The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-27
VILLAGE OF WAGE-EARNERS
An Enterprise That Brought a Small
Community to- DegreeO of Importance.
A Wide Variety of WOodenware That Indian
spolis Sends to All Parts of the World
Demand for G~rain-Cradles.

North indianapolis. in a dozen years, has
grown from nothing to a thriving village of
nearly fifteen hundred persons. This active
and prosperous settlement is due to the
prosperity of the Udell woodenware-works.
a manufacturing enterprise started there by
G. g. Udell, but o owned by A. A. Barnes.
1t was in 1873 that Mr. Udell removed to
North indianapolis his establishment from
Chicago, there known as the Northwestern
ladder-works. The enterprise began In its
new location in tho darn days of the
panic, and proved q disastrous venture to
its owner; but though business languished.
the works never quite stopped. 1t was in
1880 that the name was changed to the one
the works now bear, and In 1882, from the
receiver into whose hands the enterprise
had passed, the plant was purchased By
the present owner, A. A Barnes. The
turn had come in the tide of fortune, and
from that time forward the works have
been a success.
When operations were begun in the
factory there was but one dwelling in what
is now North Indianapolis, an old-fashIoned
farmhouse. The population, as before
mentioned, has nearly all come within the
past twelve years, and it has come to stay,
for of the 100 employees of the woodenware-
works. the majority are investors IN Dnlla-
ing associations, and either W their
dwellings or are IN a fair way to do 80. Inc
output of the works increased each sue
ceeding year during the past seven or eight
years. and moro goods are now manu-
featured than ever. The chief articles
made are fancy cabinet wares. house
furnishing woodenware and step-ladders,
together with a long line of furniture
specialtles. 1t is the largest mandatory
of this class of goods In the United states.
and that. of course, means In the world.
The works cover seven acres. much of this
space being required for lumber, of which
great quantities are used in walnut. oak,
sweet gum, ash. elm, cottonwood. hack
is4Ts lo tsss ef %ich Giesrr pine anu and SYP INDIANA
poplar. Malleable iron is used IN great
Where do you sell these goodsa" the re-
porter asked Mr.. Barnes.
'The world is our OYSTER was his reply.
I'VE supply the Pacific coast through an
agency at San Francisco; st. Louis takes
our goods from the Mississippi. to
the Rocky mountains, while a New
E foss trade Gass and is across : the ARsiaatic. We We
have a large and constantly growing ex-
port business. our goods going out not only
to England and Germany, but TO- Mexico,
South America and Australia. AS to- our
BONE trade there is hardly . State or Ter
ritory that does not get our goods. and we
ship some goods to Canada. We have also
sent Ion step-ladders to Africa, where
they were probably to be used by trained
monkeys in picking c~ocoanuts."
North Indianapolis contains but one 9TH
er manufacturing enterprise, but that one
is unique, as it makes the 0ld-fashiOned
grain cradles which doubtless nearly every
dweller in the city. supposes were long
since wholly superseded and relegated to
the past. The reaper and harvester
the merits of their respective
machines that the grain-cradle of our
grandfathers is never heard of, though it
continues on the even tenor of it's way, and
there are now four factories in the United
States making them. The North Indian
apolis factory is operated by H. l.. Hewitt,
and when it is running, that is from No
vember to June, sixty-fve men are en-
ployed.
where do you send these cradlesin was
asked of the proprietor.
"All over the United States, and to many
foreign countries. They are used not only
by small farmers in this country, but are
on all farms to cut lodged grain, or where
which harvesting machines cannot 60. /
got an order, Yesterday, for $50 dozen, to 90
to Dublin, and two weeks ago | shipped
twenty-five dozen to Venezuela, South
America. These cradles 60 to Russia with
scythe snaths, which / also manufacture.
Thereis a good trade in Australia. and ! make
regular shipments every year to Christ
church. New Zealand. There are about ten
manufacturers of scythe snaths in the
United States, but only, as l said. four
cradle factories" This establishment also
manufactures about 10000 dozen single
trees yearly.