Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-01-25
CAN WE CAN?
A Question That Little Effort
May Answer.
A NEW INDUSTRY FOR Us.
The Canning Factory and How Rock
Island May Very Readily Acquire
it---Benefits TO the City. somethips
worth LooI ing Into.

Rock Island may very easily secure the
canning factory now located at Milan. and
which, though yet in its infancy, COM
paratively so to speak, having only com
pieted its first season, has already proved
a very profitable investment, as we'll as
an enterprise of great general profit to
the city wherein it is situated. SO much
by way OF pointer TO our Rock Island
Citizens Improvement association and
others who are anxious to advance the
interests of the city. There are great
many reasons why strong aud deter~
mined effort should be made to secure
this industry for Rock Island, and that
whatever action is taken, should be
prompt. The canning company is de-
sirous of leaving Milan and is anxious to
come to Rock Island. It's present situa-
ton is not satisfactory because of the
trouble in getting help. Tn, re are not
enough men and girls in the town to keep
it running ano it is too far out OF the way
to make IL convenient for Rock Island
labor. The company is further prompted
in its aim to remove to this city in order
that it may have the advantage of our uu
surpassed shipping facilities to all points,
without becom ing remote from the pros
ducer. The real object in locating the
factory at Milan in the first place was to
be near the market, the farming local,
ly, but now that the Rock river tolls
have been cut down and that there is
every prospect of tree bridges entirely
with the ADVENT of the next municipal
year, the company will find it equally as
advantageous 10 this respect and much
more So in other ways to be in Rock ISL
and.
Oue of the most largely Interested. and
consequently most influential of the
stockholders in the company. informed
an ARGUS representative yesterday that
the company would come to Rock Island
with very little inducement II YVES de-
sirsble that tie facilities of the ipstitu-
ton be increased. and for that reason
some additional stock-not very much
would he necessary II local capital
could be induced to take an interest In
il TO the extent of a small investment,
there is no doubt of change being
made The difficulty in securing help at
Milan is, however. the first great diff
Guilty there. and this. of course. is the
greatest object in inducing 1t to come to
Rock Island. The factory gives en-
ployment to $50 10 200 hands during al
most the entire summer months. and
while large proportion Of this number
are men, the majority are girls, who earn
from seveuty>fve cents to 81 so per day
1t, therefore. ffords boon TO the poor.
er classes. and is certainly worth looking
after by our Improvement association for
this reason above all others.
And perhaps one of the chief sdvan-
tsges of getting the enterprise TO locate
here has not yet been mentioned. 1t is
the gain through the advertisement the
goods give the city. The brands. ell of
which show the name of the city, are
stocked on the shelves of every grocery
of any importance in the country. and the
city's name il conspicuously displayed
The member of the company
with whom the conversation above relst-
ed was had, ST ited that he had received
more inquiries as to what kind of q town
Milan was since he had been sending his
goods out than he ever expected to hear
Of any city in several years. One of the
most popular brands is named
after Rock Island now. and in locating in
Rock Island the inducement to adopt the
name in various ways would of course be
increased and n every instance mutually
The ARGUS contained an article of q
column or more devoted to this industry
and the nature of its products when it
began operations last summer, but word
now will not be out of place. The pro-
cess is the same as that employed by the
Oneida community of New York and the
canned goods are Of equal merit with
those of the Empire state industry which
are known the world over. Indeed the
demand for the goods of the Milan fac
factory has so increased that new machin-
cry must be put in, the company having
also decided to can peas and other vege-
tables in addit on to tomatoes and corn,
which have been the principal products
thus far.
The manifest importance therefore of
making an exertion in behalf of bringing
this enterprise to Rock Island at once is
very apparent 1t may leave Milan at
all events and the desire of the majority
of the stock holders is to come to Rock
Island. Will an inducement be made
sufficient to bring it hereS Is not this q
subject worthy of a special meeting of
the Rock Island Citizens Improvement
association at once?