Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-06-13
The Poorest Town in America.

staff Of the Chicago Inter-Ocean visited
Sheboygan, and III writing up the indus
tries of that place he deals in the follow
ing historical facts which are of special
interest ut this particular time
IF the Congressional election could be
held now tWo-thirdS of the voters in She
boygan City would be against the Demo
cratic party. The only reason why She
boygan has given Democratic majorites
III recent years has been from force of
habit This city was until twenty-five
years ago known as the poorest town IN
America. 1t had that reputation all over
Wisconsin. 1t was Il Struggling town Oh
1000 inhabitants and furnishing nothing
in the way of work to attract skilled me-
chanicS or even provide labor for the
young men brought up in the town. There
was no manufacturing until 1870, when
small chair factory was started with
five men employed. This was the begin
ming Of prosperity, and in 1892 there were
5000 wage-earners in Sheboygan, who re-
ceived 100000 in wages and turned
out more than S10,000,0 900 worth of prod
uctS that went into the homes of million
aires and Wage-earnerS in every state iii
the union. -Four large chair factories and
one monster furniture factory were run
ming ten and twelve hours 4 day the year
through. and one year after another to
supply the demand for Sheboygan furni-
ture.
From the poorest town in America it
IN Wisconsin, with a population of 1859
IN 1870 and population of about 10000
IN 1898
The workingmen received S2J0,000 a
month in wages, Is per cent. of them
owned their homes, 700 houses were built
IN 1892. and much money was expended
III public improvements.
But the majority of these people still
voted the Democratic ticket, though their
city had been built up under protection
and was dependent upon protective tar
If. They did not believe it until they had
their first experience in 1898. They gave
1000 plurality for Cleveland in 1892 had
their earnings reduced 33 1-3 per cent. in
1893, and elected the first Republican
City. Council in the history of the city in
April 1894
George NATION. president of the Mat
toon furniture Company, says that his
firm did 4S per cent. less work in 1893
than IN 1892, and this at a loss of 10 per
cent. TO the firm. In other words. while
keeping his men employed little more than
0ne-halt time. and at 4 reduced wage
scale, the company is losing 10 per cent.
on its business because it has 100000
feet OF lumber on hand that must be man
ufactured into furniture or allowed to be-
come a dead loss. and because it has
debts that it must meet or go into bank
ruptcy
Mr.. Mattoon employed 1850 men in
1872, and they had to run extra time to
supply IiiSif OfuefS. Il lie 1acCOrV began
thirteen years ago with nine men. and
while increasing as fast as machinery
could be placed for the men, the factory
was never shut down except for Il few
days for repairs until the panic of 1898
struck the furniture trade and more than
80 per cent. of those in the business
failed. his sales in 1892 amounted to
Sl-O6O,OOO, and his average pay roll was
$4,000 q month. The average earnings
We're S1.3G a day. Now Mr. MattOon has
IL
reduction of 20 per cent. in their wages,
and his pay roll amounts to about ST., 600
a month.
''TwO-thirds of Mr.. Mattoon's employees
voted the Democratic ticket in 1892 be-
cause dena gOgueS made them believe that
it was good politics to vote against their
employers. 1t did not require many
months for them to discover that the same
blow that struck their employers struck
them, and that their interests We're identi-
cal.
Thomas NJ Blackstock. president and
general manager of the Phoenix Chair
Company, agrees with Mr.. Mattoon that
ShebOygan had its severest blow last
year and that it is still uncertain as to
the outcome. The furniture business is
not improving and Sheboygan is depend
ent upon that business If the factories
go down the city will be ruined, for
there viii be no work for the great num-
Der of wage-earners who have given
The year of 1892 was the most pros
porous year ever known in Sheboygan,
and the prospects were bright for the
continuance Of the prosperity. The men
in the shops had all the extra work they
would do, and they in turn paid good
wages to carpenters and maSOnS who
were at work on their houses. The men
We're generally saving. and Mr. Black
stock believes that IN 1892 10 per cent.
Of the people in Sheboygan owned their
houses.
HE says the earnings of the men are
50 IS per cent. less than they were in
1892. The monthly pay roll has fallen
from S250,000 to about $4,000 q
month Mr. BlackstOck denied the
charge that has been made that men
We're employed in Sheboygan factories at
) cents an hour The factories are pay
ing out more for wages and lumber than
they are receiving for their goods. Bust
ness is not improving. and Mr.. Black
stock does not believe it will improve in
the furniture trade until the threat of Il
Democratic Congress is removed. The
Wilson bill is only the entering wedge
for free trade, and business men will
make no venture until they know
whether this legislation is to be carried
to its legitimate conclusion or not.
How to save the Sugar Industry.
am here in Norfolk, Neb., looking out
on the largest beet sugar factory IN Amer
lea. Last year it made 100000 pounds
OF white sugar. Thousands of farmers
along the Platte Valley have contracts
for an increased acreage of beets next
year. They are now trembling for fear
OF threatened disaster. They are simply
dazed at the Knockout blow the present
Congress has given to their young but
growing sugar industry. Many Nebraska
farmers, | say, had made their contracts
for raising beets next spring for the
Grand Island and Norfolk factories.
n 4pa DGUIn0lnU a
learn how to raise beets with profit, and
thousands Of wheat fields and corn fields
We're going into sugar.
Three seeks ago said Mr. Oleson,
a large farmer at Alma, near McCoCk,
4 made a contract to raise forty acres
Of beets this year. The Wilson bill had
favored the bounty and we were happy.
To-day | get telegram from Mr.. Ok
nard's agent saying the 2-cent bounty
Is off and must stop
What viii you do?" l asked
Il suppose | will put in wheat and
ic FOR hlJ hot