The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-05-15
In June, 1892, the people OF Gaffney
organized q company with Sl3O. 600

In June, 1917, the people OF Gaffney
organized q company with $780,
capital, and Mr.. Wheat was elected
treasurer and genera manager. He
has had the exclusive control and man
agement of this mill from that date :;
aud all the architectural designs and
plans, interior construction, location of
machinery, ETC., have been made by
him. The first brick was laid Sept. Is,
1892; within six months cotton was run
through the machinery. and in May,
1893, the mill was in operation. 1t is
thus seen that the Gaffney Mill has
been running less than year, and vet
at the coming annual meeting of stock
holders dividend will be declared on
the first years work. This is some
thing unusual in the cotton mill busi-
ness, as mills generally do not or can.
not declare a dividend until the third
year. The policy of this mill is to pay
out to stockholders the earning OF the
mill and not pile up surplus.
An 81, 800 church and school building
will soon be erected, and the children
OF operatives will be furnished tuition
free of charge. The character and the
morals of the help is unsurpassed. The
mill is filled with the best and latest
improved machinery that could be Sc
cured. The factory buildings are all
equipped with automatic sprinklers,
AerophOr system of air moistering,
electric lights, convenient hydrants
houses, q large underwriters fire pump
of one thousand gallons per minute
capacity, located near boiler house and
at all times, nights an0 0Sunday's ready
for duty. fifty pounds of steam being
kept up for this purpose, a reservoir OF
!75,OOO gallons capacity, a 10000 gal
lon iron tank in the top of the mill
tower for the automatic sprinkler sys-
tenn, etc. The mill is claimed by the
mutual insurance companies to be one
OF the best fire risks in the country.
The mill contains 10.432 spinning
spindles and 800 looms. Tho numbers
of yarns spun are % warp and 36 to 40
filling and the cloth is finished for the
bleaching trade. The "Boston Jour-
nal of Commerce." the leading textile
manufacturing publication of this coun-
try, in its recent issue, writing Of the
Gaffney mill, says: "The product of
the mill has been sold up and today
part OF its product is sold ahead to
November 1st next. The goods sell at
goods, commission men claiming that
the goods are better made and from
better stock than most CT the New Eng
land mills use.
"This mill has been built cheaper
than any other first-class mill in the
South, the cost per spindle being only
$l5.24, which includes real estate, tone
ments, warehouse, reservoir, mill
buildings and machinery. When this
mill was started on fine numbers, it
was predicted by great many mill
men that it would never be success
spinning these numbers, as it was
thought no other mills but those in
New England could do it. The Gaff-
ney mill has demonstrated that fine
goods can be made in the South just as
good as they can be anywhere else in
the world and he made cheaper too"
Such is the success of young man
who has thoroughly studied and mas
tered his business, and who stands to-
day not only in the front ranks in
South Carolina, but is classed as one
OF the leading manufacturers of tho
South,