The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-03

this mill will then be square on its pins
ready to do business and make money.
we have had some terrible expert
ences with some former industries. The
trust carted off our cracker and match
factories. Thither went the starch fac
tory. The Topeka Implement company
died as doctors would say, from want of
nutrition. The cotton mill was built
two hundred years before We could get
the cotton to run it. 1t was built three
miles from the nearest railroad spur
in hope to recuscitate transportation by
COnestoga wagon. After it had arrived
at its majority, after it had cried it's
eyes out in the cold, a kindly fire with
an artists instinct as to what should
constitute a landscape, at a time when
the insurance had run out, whipsaWed
it into an Alhambraic ruin.
Between subscri bing for capital stock
and being sued on their statutory LA
bility, there was no interregnum of div
idends. 1t was a monotonous period of
liability in some shape. 1t has been
frequently the case that a citizen would
put in his money into a new enterprise
and then go off and never look at it,
nor go around it, nor help others who
were trying to run 1t. The result was
sure as arithmetic. At the end, there
would be a cheap hand to grease up,
sweep up and shut down and high
priced president with one or more
vices, a secretary, a treasurer, general
manager, superintendent, auditor and
foreman, when the receiver qualified.
1T may be said of Topeka that if she
these defunct concerns she would now
have a hospital of embryos, and contain
the finest industrial curio museum in
the land.
"A new enterprise needs this inform
alton. 1t must avoid the pitfalls of the
past. We have got to have a continU-
ing interest in it and it is our supreme
duty to patronize it. The success of
this institution will take the chill off
the graveyard Of the past.
This mill will provide broadcloth for
our mayor and jeans for his hired man.
The young man can get his -cassimeres,
meltons, berlins and tweeds here if he
will. There will be blankets and rugs
and carpets made out of honest Kansas
wool. All manner of design and fabric
of Worsteds; and this mill Will appeal
to your patriotism as strongly for pat
rOnage as a county seat contest for a
cash contribution.
I'VE have now a good protective tar
iff on wool, sufficient and ample to re-
store caste to a sheep and protection to
this industry. There are but few sheep
in Kansas to obtain this advantage.
The ten years prior to 1894 were very
disastrous to the HeeceS. 1t was a per-
iOd of shoddy, rags and filth; no man
or woman in that period wore woOlen
garment but what had in some shape or
other, been partially quarantined or
fumigated. Australia, New Zealand,
Russia Turkey, Chill, Spain, Europe,
Orope, irope, stirrup, goats. camels and
Shropshire hogs, drove the wool from
our backs and sheep into exile or in
process of ultimate extinction. In 1876,
Mr. Uhl had the finest flock of Merinos
in the world; now Butler county has
little or no sheep. The congresses of
that period could not look an American
sheep square in the face.
IT takes lis millions of sheep to sup
ply us with wool each year. We have
only thirty-seven millions. We import
three hundred and fifty millions Of
pounds of wool each year. Each in
habitant of our seventy-five millions
consumes nine pounds of wool each
year without counting that which
sticks to their teeth. 1t viii take four
years to accumulate a home flock for
home demands. We are short on wool
and long on opportunity. This ought
to grow into a prosperous concern 1t
viii advance the farmer, the trades