Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1886-04-28
THE KRUPP WORKS.
Description of the Largest manufacturing
Establishment in the World.

In the beginning of this century only
a town of $3.50 souls stood where now
dwell nearly 10000. The surrounding
district has also been made populous,
chiefly by Essen. A wonderful and inn
pressive scene! Around the many
stored edifces with their high chimneys
that make the iron-works there must
be at least a hundred such-the vast
plain is dotted as far as the eye can
reach with buildings of the innumerable
iron and coal mines, with chimneys
floating white banners of smoke. The
landscape is varicgatcd with pretty ham,
lets, glimpses of rivers. endless poplar
avenues along white highways, and
everywhere moving lines of shining
cloud where trains of the three great
railways that encompass Essen speed
perpetually and in all directions. Fred
erick krupp, belonging to an old Essen
family, started his works in 1910, but he
suffered by ten years lawsuit, which,
though won. burdened him with debt.
After his death, in 1926, his widow
barely managed to secure for her Alfred
a good education, and when he was
called to the works, in 1913, he found,
to use his own words, ''throe workmen
and more debts than fortune."' 1t is
he, now a hale and hearty gentleman
of seventy-three years, who has built up
the Krupp works to their present i'm
mensity. The firm name is still Fred
Krupp,n but the works do not belong to
a company, nor yet, rs some suppose, to
the government, but to this one man,
Alfred Krupp, who thus owns probably
the largest business in the world de-
pendent on an individual. The works
within the town cover more than 500
acres, half of which are under cover.
According to a census taken in Septem-
Der, 1881, the number of hands en-
ployed by Mr.. Krupp was 1906, the
members of their families 40, 776, making
So, 3S1 persons supported by his works.
OF the laborers, 1,211 were engaged |
upon the works in Essen, the rest being
employed in the surrounding mines, the |
branch works at Neuweid and Sayn,
and the mines in Spain Bilbao, from
which, though less extensive, the finest |
ores are brought. Mr.. Krupp owns 547 |
iron mines in Germany. He owns four
sea-steamers, and there are connected |
with his Essen works ~ miles of rail |
way, employing % locomotives and 883 |
cars, SO horses with 191 wagons, and 40 |
miles of telegraph wires with 80 stations
and SO Morse apparatuses. The estab-
lishment possesses a grand chemical |
laboratory, Photographic and litho-
graphic atelier, printing-office with 3
steam and 6 hand presses. and a book
binding room. The establishment even
runs hotel-an excellent one, as have
good reason to known Essen; and |
three years ago, for the advantage of
the population. he has gathered, Mr..
Krupp erected large central supply
store, connecting with it many branches,
extending its benefits to all parts of the
town and to the colonies he has built
for his workmen in the neighborhood.
Of these stores and of the colonies more
must be said presently, Although
rumors have gone through the world of
the vast extent of these works, it is
difficult from mere printed statistics to
the impressiveness of this great
industrial centre until one has looked
upon it from some height, and attempted
to wander through and around it.
To the general world the name
"Krupp'' has almost ceased to be per-
sonal; it signifies particular implement
of destruction. Two-thirds of the work
here are devoted to things belonging to
the arts of peace-all the parts of steam
engines, locomotives, iron axles, bridges,
rail, wheels, tires, switches, springs,
shafts for steamers, mint dies, rudders,
and parts of all varieties of iron ma :
chinery, are prepared here for manu- I
lecturers. That is, they are not COM !
bined here! all the iron parts of loco /
motive may be obtained here, but not
locomotive, although nearly all of the
locomotives and engines used in the :
works are made in them Both Brah- .
ma and silva are in the employ of Mr..
krupp. but the creative power prepon-
lerates, and ii the DESTROYER Is more
amous it must be attributed to the
worlds keen interest in fight.
Krupp is king. Iron is master of thel
ituation. When an ancient king dis
'layed his gold, a sage said, "But if
mother comes with more iron than you,
lie will be master of all this gold" The I
ate Franco-German war is modern in
lance. 1t has just been discovered that
Though M. Theirs declared proudly to
he victorious Germans, ''You may have :
II our money, but not foot of our
erTitory nor a stone of our fortresses,'
rivately he had advised differently:
Better surrender our provinces than :
ur money, for our money can buy back :
III provinces He had to part with Z
9th, and Berlin has grown magnificent
18th French mill1ards. The French
lar find that money can MT a1yuavc
ny iron. For no amount can they pur-
lase Krupp guns. This patriotism is
! notable contrast with the impartiali- !,
! of Englishmen. Wherever English m
len are killed, in Africa or in the East,