Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-10-01

AT PORT EDWARDS.
The Big Paper Plant is Growing
Rapidly.

Could the estImable founders of the
firm John Edwards & Co., who nearly
a half century ago originated and es-
tablished a little rotary saw mill at
Port Edwards, visit to-day the site of
their infant industry and look upon the
changes it has undergone they would
marvel much. Since 1854 and subse-
quent days of John Edwards Sr. and
Henry Clinton, industrial transition
has made mammoth strides about us.
The company they started has had
many changes in membership, but the
works they began were founded on
rock and as the successive captains Of
industry have taken hold of the COM
and their manufactory has multiplied
in extent and productive power. John
Edwards Jr. and Thomas B. Scott, after
years of conservative, able and sue
cessful business direction here have
been released from earthly toll. They
left to successors improvements far in
advance of what they found at their
beginning. The veil of their future is
set of enterpreneurs, the John Ed
wards Mfg Co., are at the wheel, have
taken up the advance march, and
hand in hand with modern evolution
and the business energy of to-day are
moulding even greater things than did
predecessors. With the decline of the
lumber industry in Wood county has
disappeared most of the saw mills. And
such has been the final lot of the Ed
wards concern where for forty-two years
the hum of industry was made by the
buzzing saw and the piling of boards in
the lumber yard. Now rises from the
debris of this faded industry, at the
particular site in question, the myriad
brick walls of partly completed pulp
and paper mill which in immensity and
lasting quality is the crowning master
piece of all that has heretofore been at
tempted by capital at Port Edwards.
Every visit to this busy hive of con-
struction finds something new, and the
325 men and some 80 teams now en-
ployed know no idle moments. Last
month 3S5 men, SO teams were on the
pay roll. On Monday the large brick
smoke stack reaching 130 feet heaven
| ward from base 16x16 feet was given
its finishing touches by the placing of
cap at its top. And there it stands
sentinel with its neighbors in our valley,
the first thing to be seen as you ap-
proach from the distance, the last to
becko to you as you depart.
The big fumes or artificial passages
for the water that will drive the mill
wheels were practically finished the
past week. Men ere at work enlarging
the pond and making an embankment
SO as to run around just back of the old
store building and office. A grade is
being established at the top of this en-
bankment for a switch track along the
south end of the pond that will enhance
the facilities for unloading pulp wood.
A wing wall of rock is in position on
east side of the fumes and when the
| west embankment is similarly strength
ened the big reservoir of power-supply
will be about ready to receive it's store
of water.
The old Clint Dam is also being treated
to some changes. A force of men are
busy raising the same about four feet
The object of this is to back four feet
more of water into the mill-pond in
creasing its altitude and force. This
will give them head of q feet in the
pond.
On Monday morning of this week the
first brick and stone work was laid for
the pulp mill, but if good weather pre-
walls the officials expect to have COM
pleted building within two or three
weeks. Nearly all the machinery for
this department is on the ground and
perhaps by December 1st the John Ed
wards Mfg Co. will be able to exhibit
pulp which is the product Of their own
machines. Eleven largest New Eng
land grinders are to be set and. the
capacity will approximate so to 80 tons
OF pulp. In the paper mllltwO machines
will have capacity of about 50 tons.
1t is not known when this department
will be ready for operation ADD the
| most definite word the Reporter repre-
sentative could get from the manage
| ment as to this particular was the assur-
ance that they would be manufacturing
paper "next year" Thus the splendid
work of building and improvements goes
on, while mass of laborers from our
cities are enabled to find renumerative
things for their hands to do, and thous-
ands of money are put in circulation
which might now be boarded in vaults
waiting for restoration of con fidence.
GUrsrdod