Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-05-01

operation in very short time-as soon
as the building can be completed and
the machinery placed IN position. The
Water-ditch, tapping the Medicine river
west OF this city, has been excavated,
the stone and timbers for the dam and
head gate is on the ground and the res
| ervoir has been laid out and will be COM
pleted before it is needed. Not only
this, but the road leading from the pro-
posed works to the quarry, in the gyp-
sum hills, five miles away, has been
graded and put in condition for haul
ing over il the thousands of tons of gyp-
sum to be crushed and manufactured.
And yet more: The proprietors haye
purchased adjacent to their proposed
plant, and commanding both sides of
the river between the dam and the
works, 40 acres OF land, much of it be-
ing excellent farming soil, improved
with substantial houses, stables, cor
rails and orchards, all fenced.
The style of the firm that will build
and operate the gypsum works is Best
Brothers, of Kirk-by- Thore, Westmore-
land, England, of family that has
been actively engaged in the manufac-
ture of gypsum into the various forms
since 1928. Mr.. Thomas Best, local
manager, arrived here last week. accom-
panied by his friend, Mr.. William
Thomlinson, of Englethwaite, Carlisle.
England. The latter gentleman is a
nephew of the patentee of one of the
most important Improvements in the
manufacture of cement and he may con-
clude to connect himself with the works
here. MIR. Best will personally super
wise the construction of the works. He
has made arrangements in the east for
machinery.
The main building, for which the
foundation has been laid off, will be
50x70 feet, two full stories high, with
the baking kilns built of fire brick, sep
arate on the outside.
The water ditch will supply 80 horse
power in the dryest time.
The capacity of the mill will be 100
| tons of manufactured cement per day
To get this result, about $50 tons of raw
stone, or gypsum will be used. To get
| this out and put it at the mill will re-
quire the constant employment of 25
teams and 35 men. In the mill be en-
plOyed 10 men, and to put the manufac-
tured product on the cars will probably
give employment to 20 men with their
teams. So it is not out of the way to
| state that SIS men and 45 teams will be
constantly employed in connection
with the gypsum works when it is in
| full operation. These men will gener-
ally have families, and so the pOpula-
ton of this city and vicinity will be
largely increased by reason of this new
industry. The factory is located about
a mile and quarter south of the depot,
on the west side of Medicine river. The
road to it is level and could be easily
turned into a railroad. The river is
bridged near the depot.
Before coming here, Mr. Best visited
gypsum plants and deposits in Canada,
New York, Michigan. Nebraska, Colo
RADIO and the northern part of Kansas,
and though strong inducements were
offered him in several places, he found
none that suited him so we'll as the one
he selected. The natural advantages,
water, quarries, roads and climate of
Barber county surpass anything he met
with elsewhere.
He first came here, with his sister,
Miss Mary Best, in August, 1887. and
then purchased the land mentioned in
this article. HIS agents. Taliaferro 81
DeLisle, attended to the details of Sc
curing the land on which was the rich
est deposit, a location for the works and
road leading direct to the quarry.
They have had. the united encourage
ment of our best people, and Mr.. Best
is well pleased with their work.
On his way here, Mr.. Best made ar
rangements for supplying every pound
of cement that his firm can manufac-
ture. His market will be in Kansas
City, Wichita, st. Louis and IN fact all
eastern cities. He was also fortunate
in getting satisfactory railroad rates.
The firm has already expended about
$40, 900 here 1t will expend 5000 for
buildings, $4,000 for machinery and
for incidentals perhaps $40, OOc' more.
This shows that it is not experiment.
ing.
Best Brothers own and operate gyp-
sum plant with a capacity of 400 tons
per day in England, and this is an indi-
cation that they understand the bust
ness.
We believe that all this will be great
thing for Barber county, and with every
citizen, we wish the Best Brothers un-
bounded success in their undertaking.
Besides being leading sorghum SUI
gar producing location, Medicine Lodge
Will be the most extensive cement pro-
ducing city in the United States.