St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-09
ST PAUL.

/, Omaha; ?, Burlington; B. Milwaukee;
Red Wing d Rochester; ., ST. Paul & Kansas
City; o, Iowa Minnesota: {. ST. Paul d
Sioux City; S, Minneapolis & ST. Louis; o.
Hastings Il Dakota; IL, Willmar Sioux
Fails: ii, Great Northern; j., st. Paul d
Northern Pacific.
These distributing facilities, added TO
other natural advantages named above,
show why the wagon aud carriage fac
tories Of st. Paul have grown steadily,
even in times OF business depression.
They could not help dong this. a
table has been prepared showing the
great advances made in this industry
during the past ten years. IL shows
that the business has more than
doubled. OF this increase, however,
the larger part has come in the past
three years, when most people supposed
business in ali lines TO be decidedly
quiet. This has come by the building
Of factories designed to manufacture
for the outside territory more than for
the trade right at home. This habit of
reaching out for ''new worlds to con-
quer'' Is spreading, and with the new
year several firms will largely increase
their plants on this account. This table
is interesting. 1t follows:
Value manufactured prod
uct.........-........... $3.50. 010 SS40.000
Wages paid Observation-Disclosures. 10000 300 COD
Number men employed 80 800 100
Number factories. ...--.. s 10
This handsome growth, as has been
stated above, has come principally in
the past three or four years. With the
exit of the real estate speculation came
a solid and substantial growth and ad-
vance in this business. The manufact-
ure of wagons and carriages depends
for success largely upon the hustle and
push of the manufacturers and the quail
iUY of the work turned out by them. If
pushed properly. as has been demon
strated be the largest of the factories
located here, the field is unlimited and
constantly increasing in its needs
of the proper kind, so easily
obtained here, Is fast being
exhausted in the Eastern and Central
states, and the time is coming when
the wagonmakerS of Indiana, Ohio and
Michigan will be put TO the necessity of
importing their hardwood timber as
they now import all other varieties.
The fact that
Large Bodies of Oak
and maple timber ia Minnesota and
Wisconsin are held by these Eastern
manufacturers shows that they are an
tclpating this fact. This timber has
been picked up in the past few years
and has not been touched since, and in
several cases fabulous prices have been
refused for some of this.
Are these manufacturers to be allowed
to carry this raw material upwards of a
thousand miles, and then, after making
ii into wagons and carriages, ship it
back into this section of the country?
With the feeling that is now abroad
in this city and the entire Northwest
this will not be done, and it is safe to
predict that all this timber will event
ually be used in factories located in the
Northwest. With the start st. Paul has
already obtained in this industry. there
is no reason to doubt that she will
eventually be the centerOf this branch
of manufacturing in the Wect.
Gratifying as has been the growth of
all these factories, there is one that.
considering the reputation of its work
and its age and growth, is especially re-
markable and worthy of more than
passing notice. The number of men en-
plOyed is not so large. but. as they are
all employed on high grade work
and receive good wages. it is especially
noteworthy. Vehicles of all kinds are
made to order, such as carriages. sleighs,
trucks. delivery wagons, Bangors. phae-
tons, COncOrdS, eXtension-tOp carriages
to ali parts of the Union in Increasing
quantities every year. The following
table shows the growth of this factory:
Value of output $3.50 1896 si iS9l s5 500
Wages paid per year. 400 1900 25,OO0
No. men employed. So 50
Labor and Wages.
Another advantage possessed by the
wagon factories OF st. Paul is in the
oh IF lol. 70 Il II
aStrOuS strikes are unknown, and the
workingmen naturally feel better to-
ward their employers, and do much bet
ter work than in many other manu-
featuring centerS where such a happy
state Of affairs does not exist. Nearly
all of the men employed in these fac
tories come under the head Of skilled
labor, as the high average of wages
paid shows. The fact that constant EN-
ployment is given makes these factories
especially valuable TO the city and to
the workingmen.
In the character of the work turned
out by the st. Paul wagon and carriage
factories, there is nothing more to be
asked or desired. As in all other lines
of manufacturing done here. quality is
the first requisite, and man who once
purchases Concord wagon OF a ST.
Paul factory Is sure to come back when
he needs another. The st. Paul manu-
facturers have the facilities with which
to turn out good work, and they do it.
The fact that this business has always
been conducted in a conservative man
ner accounts for the substantial and
solid condition OF the various factories.
and prepares them for increased bust
ness in the future.
Great Possibilities.
The wagon and carriage manufactur-
ing industry in ST. Paul, while a great
industry, ought to be pushed still hard
er and several more large factories
established. But this is only one indus
try of large number IN the woodwork
ing line that can be operated to adyan-
tage and profit In this city. There is a
long list of agricultural implements
now imported almost entirely from the
Eastern states that should be manufact-
ured in st. Paul. The plows. har-
rows. drills and horse rakes needed by
Northwestern farmers ought all to be
made in ST. Paul. The material is at
hand. tine distributing facilities are I'M
eQualed, and the field for their sale is
almost unlimited in extent. The fact
that there are indications that the farm
erS of this section are to have an era of
prosperity, when they will be the ma
bobs of the land. and able to pay cash
for ali the machinery they may need.
ought to turn the attention of manufact-
urerS to this desirable field of opera
tons