The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-31

At the invitation of the prOprietors,
Reiling. David & Schoen. and the con-
tractor P-ter Stipp the board of trade
formally participated i'm the laying of
the corner stone of the silk mill build
ings in the Tenth ward yesterday af.
ternoon. All present at the affair
agreed that it was very pleasant
and appropriate ceremony and it was
agreed that it should he repeated on
all similar occasions.
At o'clock carriages brought TO
the scene President W. y. May, Presi-
dent-elect Luther Keller, Secretary ~
Il. AthertOn, q. Frank Reynolds and j.
A. Lansing. Of the board of trade Carl
SChoen, one Of the prOprictors,and Con-
tractor Peter Stipp received them and
escorted them to- a platform at tn"
southwest corner Of the foundations of
the main building where the corner
stone was suspended on a tripod over
the place on which it was to rest. The
people of the n~ighborhOod and all the
workmen assembled about the plat
form
Secretary Atherton, on Mr.. SChOen's
invitation, became master of ceremon-
les He spoke of tha fitness of having
some formal ceremony attend the lay
ing of corner stone of such build
ing as this. It is monument to The
aggressiveness and shrewdness of Reil-
| ling. David n SChOan i'm establishing
such Ii large enterprise in Scranton. 1t
is monument to the generosity and
public kpiritedness of the IS ynolds
brothers who donated the land and a
monument to the board of trades
watchfulness over the interests of the
city.
THE STONE Is LAID.
He then introduced Captain w. \.
May. PR esdent of the board of trade.
and called upon him to set the stone.
Captain May graVely remarked that he
was a May-sOn and would proceed to
prove it. A prescribed ritual being
wanting. its place was supplied with
atrucious puns and jokes by AthertOn,
Lansing. Keller Ct-al. while the butt
| of it all Captain May was down on his
knees spreading the mortar and fitting
the stone
Inside the stone was A sample of the
| silk which the firm manufactures coins
of 1897 and history Of how the mill
| came to be built i'm Scranton. 1t is 4
neatly carved block of Wyoming blue
| stone with the date 1887" cut in bold
| figures on the western face.
The stone having been duly laid, Sec
retary Atherton called upon Mr.. Schoen
| for a few remarks. Mr.. SchOen said
he and his partners felt highly CRATE
| full to the board of trade for it's friend
| ly reception and hoped il would con-
| tinue to encourage and support them
| in their undertaking.
Frank Reynolds was next called up
on, being introduced by Mr.. Atherton
as one of the two men who by their
generosity had made the mill an as
surad thing. Mr.. Reynolds said the
| city of Scranton should he proud Of its
| wide awake board of trade and then
addressing himself to Mr. Schoen said
| he could assure his firm of a hearty
welcome from the people of Little Eng
| land.
HEARTIEST OF WELCOMES.
Luther Keller, chairman of the man
ufaCturers committee. which engineer
| ed the deal that brought the mill here,
assured Mr.. SchOen that the city gave
| the new industry and its projectors tho
| heartiest Of welcomes, and speaking
| for the board Of trade said they could
rely upon its members at any and al
| times for all the encouragement and
! support they might need.
Charles A. NJ. Praray, of the firm
! Of Makepeacc e. Co.. of Providence,
| r. l.. the architects Of the mill build
| ings. and Contractor Peter Stipp, aIsl
made neat speeches and then Mr.. Stipp
| passed the cigars. visitors, wOrlimen
/ and spectators all being invited to
| smoke up.
The main building of the mill is to me
PSI feet long an so feat deep, fronting
| ON James street, which is about on q
hundred yards east Of the Delaware,
! Lackawanna and Western tracks. An
~" one hundred feet long, is to be
| built at the north end of the main
| building and later a similar Il" at the
! southern extremity. and a 300 foot
weave" mill in the rear are to be
| erected.
There are few but what will be sur
prised to hear that fully equipped
| silk mill is now in running order on
the ground, 1t is contained in an SOX4O
| temporary structure which was hur-
| ricdly put together to accommodate a
! piece or two of each of the various
| kinds of machinery with which 20 in
| struct the girls and other operators
who will be employed in the mill.
Mr., Praray said to a Tribune repor-
| ter yesterday that when the plant as
! designed is fully Complet d it will rep
resent an investment of $1,000 900.