The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-05
WELCOME TO ST. PAUL
REVIVAL OF THE coRDAGE
WORKS
An Industry Which Means Much for
This LOcality-The Manufacture
of Irvine, Carpets and Rugs In st.
Paula Ready Market for All
Output - Available Capital to
Carry on the Work.

Output - Available Capital to
Carry on the Work.
1t will be gratifying to the people
or st. Paul to know that the old cord
age works are to be revived under the
control of Eastern capital, which will
prove capable of large development
The cordage works have had somewhat
of struggle in this field; they have
met with breakdowns, just as all good
men do now and then; they have re-
newed their energies, and now are
coming out on top. The trouble has
been In the past that the industry has
not been appreciated In this section
OF the country; and yet, the contribu-
lions of the mandatory have been of
a character directly suitable to absorb
tlon by the people tributary to st.
Paul.
1t is not necessary now to go into
details of the history of the old cord
age company. 1t is sufficient to say
that new blood has come into the ar
terles of the establishment; enlarged
capital has been introduced, and men
OF experience in manufacturing have
oeen induced to associate themselves
with an enterprise in the Northwest
which ought to be a very successful
undertaking.
Ex-senator Warner Miller. of New
YORK, is visiting the Twin Cities at this
time In connection with the develop
ment Of the work that is being resur-
fected at the cordage mandatory
1t is a movement in the direction of an
establishment at st. Paul of a. factory.
novel in it's incipiency, but most prac-
teal in its solution. The wild marsh
grasses of Minnesota and the sloughs
or North and South Dakota have tossed
their heads in the sunshine of many a
summer in centuries past, and the
value of their naked, clean-cut, slender
proportions has not been recognized
until the present generation, which as
sociates itself with the outgoing of the
old century and the introduction of
the new. The value Of these grasses
was some time ago recognized by the
manufacturers Of cast iron pipes The
utility consisted of the twisting of the
Wlry grasses together to form a body
which should become a sort of pith
to pipe on its casting; but, later, the
value of these grasses has become rec
ognized, and now they are attracting
the attention of manufacturers in con-
rection with the coarser fabrics, such
as binding tWine, floor mating and
coarse-grained coverings for cotton,
and species of rugs used for carpet
ing, as well as for the strands in max
ing of cordage generally.
1t is a singular fact that just at
the present time this country is COM
pretending the value of it's own pro-
sa,> riose of other
nations, and particularly the value of
the coarse grasses of the Northwest,
as against the raw material which has
for years been coming into use in
our markets from the Philippine ISL
ands, and contributing to the manu-
facture of what we all know as the
Manila rope with which we hang con-
victs. 1t is astonishing, when one
comes to think about it, that the enter
prise of the United States has never
taken hold Of this feature, in spite of
the fact that, year after year, the quail
ity Of the product of the plains has
been called to the attention of capt.
taliStS.
1t will be astonishing to a good many
people to know that 10000 tons of Irvine
are required to bind the grain crop of
the United States. Much of this Irvine
has been imported from the very point
where we are now concentrating our
fleet in the other hemisphere. A sud
den realization has come upon our peo-
pie in connection with this matter to the
effect that as good Irvine can be made
out Of the coarse grasses of the prairies
and the sloughs of the lowland of the
Northwest as can be made out Of the
tall grasses Of the Philippine islands,
hence, ingenuity Of the Yankee sort
and application of energy are bringing
about large results in favor of a par
ticular industry. There is a class of
products in this Northwest country
known as wire grass. 1t is very strong
and almost irresistible in it's tensile
strength. That is just what the manu-
facturers are going for. They want that
grass because it is so strong.
Down in Oshkosh there has been for
some time factory which has looked
forward to this quality of grass as q
feeder for their mills in the creation
of rugs, carpets and the like. The in
dustry is simply in opposition to Ash
attic enterprises which have thrown
into Eas stern shores of the United states
large quantities of manufactured ma
terial which could be just as we'll ex-
cluded if the American idea of creation
to meet competition was stimulated
Now China and Japan have, in the
past few years, shown a strong disposi-
ton to come into this market; our
manufacturing ingenuity is moving
along in line which will eventually
check that impulse and bring every ad-
vantage to our own people.
Ex-senator Miller talked with much
freedom last night in regard to his as
sociationS with this undertaking. The
Cordage works will not be strung along
hereafter on any singular or simple
line, but they will be controlled under
the spirit of large and growing enter
prises, taking in whatever may come
along in the way of manufactures in
this particular department. There is
no doubt that the works are in the
best of hands and that they will be
controlled with positive view to sue
cess. No one can doubt the ma gnificent
advantage that will accrue to this To-
cality by the aggregation of forces that
are hereafter to be applied in connec-
ton with that industry The capacity
of the plant at ST. Paul will be three
times that of the factory at Oshkosh.
A number Of local capitalists are in
terested in this enterprise, but it seems
to be difficult to get the names of the
individuals who are extending their
hands.