The Saint Paul globe., 1896-08-01
WHY THEY CLOSED DOWN.
e. F. Berrfsford Gives Some Biscuit
Factory History.

The closing down Of the Berrisford
Biscuit and Confectionery establish
ment, a short time ago. has caused more
or less conjecture on the part Of those
who have noticed that the plant is id1e..
It has revived the report, which was
current at the time that the establish
ment was swallowed up by theeAmers
|. lean Biscuit company, of Chicago. that
the trust forced the Berrisford people
J to sell and have now closed the plant
down.
Mr.. Berrisford denies the former part
of the rumor and last evening explained
to a reporter for the G o the facts
connected with the running Of the
plant for the past, six years.. Said he:
I'm 1889 a trust was formed in New
York under the name Of the New York
I Biscuit company for the purpose of
buying and securing control Of all of
the biscuit and confectionery manu-
facturies ,inn this countTy.EeIt begane Its
operations in the city of New York and
after possessing itself Of all the large
manufactures there, extended it's cru
Sade westward with great success un-
til It reached Chicago. There it, met
with it's first obstacle. The western
manufacturers viewed the encroach-
mentS of the Eastern monopoly with
considerable alarm, and, being of the
opinion that they could best serve their
own interests by opposing the growth
of the New York concern, they decided
to band themselves together and unite
in an effort to check its progress. The
result was the formation of the Ameri-
can Biscuit company, and, perforce of
the methods of the organization which
1t was to fight, 1t began securing con-
troll Of the manufactures in the West
and South. In 1901 received a propo-
from no Anaa
pany to sell out my plant and a bid
was also made for the Friedman &
Lewis factory of this city. I decided
to accept the offer, as did Friedman &
Lewis, with the result that both plants
passed into the hands Of the Western
company. / received outright for my
business its full value in stock certifi-
Gates in the American Biscuit company
and from that time until the closing
down of the plant have been simply in
the employ of the company in the ca
pacity of local manager. The same
terms were madeiwith the Friedman &
Lewis company and Mr.. Friedman was
retained as manager Of that plant.
WAS there any coercion used to in
huence you to dispose of your plant to the
American Biscuit company" asked the re-
porter.
''None whatever replied Mr. Berrisford
'tand three months after the deal had been
tory upon the same terms at which I had
disposed of it, so had l been at all dissatis-
fed | could have again conducted my
business independently of the American COM
pany."
tfWhy was your plant closed at this time
and the Priedpan G Lewis factory allowed to
continue under the management of Mr.. Vor-
hees, of the American company" was asked.
''Smply for the reason that there was not
enough business to keep both plants profit
ably in operation. Ever since the panic of
'93, each factory has been running upon half
time and less. Some weeks neither plant
would be in operation more than two days a
week The rent of my former place was in
excess of that of the Friedman & Lewis
factory, and they have two sets of
chinery in the one building while I only had
one set. If one of the factories had to be
shut down it according to the best bust
ness methods that the most expensive one
should cease operation. OF course I should
allowed to run instead of the other factory
but on the whole I have no complaint to
make, and as fer zthez statement that the
American Biscuit company is in itself moth
ing less than trust and has forced me
out of business, that | most emphatfcally
deny. / am still a stakeholder in the COM
pany and / receive my dividends regularly
and promptly. Furthermore, my investment
is paying WELL andA am thoroughly salts
fed with it. . -
The closing of the Berrisford establishment
has thrown out of employment about twenty
men and serne fifteen girls, nearly all of
whom Mr. Berrisfcpd Stated had secured
work in the PeiedmaaS g Lewis. now known
as the American Biscuit factory or with
smaller manufacturing Bakers either in st.
Paul or Afnneapolisa 81