper can
now answer pertinently and satisfactorily.
Inc enormous extent of the use of cedar oak
pine and other woods for fence posts and the
growing scarcity OF timber and increase in price.
from year to year, and the very high price that
will soon be charged for them, together with the
certainty OF the decaylng process beginning as
soon as the wood comes in contact with the
ground, as shown in thousands of cases to-day,
where may be seen fences where the posts have
rotted OF and fallen over, and the fences left
open, or if repaired, have, at great expense
and trouble, to be again done over soon, and
THE OBVIOUS ADVANTAGES a
which iron offers for its substitute have had a
secure iodgment in certain shrewd brain for
several years Fortunately the idea has been in
the mind of a person Possessing the requisite
fertility of invention to develop all its many
features. and the capital and influence to give
them practical backing. 1t is now some years
since
conceived the idea of the advantages of metal
prepared and coated so as not to decay and a
plan to make a metal post reasonably cheap, and
of making them of wrought iron, which would
be very strong and yet by peculiar shaping
enable them to be very light and yet stiff in the
ground; and after long study has improved the
corkscrew principle and adapted it to posts and
other ideas in the same direction, and to-day is
able to give the world better article at half the
cost than prevails in England or Germany-mar-
velous as 1t may seem-such is the progress of
science.
He has quietly familiarized himself with the
Is to-day as thoroughly versed in every feature
of the business, as it is conducted elsewhere, as
any man living. But it will be no surprise to Mr
Spaids' broad circle of business acquaintances to
know that simply learning how other men made
metal posts was not enough for him.
To improve upon old methods; to devise
brilliant inventions, by which time and expense
could be saved, and an UNNECESSARILY superior
article produced, was the natural bent and opera
ton of his mind His keen Perception saw the
faulty places in the old methods. To amend
iZe the wOrn-out theories of making fence posts
of caSt-iron and of great weight have been some
of the ideas which have been in his brain
these past years The work has gone ON unceas-
ingly with him, and he has overturned ali thc
antique ideas in this respect Us completely as
Calico overturned the venerable but prcpos-
ferrous theories once in vogue concerning the
solar system. Valuable patents have been Sc
cured, costly machinery has been munuiACt-
ured Band put In position. Skilled workmcn
have been employed. There have been patiant
and protracted experiments leading t. grand
results, and to-day the works are a solid, per-
THE VISIT OF REPRESENTATIVE
to the factory has yielded peculiarly interesting
fruit. The establishment is a massive structure
having been deliberately fitted up to complete
the largest metal fence post factory in the world
The location tells its own story 1t is kingly
commanding the service of railroads whose cars
will deliver the iron under the very caves of the
huge building.
The works is In no sense concern which is to
move into gradual future completeness.
IT Is COMPLETE ALREADY.
II starts with as thorough facilities; as thorough
a familiarity with the business; as thorough
financial soundnes5 as exist in great manufac-
tories which have been established a score of
years. The works, in every essential of COM
pleteness, spring into existence as did Minerva
full-grown, robust and armed to the teeth.
Mr. Spaids, President of the Eureka and
Eclipse Consolidated Fence Post Company and
the man whose vim and genius has wrought out
the undertaking, was found willing to point
out its most striking features. He has posi-
tive n0-nonsen5e sort of manner of getting at
the quickest and best way of doing a thing.
The Fence Post Company have contracted
with the Missouri Car and Foundry Works at St
Louis and ut Cambridge City, Indiana to manu-
Mississippi and east on line with Peoria and
Pittsburg, and south to Mobile. The two fac
tories will have II capacity for making
MANY TONS PER DAY.
Readers of this paper will now understand
the truth OF our assertion that this is the largest
factory i'll the world. Europe has no two manu-
factories as large as this.
Capacity, however, Is only one Of the things
In which the works are supreme.
QUALITY,
has been So secured that it is out of the question
for any Other kind of posts to be comparable.
They possess strength hitherto unknown to the
world. Thereare no grades, for they are all best.
THE METHODS.
The inventions for utilizing human lubor in
the productions of this have been patented, and
are the legal property of the organization.
Wholesale and retail dealers in hardware,
pIements, and manufacturers of and dealers in
Barb and other wire, are informed by circular to
the trade of the way the business of the company
is done. The plan Is as strlklngly original and
popular as the cOrkscrew and intermediate posts
are strong durable and cheap. Dealers are thas
Immediately familiarized with the facts.
THE GOOD RESULTS
are already seen in the orders from near and dis
tant points, The great American fence post
even in u brief time, is better known to the
trade than many another staple goods which
hpTOrC world n
So much for having a grand article to introduce
and so much for cutting away from the rules OF
the past.
The works start into life vast. well-ordcret
institution, with experience, ability, capital, ia
cilities. and energy all at its command.
A large item has heretofore been the expense
of sending out agents to make dealers and the
public acquainted with the merits of a new
article. 1t is not necessary for us to say any
thing to Western, or any other, merchants OF
manufacturers OF the time and expense it woulC
involve. Granting ii possible to employ thou
sand travelng-agents the total cost would bt
enormous and 1t would be necessary to have
that number to introduce them in the ordinary
way of travelling statesmen all over the Unitet
States.
Now Mr.. Spaids' belief is that instead of ad
ding that number, this can best be done by tn,
statesmen and agents now employed by the hard
ware and barb wire dealers and manufactures
and agents for agricultural implements now Oh
the road and in that line at their homes.
There will be no missionaries dispatched II
preach this new and agreeable doctrine, fol
the article will prove its own Recommendation
wherever sent, and the public will he supplied
by the hardware trade generally, and by manu-
facturers and agents Tor agricultural nipple
mclifS, barb wire manufacturers. exporters, etc
1t is requisite that there shonld be genera
unity of circumstances by which, under JUDI
cious management, the project might be able
to lift itself above rivalry. These circumstances
do unite here Its central position, and remark
able railroad advantages, are points. OF para
mount f,syor for an institution like this enter
prising one
But gi1lnder than all is the fact that this is thu
iron depot of the world. Iron for the making ol
these posts can be obtained at all times with t
facility and ut cheapness which no other CIT.
can ever excel The convenience of procuring
and the low price of the irOn,swi the added
advantage of location gives our mandatory al
ascendency which neither man nor destlny car
wrest from 1T.
The essentials arc thus seen to be marvel
| ousiy well met. Other places might nave com
| manded some of them.
THE PRODUCTS
! OF the works will soon be on every farm ant
field and along each railroad i'll the west, anf
1t seems to us that il is but question OF shor
! time before they will he the favorite IN every
| portion the In destined. In LDt