Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-10-02
A MEETING OF CITIZENS
PRAC rICAI-I.Y ONE SENTI-
MENT SHOWN BY ALL.
The United Industrial COrnEanv's
Plant Must be Located Here If
1t rs FOssible-SO1me speeches
and ResOlutions-Car From


The talk of the street on Saturday was
the all-round good thing for the city in
the proposition of the United Industrial
company of New York. Men keen in the
channels of trade, lawyers, capitalists
and the handlers of real estate became
dead in earnest when it was given out
that the special committee from the city
council had decided upon an unfayorablc
report. The question was as to the
surest way to secure to the people an en-
terprise in plain sight. greatly needed
and from every point of view desirable, If
it is what it seems to be. The public opin-
ion crystallized in meeting at the Ashe-
vile club in the afternoon, and there the
ball was set in motion. Among the
representative men of the city present
were !. H. Lee, ]. Nj. Campbell, ]. {.
Martin, w. X. Whitson, IL. A. Gudger.
M E. Carter, T. w. Patton, A. 7. David
son, w. b. Gwyn, c. S. Cooper. Matt At
Westall. E. b. Atkinson, ID. ID. Suttle, ].
p. Sawyer. A. Rankin, w. w. West, ]. ID.
Murphy, S. K. kepler, ]. p. Kerr, John
Child, X. B. Johnston and ]. b. Bostic:
When the company had assumed the
proportions of delibcrativc body. Post
son as the presiding officer of the meet
ing Colonel Davidson was unanimously
chosen chairman and Mr.. Kerr
was made secretary. The latter briefly
stated the object of the meeting to be the
definite investigation from a business
standpoint of the propositions made by
the represent ativc of the United Indus
trial company of New York to the city
authorities. looking to the establishment
of important manufacturing industries
near Ashevillc.
DIr. Maxwell Talks.
Mr.. w. G. Maxwell. the representa-
tive of the above company, stated that
his company had organized solely for
| the purpose of manufacturing knit goods,
| and that they believed the South to be
the section of the country best suited for
their industry. The company had abun-
dance of ca pital and the strongest men,
| financially, were behind it. After
a careful survey Of many points
for an eligible location, Ashevjlle
| had, for many reasons, been selected
rs the best adapted and the pre-
| liminary surveys and estimates had been
| made several miles above the city on
| the SwannanOa river, near Longs sta
| ton. They expect to make the place Il
| manufacturing centre and would need
| l 500 horsepower to do it. The water
power available was considered inferior
| to that at other places visited and the
estimate of an engineer. Byron Holly,
placed the cost of a dam at $l5O,OOO.
Then came up the question OF invest
mcnt to such an amount for the
power or the acceptance of offers
made by other cities and their chances
of growth. The danger of pollution to
Asheville's water supply was thoroughly
canvassed and the idea was suggested OF
n proposition to pump the city's water
from the conpany's dam, do the clty's
lighting and thus use the surplus power
but the lights were under contract and
that part of the idea was abandoned.
| Concluding Mr.. Maxwell said: IF The
city will extend the mains and allow tht
company to pump the water at the pres
ent rates. with the deed of the present
plant. except the pumps, we are ready
| to begin at once the erection of our dam
We will need an electric railway anC
that will follow. We do not propose tt
have company stores, and when our hell
has finished their days work their tim
is then their own. We are ready to e
to work and build the dam and the frs
factory. Our help will be skilled labor
our pay rolls will be $5 900 dav an,
our plant will cost a million dollars
Questions and Answers.
Mr.. Maxwell added that he would b
glad to answer any questions that nigh
be suggested to the minds of any perso
present and Mr.. Bostic inquired whe
the work would be commenced unde
the proposition
Mr., Maxwell: immediately; the dar
and the factory"
Chairman Davidson: What is III
distance from the present pumping sts
ton to the proposed dam ?'
Mr.. Maxwell? about one and ha
miles"
Chairman Davidson: What ster
have you taken toward securing the Ian
necessary ?"
Mr.. Maxwell: I'VE have options fl,
miles up. The dam will be S5 feet hig
and the backwater will extend five mile
This will give a pure body of water troI
- which to pump"
w. w. West: "Does your propositio
guarantee constant supply of wat'
free from pollution from the START"
Mr.. Maxwell, The city should no
disturb the present works until the da
is 20 feet high; then we will have
steady supply of pure water. We ais
propose to build a storage reserve
" further up the stream"
]. 2. Kerr said that Asheville's oppo
turity had now come and that by ever
I honorable effort this industry should
secured. If the company is able to {
what they propose, Asheville ought
exert it's very best endeavors to obta
the prize. Nine out OF every ten bu:
, ness men in the city think we shou
help this company to make its whee
cE go round. We can't afford to let t
thing go by. Other places will be 81;
to get it. Our climate is peculiar
adapted to the particular kind of man
facture contemplated. Here the whe,
will move the entire year; and the skill
labor required will bring artisans WI
command good wages and they will
most valuable to the community a
make good citizens.
TO Investigate the Company
The speaker then offered a mott
that a committee of three be appoint
by the chair to investigate thorough
and report fully to the people of Asl
vile, through the public press. as to
responsibility and reliability of
United Industrial company of NJ
York"
Hon. II. A. Gudger heartily endors
the views expressed by Mr.. Kerr, a
no thought that il investigation proved I
company to be all right, the situati
should be taken advantage of.