Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-11-19
A Tobacco Warehouse in Min
eral Point.

me again on this subject, | thought
! would add a little TO what | said
in my former letter by way of ex-
PLANTATION, especially in regard to
the bonus which was advocated. |
should think from the general ex-
preston of the people, that favor
ed giving some party bonus or gift
Of thousand dollars or more, sim
ply for the purpose of pretending to
establish warehouse here, when
really they would pocket the gift
a1d "silently steal away" Such is
not my intention, neither is it the
intention of the parties who would
accept of such encouragement. My
idea is, (f this be done at alD, that
it should be done with some condi-
tons attached, the most important
of which / think should be, that the
money be invested in suitable
warehouse, either to be built or
bought, with enough added by the
receiver of the bonus to make a
good respectable house. | do not
think it at all necessary to erect
more buildings at the present time
for any purpose in the city, especial
" while there are some fine build.
ings vacant and so many others
which are occupied and so nearly
vacant. The object Of an enterprise
of this kind is to help to fill up the
vacant buildings by creating employ
ment for home labor; | would make
this another condition, thai all the
labor should be employed from
among our own citizens.
In regard to the labor required to
handle tobacco there seems TO be
very limited knowledge. Some PEG.
pie appear to think a man can pur-
chase and ship a carload of tobacco
Just as he would a carload of oats
or wheat. 1t is true it may be done
in this way-shipped in bales just
as most of us have it now-but in
that case 1t would be loaded onto
the cars, taken to town where they
have warehouses and there sorted
and packed. This sorting aud pack
Jag is the work that should be done
in our own town, and il is for this
purpose | would favor assistance.
What labor is required for this? may
be asked. 1t costs about twenty
per cent. of the purchase money of
tobacco to sort 1t and pack it in
cases after it is purchased in the or
binary way in the bale; or, in other
words, a purchase of 500 will cost
about $50 more to put it in cases.
This $50 is paid out principally to
boys and girls who would otherwise
be entirely idle, but who in this way
can earn from fifty cents per day to
six dollars per week. What is not
paid to them is paid out for lumber
and to mechanics to make the cases,
as every three hundred pounds of
tobacco requires case about three
feet square or more. Then it NAV
be still urged, why give a party any
thing to induce him to come here?
If there is anything in it they will
come anyway. 1t is true, if the
business continues to be a success in
the future as in the past, there will
be warehouses established here
whether anybody is induced to come
now or not, but can Mineral Point
afford to wait? 1t should also be
borne in mind that if party should
start the business here they Will
have to contend with laborers that
have had no experience, and they
will nave TO be taken in and taught.
causing the work TO be done slowly
at fist, and a good deal of loss to
;he proprietors of a warehouse, as
they Will not be posted in making
the grades. Wilhelm a place where
warehouses have been running for a
number Of years it is no trouble to
get any number Of skilled hands at
days notice.
! have been reliably Informed that
Mr.. Fieek, of Brodhead, paid out
for labor in his warehouses last sea
son the sum of ten thousand dollars.
In conclusion, Mr. Editor | will
say for myself that | have no per
sonal interest in this in anyway. /.
have been told that my object in
working this up is to secure a posi-
ton for myself can say in reply
that | have received no encourage
ment in this direction; but if SO, l
should expect to receive nothing
more than earn / have also been
told that Mineral Point has no en-
terprise in things Of Ibis kind. /
think if the people can see it to their
interest 20 Go anything they are as
willing as the people of any other
town. J. r. REYNOLDS.