The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-01-14

-
Newton Editors Write Of their
Good WOrkfin Sussex.
Factories the f1ain Srfing of the Towu-fitn-
dreds of Intelligent Employees flake Accept
able Residents and lid in Bringing Pfos-
perity-E employment Furnished for nany
Who flight be Idle @ne Half of the Trade
of nerchants Due to Factories
With view of obtaining INFORMATION
as to the effect of factories beneficial or
otherwise in other towns similar to Nor
ristown, we wrote to Richard F. Good
man editor of the Satsser Register and
Jacob L. Bunnel editor of the Neac Jer-
seq Herald of Newton n j.. as well as
to several in other cities whose letters
will be published as received. Morris
! town like Newton was once great ship
ping point for country produce and en-
joyed large trade with the surrounding
farmers and villages. This has been
almost altogether lost and nothing has
come in to take its place. 1t is
worthy of notice that the factory opera
tives call for the highest class of ltera-
ture from the library which certainly is
/ in their favor and should not EN- barass at
! least part of our residential populations
OFFICE OF THE SUSSEX REGISTER.
Newton, N. j., January s, 1898.
j. FRANK LINDsLEY, MORRIS COUNTY
| CHRONICLE.
Dear Sir:-Your letter of enquiry re-
ceived. Thirty years ago Newton was
the shipping point for agricultural pro-
ducts from the country within radius
of twenty miles, but the building of
from points nearer their homes. Much
of the trade, accompanying this, has been
| lost to Newton, but the loss has been
much more than made good through the
patronage of employees Of the factories
that have been erected here during the
past twenty-five years. The factories
have given employment to those who
would otherwise be idle, have brought
people here seeking employment, and
added largely to the taxable property
through the erection of more dwellings,
many of which are owned by the employ
ees. One half the trade of our mer-
chants would be cut off if the factories
were removed.
Yours truly,
RICHARD F. GOODMAN.
OFFICE OF NEW JERSEY HERALD.
Newton, N. j., Jan. IL, 1898.
J. FRANK L1NDsLEY, Editor Chronicle,
Morristown, N, J.
My Dear Sir-Your favor of the 18th,
inst before us. Its contents have been
noted with interest. You ask, first, ''Do
the factories in successful operation in
Newton benefit our merchants" Second,
"Have the operatives employed therein
been an appreciable addition to the
population Of Newton p
There is but one answer to your inter
rogatories. Yes Who says differently
talks idle argot. What the main spring
is to-a watch, our factories are to New
ton. They keep us going. Some TWEEN
ty-ivesyears ago, when the project of
locating shoe factory in Newton was
first agitated, there was just a whisper.
whisper, a whisper only, that it would
attract to this town class Of people who
would retard rather than advance its
prosperity. Time has abundantly proven
that the very opposite is true. Both pro-
prietors and employees of our manufac-
turing industries are prominent factors
in our churches, in the conducting Of our
schools, in the management of our banks,
in the supervising of the policies of our
Building and Loan Association, and are
prominent in every public move looking
to the betterment, happiness and pros
perity of our town. In point of intelli-
gence the hundreds thus given perma-
nent employment take no secondary
place, statement that finds abundant
truth in the fact, that at the Dennis
Library Association rooms the requests
for the higher standard of current htera-
ture comes largely from the operatives of
our factories. Newton has doubled in
population since the introduction of these
hives Of industry in our midst. Our
stores have increased in number and
likewise in size. SO that to-day there is
not suburban town in the State that
possesses their equal. Much of the sue
cess of the Newton factories is due to
the fact that their proprietoTs have,
without exception, been public spirited.
enterprising, stirring business men who
have conducted their business upon a
plane SO high as to create wide demand
for their products; demand which shows
a continual increase with each succeed
ing year. If your enterprising Board Of
Trade can induce men of their character
and business sagacity to locate manufac-
turing enterprises in Morristown, it will
not only be great boon to your mer-
chants, but will rebound to the perma-
nent advantage of your property owners,
your religious institutions, your profess
L..~.< = -