Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-07-28
CITY or GREENVILLE.
SOME or nsR BUSINESS MEN.
Short Sketches OF Her Manufacturing
and Mercantile establishments
and Other Business

with 10 strong competition ia the Hal of
riysl towns, she could scarcely fail 10 DO
large and profitable trade and the prosper
OCs appearance OF the city aud neT large ana
we'll stocked stores show that she hss protised
by her favorable surroundings. The country
about j. well cleared Dp and tiiekly settled
with al eDterprising and prosperous people,
many of whom have made fortunes ont of
the great productiveness OF their soil fact
not remarkable when II l. considered that
these lands produce al average Of about
twenty i've bushels Of wheat, thirty OF oats
or barley, eighty i've bushels OF corn two
hundred of potatoes and two tons of hay per
acre, while apples pears, cherries and AL
small fruits are produced ia abundance OF
late years considerable attention has been
successfully gwen 10 the raising of thorough
bred stock and this industry promises IN the
near future 10 prove very profitable and eK-
tensive. Already some of the finest sheep,
cattle and horses in the state are 10 be found
IA the vicinity of Greenyille. The timber
product of the country has not been al IN
cOnsid .rable factor IN the past III Greenyille's
prosperity and for many years 10 come IL
will add largely 10 the revenues of her enter
prising people. There are sections yet Gov
cred with pine Of good quality which II be
ing manufactured into lumber and shingles,
while there are also large quantities of maple.
beech, black and white ash, oak and some
Eastwood, all of which can be prottabiy
used for various manufacturing purposes.
These facts together with the fine water
power with which the city l. supplied make
II very desirable point for the location of
manufactured of various kinds. Her de
STABILITY a. manufacturing point will be-
greatly enhanced when the proposed railroad
connecting the city with Grand Rapids Is
completed, "a result which Is now only
question of ii short time. as II has become
necessity 10 both cities
GREKSvILLE's MANUFACTURES.
The manufacturing interests of the city
are already important and add largely TO her
material rOsperity. Among those now in
successful operation the Greenville Barrel
Company deserves special mention II Is
stock company and was organized IN May.
1884, with a capital of 10000. The com
pany has an extensive plant located on the
line of the Detroit, Lansing & Northern Rail
way, and gives employment to from 10 10
l40 men at home, while al the various stave
and heading factories, located at Nestabnrg,
Coral, Mllbrook and Saranac they employ
about seventy-tive men. The factory al
Greenville turns ont daily about 800 pork
barrels and 600 flour barrels, while the other
factories named furnish the stock. The
company now do an annual business of about
$4,000, and pay out about $500 a week for
labor Their products are shipped chiefly 10
Chicago. The officers are: L. O.. Northrup,
President K. kutan. Vice President: +. S.
Leaning. Secretary, and :. X. Stevens,
Treasurer
Among the most successful manufacturers
of the town j. 5. Crosby takes first rank.
He began business here fourteen years ago
a young man aud poor. but he succeeded in
building up an immense business. His bus
iness Office Is day one of the most com
plete IN the State, and l. a model of neatness.
convenience and order. and was built at
cost of 5000. Ia connection with his father
and brother he Owls and conducts farm
of 400 acres, located two and oue-half miles
east of the town. They own a large amount
of thoroughbred stock and have tins year 100
acres of wheat, 30 of oats, 40 Of corn and 10
of hay
His =awmill was built in 1871, and rebuilt
and new machinery put IN IN 1881. Ii has a
capacity of nine and one-half million feet
per season. Mr.. Crosby l. also a member
of the firm of Crosby & Collin and of Geo
Collin q Co. Crosby * Collin have mills
near Mcbride which have monthly capac-
ity of about one million feet of lumber and
two million shingles. Geo. Collin 4 Go.
operate a mill located northeast of MecOsta.
on the Stanton Branch of the D. L. & v
Railway, which has a capacity of seven mil
lion feet per year. The extent of the bust
ness done by these firms may be gathered
from the fact that for the year ending July
], 1884, they produced 45.997 30 shingles.
p. .020, 40 feet of lumber. and 3.O6l 900 lath.
they sold here 547 tons of coal and 700
cords of wood: the value of their lumber and
shingles output was S47l .4OO.Os: their car
service Is larger than that of any shingle
firm IL the State, being 2,512 during the
year. The average seasons cut of the J. :.
Crosby mill located here. IL 10000 feet:
these firms combined employ an average of
400 men a month. and do an annual BUSINESS
of half n million. and pay out $4,000 for
labor.
G. 4. Crosby has been engaged in the man
ufacture of lumber and shingles for the past
eighteen years. His shingle mill II located
IN the outskirts Of the city. and has a capac-
ity of 9,oD0oO shingles per year. He gives
employment at present 10 IL men. The tim
ber he l. now using is owned Jointly By him
self and is Crosby. They own about 1900
coo feet Of standing pine. Mr. Crosby sells
his product chiefly IN New York. Ohio and
Indiana.
The firm Of Oliver. Belknap & Green is
compO cd Of John +. Oliver. Senator J. v.
Bclknap and John Green. and they operate
large pl8ning mill and sash. door and blind
factory in Greenville. and a san and shiugle
/ mill at Sidney. The capacity Of the saw mill
l. 10000 feet per day. and they cat about
10000 shiDcles. Oliver 4 Belknap are both
extensive =tockholde-s IN the Greeevile Bar
Tel 10. senator belkIAF. Al folDciau- 81
known throughout the State. and IS very
popular On hi- Senatorial district
Wright Bros 4 Go. operate the extensive
Touring mill known a. NuFhts Roller
Niils The mill has been built and in oper
alton for . years. and is doing = large bus
ine7s II now has 2 pairs Of rolls and has
q capacity of ~ barrels u f0ur per day.
/ The leading brands Of four made by Wright
/ Bros 4 Co. are the Roller King and
Gold Medal Together with their custom
work, the company 30 At annual business
I ~ S275,es.
The Greenvilie City Nills are owned and
4 operated BY r. Middleton & Sons. who have
4 been engaged n the husinezs since l-1s.
Their present mill vas huif ~ years apo
4 and remodel ia=f year. when ii was made
p fuii roller mill with a. pairs ~ rolls They
manufacture f0ur for export and shiV
largely - England. Irslau5 and scotland
I Ihfir capacity is from - 70 go barrels
every = hours. Their leading brands are
"Mi8dlefon's Best Prsirie Cueen. ard
Golden Crovn VI p Middleton is ore
~ the most earnest advpcsfes - TIE rsiI-
road - Grand kaplds and Owns considerable
stock IN IRE present road fyeG and rght ~
vsy
T0vle r D0oElsss og,ersfA riainirg
miH pear t8e railroad depot They have
been dong buziu uezS here for siH Fears ra-f
sud eve employment 20 Twelve men.
IS kuaEr is the leading nasurfscfurer =