The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-10
/. CARBONDALE.
OUR PROMISED INDUSTRY.
Hardware Mandatory the Best
Ever offered to Local Capital.


The hardware manufactory proposed
by Mr.. Fitzgerald to be established in
this city. Is bv far the most profitable
enterprise ever offered to local cap
ital. both as n divtdend-paying busi-
ness and distributor of money in the
city. That is, If the representations
are founded on fact.
A pay roll of moro than $4,000 q
month is an immense peCuniary ad
vantage to any third-class city. That
Carbondale should gain such an in
dustry seems too good to be true, yet
why not CaIbondale as we'll as any
ether place.
Mr.. Fitzgerald readily convinced the
board of trade that he understands
his business. He Is n tall, spare man
with gray eyes, beard sprnkled with
GRAY. a full deep voice and apparently
between fifty and sixty years old. lie
Is a fluent talker and gave many in
ieresting experiences of his lie az
banker. broker, accountant and manu-
facturer.
He established a big hardware con-
cern in Reading nineteen years ago,
but later lost his interest of 81 per
cent. by financial misfortune In an
other direction, which cost hin. S95 900.
The business is now worth a couple of
millions.
Mr.. Fitzgerald proposes to manufac-
ture locks principally. He said Sl0,-
O000 900 worth were exported last year
and that the trade, which is supplied
ny only twelve manufactures that
amount to anything. is constantly and
rapidly growing. With the utmost
confidence he asserted that he can sell
tho product Of 900 hands without put
ting a. single man on the road. He
road letters from men high in the
business world, attesting his integrity,
and while there is no reason to doubt
him. it behooves the committee on
manufactures, on purely business
principles. tc verify, IF possible, his as
sertions.
Among other things this committee
should ascertain the power of the
hardware trust which Mr. Fitzgerald
advised keeping out Of and which he
said would pay $4,000 rather than see
this manufactory started.
This and a few other points being
favorably settled Carbondalians can
not too copiously pour their dollars in
to this undertaking. Scranton and
Honesdale are after it. but the former
is too large and Honesdale will soon be
too far off The earth. Mr.. Fitzgerald
much prefers Carbondale to either. but
he says the people must go in prepared
to burn the bridges behind them. He
proposes devoting the balance of his
life to this enterprise and will not be
satisfied with any picayune business.
The large profits he showed up depend
upon immense output and he talked of
millions of dozens Of locks and hun
dreds of thousands of dollars as of
hand and unconcernedly as the ordi-
nary merchant discusses the purchase
OF a carload Of -four.
He exhibited plans for the construc-
tion of the buildings-to cost 100000
and showed how from the beginning al
the foundry the mo. 1 pig" is travel
ing always onward. never backward
through the several finishing depart
ments until it reaches the switch for
the completed locks. "Oh. it's n great
business" he enthusiastically con-
tinued, "you sell 'em before you see
'em and get your money in ten days.
No bad debts"
screw factory, employing a large
number of hands. would soon be an
auxiliary Of the works.
Mr.. Bitzgcrald's children reside IL
Scranton and that is one of the rea-
sons why he doesn't care to go fan
away from that city. However, he as
sured his hearers locks can be made
here cheaper than in New England
and as cheaply as in any town or
earth.