The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-10-24
MrcRArroS OF MANUFACTURERS.
Agents from Europe Securing Sites for
Large Manufacturing Firms, Who Arc
Forced to Come Here in ConSc-
uuence of the Tariff Bill.
New York sun


Forced to Come Here in Consc-
Uuence of the Tariff Bill.
(Nrw York Sum-
4 lot of English, Scotch, Irish and
French men arc running about this coun-
try now looking for favorable sites on
which TO erect mills and factories. where
linens. hosiery and WOODEN dress goods
can be made. They are hunting. too, for
mills that have been slut down, or they
are willing 10 purchase an interest in
American mills were these goods are MAN.
utacturcd. They are the agents of the
owners of mills in Europe, which have for
wears been supplying the American mar
kct with all the fine linen consumed here,
and with stacks and stacks of WOODEN
dress goods and hosiery that have been
sold bv the American storckcepcrs. The
new tariff is responsible for the agents
raid. The new rates Of duty on the pro-
duet of the European looms threaten to
ruin their trade with America, and just as
Il matter of sclf-lefcncc they are going to
move over here and manufacture their
goods. They won't shut up their Euro
rcan mills, but none Of the product OF
those mills will he put on our counters.
Most of the agents who are trotting
about the country have been here ever
since it became pretty certain that the
Mckinney bill Was going 10 become Il law.
Some Of them have succeeded i'll finding
what they want. and it is only IL matter Of
a littlc time. perhaps year, when mills
will actually he opened.
Tie first of these new founders. as far
as can he learned, is j. Carmichael Allen,
who has been in the linen manufacturing
business in ireland nearly all his life. He
came oyer here himself ut the beginning
of the agitation He decided that il would
pay to lie American. and 80 he organized
a stock company of Americans. With part
American capital he is going to build Il
linen mill in Minneapolis. The money is
all subscribed, and IL site in the northeast
crn part of the city has been purchased.
The work Of building will he begun 1T
once. TO start with there will be fifty
looms. and flax fibre grown i'll northern
Minnesota will be used. The machinery
that will he put into the mill will be OF
American manufacture, and the mill hands
will all he American and will get Amcrl-
can wages.
The second enterprise to find Il place is
Il dveing concern. to he run by Louis
Hcrmsdorf, the famous Saxon fast black
man. In his establishment i'll Chemnitz,
Saxonv, he employs 100 hands, and he
makes black dye for all kinds of hosiery,
gloves and tricot cloth. He is going to
settle in Philadelphia. His agent has
done everything except arrange the de-
tails of the purchase and construction OF
factories. He said Il few days ago that
everything was settled and that Hcrms-
dori would have place here in Il few
months.
"How many foreigners are going to move
over here with their establishments was
asked of man who knows all about the
linen industry in America, and who has
been consulted By many European mani-
facturcrs or their agents.
"That is hard to say" he replied; "but
there is Il considerable number Of them
looking around already, and there will be
nlany more. know of II good many, but
am not at liberty to mention their names.
have received all sorts of letters from
linen manufacturers asking what the pros
occt is for making money, besides putting
numerous other questions, and know that
anv number are considering the question
in addition to those who have already sent
their agents here. It's all poppycock
to say that they cannot make linen here
as good az they can make there. or that
the fibre of the flax grown i'll this country
cannot be utilized to make linen. These
lp tn
and make their goods arc the men who tor
wears have been saying that American flax
was worthless, and that ii was useless to
attempt to grow fax for seed and for fibre
at the same time. The United States is
one of the greatest fax producing coun-
tries in the world. Last year more than a
million acres of land was devoted to the
industry Il was for seed alone, though
most of the fibre was burned. Why? just
because the farmers didn't know that il
was worth ANYTHING, for one reason
and, for another, that there were
not enough linen manufactures in the
country TO use it up. | don't say that
our American flax, as it is ut present cul.
tiyatcd, is good to make the finest linen
but it can lie made so with II little more
care and study. AS soon as we get on
to the curves of this business VIC can beat
the world, and these Europeans who
are coming over here know that, or they
wouldn' come. Flax is not the only thing
either. 1t requires the most skilful work
men to handle the fine fbrcs that go into
tina best linen. One has almost to be
born to it to handle it without breaking
it. The men who como here to start theil
mills and factories will make in them, te
begin with, only the coarser grade o.
goods, such as cheap table covers, cheaI
napkins, crash and the like, but final,
they will make the finer grades,
"Will they buy American machinery tt
put in their mills?" asked. the reporter.
II don't think. so" was the reply
Some Of them may, but ! think that for {
l u 4 ) i - go