The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-02-18
FACTORIES and BUSINESS.
Citizens of Plainfeld Satisfied
with Factories.

W I'LL L QktOl lS0s
Committing Residents Say that their Town
has been Helped in Every Way Better
Business Makes Better Real Estate
Values and then Come Better Streets.
Lights, schools and Police surveIience-
Views of PIainfeld Editor
Since the last issue of the CHRONICLE
one of its representatives has visited
Plainfield. now the foremost residential
manufacturing city in the state. There
the people have taken broad-minded
view Of city affairs and all classes alike,
wealthy residents. commuters merchants
and mechanics have joined in encourag-
ing the location of reputable manufac-
tories. What they have accomplished is
clearly set forth in the following inter
view dictated by Frank w. Runyon,
editor of the Plainfeld Courier Neacs,
the representative newspaper of the city:
The attitude of the Plaintield people,
who do business in New York and have
their homes here, toward the manufac-
turing interests can be better explained
by the statement that they were the first
to bring these manufactures here them
selves. The first factory in Plainfield
was the Potter Press Works, which was
brought from Westerly, r. l. twenty
years ago by Charles Potter. Jr., who
had for many years been a resident of
the city. He brought with him force
of 300 skilled mechanics and erected
large plant, bringing an element into
Plainfield life that had never been here
before. Shortly after that the Pond Tool
Company of Worcester, Mass, was
brought here through the offices of Pres
ident Maxwell of the Central Railroad
who was a member Of the firm and held
a controlling interest in the stock. With
this factory 900 skilled machinists were
brought and in the course of six months
a complete village sprung into existence
in the western part of the town on what
had been previous to that time farm land,
In all very nearly $500 people were add
ed to the population at one stroke.
A little later, Walter Scott the world
famous inventor OF printing machines,
who had been for many years connected
with the Potter Press Works, organized
a company and erected manufacturing
plant, which is to-day in successful oper-
alton employing 300 hands. These three
factories were the foundation of the man
ufacturlng interests of Plainfield and all
of them are still in successful operation.
And they have brought to the town in
all a population aggregating 5000 people.
They are orderly, well-conditioned peo-
pie, intelligent, and what is more pleas
ing to the Plainfield business man-they
spend their money in Plainfeld.
In addition to these factories there have
recently opened here the Cornwall Press
Manufactory, the Chapot Chamois Mill.
the Crescent Enclosing Factory and a
Clothing Factory, and there is also the
Climax Bottle Stopper Factory and other
general factories.
Tne result has been a business growth
enjoyed by no other city of its size and
its class in the state. Plainfield boasts of
the finest retail stores in the state outside
of Newark. We have in successful op-
Grafton, three department stores, each
one of which covers at least, in floor
space, an acre and half of ground.
OF course this means added real estate
values, and it was stated by the City
Assessor during recent campaign that
from an area comprising five blocks in
the city OF Plainfield, nearly one-third of
the taxes Of the town are paid. A fair
evidence of the value of real estate in the
business portion of Plainfield is evidenced
by the last sale of business real estate when
piece of unimproved property fronting
on themain street in the heart ofthe busi-
ness section sold at the rate of $500 front
foot. Ofcourse this means better streets.
better lights, better police service and con
ditions more nearly resembling those of
the larger cities. These conditions are
not obtainable in any place unless the
town resembles the larger cities; and this
can be obtained only through the loca-
tion of factories, the employees of which
spend their money directly on the ground
where they earn it.
You have asked me what is the atti-
tude of the resident portion of the city's
inhabitants toward the factories. At no
time during the last twenty years has
that attitude been one of antipathy; for
years it has been one of decided enthusi-
asm in regard to it. We claim in Plain
field that the town is the most desirable
place of residence along the line of the
Central Railroad. The reasons for this
are easily traceable good schools, COM
plete water and sewerage systems, a po-
lice service that covers every district in