The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-26
WEST MARION LESSON
PLACE DESERTED AND FACTORIES
SILENT THREE YEARS AGO.
Now the Failed and Locked Buildings
Are Again Humming
Hive of Industry.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
MARION. Ind. Oct. 25.-People in this
country heard a good deal a few years ago
about tin-plate factories and object lessons
but in the immense growth of the ;in-plate
industry in this country there is no better
Mckinley objest lesson than is to be found
right here in West Marion Every factory
in that suburb of this thriving city was
closed in 1S95-not a single one was left
after the passage of the Wilson-Gorman
billiard some closed never to open again
under the management of the men whose
fortunes had been wrecked by that law
Three of the six factories closed perma-
nently so far as their then owners were
concerned, for they had failed. The other
three closed until they could manage to
sell some stock. for they could no longer
afford to run and pay wages without a
cent of income and sales either actual
or prospective. The six factories mentioned
were:
The zinc smelter, closed all of the year
1895. Since then a new smelter has been
built and is now in operation and the old
one will soon start.
The Muncie Iron and Steel Company
closed in 1895 for lack of orders, but now
running full time, with plenty of orders
Malleable iron works. closed and failed in
1895; now running by a new company, and
adding men to it's force every day, with
good prospects of continuing indefinitely.
Waterman rolling mill, closed and failed
in 1885; now reorganized and running day
and hight; did not even close for the usual
summer layoff this year.
Marion hub works, closed in 1895 because
it could get no orders; after running since
then systematically will open next Monday
with the largest force it ever had, and with
orders sufficient to insure steady operation.
Bonney wise works, failed and closed in
1885, and could not be reorganized but
new woodworking factory is now fitting
the building with machinery and will soon
be in operation.
These are the six factories that had been
in operation and were compelled to close by
the Wilson law. but there is another Just
before the Wilson law was enacted an East
ern company erected a very fine plant near
the Bonney wise plant for the, manufac-
ture of crackers and biscuits, but when
three-fourths of the consumers of such
goods were thrown out of employment it
left no sale for crackers, and the men back
OF the enterprise concluded it was better to
lose what they had already invested and no
more than to take the almost certain chance
or losing more, and SO abandoned the enter
prise. That fine building has remained
empty emf vi, until TIL now. but It has been leased
making bicycle sundries. Thus the record
stands:
1895, Cleveland-All Of West Marion's fac1
tories closed and the workmen vainly seek
ing work.
1898, McKinley-Four of them running full
time and part of them doing extra night
work; one more to resume with a full force
next Monday, and the other two to be in
operation before the end of the year
West Marion is about two miles from the
city proper, and has few residences for
most of the employees live in town. Until
now none of the workmen has had the
means or The courage to invest in a home
near these factories, but they have preferred
going back and fourth in the street cars
The result was that in 1895 and 1896 the few
dozen houses that had been built near these
factories were empty, and the place pre-
sented what one man described to be q
perfect scene of industrial paralyZatiOn and
Observation-Disclosures idle without even a
Waterman to care for them, and the homes
But what difference nowl 1t is the for
tunate workman who is able to secure
house in West Marion near his work. for
most of them have to spend an hour to an
hour and half each day besides car fare
in getting to and from work
The details of the situation is entered into
here SO infinitely because an object lesson
of very striking characteristics is displayed
Few places can show such complete COL
lapse and so great recovery. If the voters
of Indiana could see a. picture of West
is under Mckinley there would be no ques-
ton or doubt about whether they would
stamp the eagle or the rooster on election
day. West Marion is object lesson
worth remembering.
WALTER A. ROYSE.