The Press., 1897-08-19
SOME FACTS.

lHS assertion IS OIC0n made, and just as often repeated, that there has been no recent material improvement in the busi- ness condition of the country. As proof that the statement is untrue, we have on- ly to contrast the condition of affairs in our own town of Stafford to-day with that of only twelve short months ago. | From the best information obtainable, as it is with our town, so 1t is with other like towns throughout the country.
 The principal and about the only busi- ness here is, of course, the woolen indus try, and let us see what that consisted of one year ago. Commencing at the upper part of the town, in Staffordville, we have first Rawitser Bros Home mill; next is the Hope mill, but which, owing to some business complication, had not been run ming for some years; then comes the StaHordville Woolen Co.'S mill at Hyde vile is the Phoenix mill at the Hollow, the Riverside mill at the Glyn, Smith & Cooley's shoddy mill; at the Springs, the Warren Woolen Co.,, Central Woolen Co. i, Mineral Springs Mfg Co.,, and Rawitser Bros River mill; at Foxville, the Fox mill, but which had been stopped since the death of the former proprietor, Chas. Fox, some years before at Forestville, the Forest mill, and at Orcuttville the mill run by J. J. & A. D. Ellis. In addi- ton to these there were at the Springs the flock mill of Smith & Cooley, Rawitser Bros shoddy mill and the Beckwith card clothing works. With the exception of few miner industries this comprised the whole of Staffords reliance for the sup port of its population, and what was its condition one year ago, only about two months before the presidential election2 | With the one exception of Rawitser Bros River mill, not a single woolen mill in the town of Stafford was running the busy hum of machinery was silent, busi- ness was at stand-still and the woolen industry, in particular; was in paralyzed condition.
 Now, let us look over the same field to- day, only five months after the inaugura- tion of Mckinley, and see what is the present condition-with the exception of the two mills above mentioned, the Hope and Foxville mills, every individual mill in town Is running on full time, and the ! outlook grows brighter every day. But even this Is not all-the Hope mill has, within the past two months, been sold to outside parties with plenty of push and capital, who are hurrying matters as fast as possible, and soon will be running to its full capacity the Central Woolen Co. have recently purchased three new cards, making an addition of one complete set Ito their mill, while the old Foxville mill has been converted into shoe factory and the manufacture of shoes Is now going on. This is surely most wonderful change but one that has come so easily and nat urally that we, who are most concerned hardly realize the fact.
 We have only to look through one oi the last numbers of the "Textile Manu- facturers' Journal" an accepted authority on all matters pertaining to the woolen business, to learn that we are not alone in our prosperity. Its columns are full of bouyant and hopeful expressions of the condition of the times. It can also be learned from this same journal that there has been an advance in price on all lines of woolens of at least 10, and in most cases, of 25 per cent, and that there Is an active demand in market for all grades.
 In talk with one of our most promi- nent manufacturers, and to whom oul thanks are due for the readiness he has shown to give all the information possi. ble, he said "That not for years had he seen so lively market as at present, and that in his conversation with manufactur. CTS from other states, they all expressed the same sentiments"
 As regards the matter of wages of en- ployes, there has been no recent change but taking two of our representative mills as an example, we learn that the average wages per day of the operatives alone, not including the officers of the company, or the basis of last months payroll, Is $1.40 When the number of boys and girls em ployed is taken into consideration, thit can hardly be called starvation wages. : Now, if the town of Stafford does no furnish greater object lesson in favor o the present administration of national af fairs than can be told in century of DO : litical lectures, then we have failed tC read aright the signs of the times. +4*