Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-02-19
SALEM FIGURING MILLS co.

Situated I'm the most fertile valley in
the Northwest, at the head of all-of-
tbe-year navigation, and surrounded
bv n vast territory whose natural re-
sources are almost bOundless in vari-
etv and extent, it is fitting Salem
should have enterprises in certain
fields of manufacturing which COM
mare favorably with the great indus
tries of the kind elsewhere in the
Northwest; and it is just cause for
congratulation that the Capital City
supUorts so many industries especially
ADAPTED to utilizing the products for
which the famous Willamette valley
is noted. This feature is especially
pronounced in Salem's great Touring
mills.
The history of the Salem FIGURING
Mills is closely allied with the CONNER
cial history of the city. They were
the first Touring mills of any consid-
erable importance built and operated
on the upper Willamette, and have be-
come only less widely known to the
people Of this state than the city it.
self. The Salem FIGURING Mills Co.
WAS organized and Incorporated, and
the mills erected and put into opera
ton in 1870. Since then, however, the
mills have been materially expanded
in capacity to meet the yearly iucreas-
ing demand for their product, which
is now sold all over Oregon, the Puget
sound country and British Columbia
Oh this continent, and in Liverpool,
England, and in China, abroad. The
capacity of the mills is 500 bbls. of
flour per day, and the yearly output
exceeds 100000 bbls., of which about
10000 bbls. are exported TO England
and to China. The mills and grain
elevators, and q warehouse of 3oO,OOO
bushels storage capacity, are situated
on the company's private switch OF
the Southern Pacific railroad, and
practically at the steamer landings OF
the Willamette transportation COM
Danies. The mills are operated by
water power, furnished by an lS-mle
ditch tapping the Santiam river. Ine
supply of grain for these mills is
drawn from as far south as Oakland,
Ore, by rail, and Harrisburg, by river.
Besides grain thus shipped, fully loO,-
900 bushels of wheat are annually de-
livered to the mills by wagons, from
the country Immediately adjacent to
Salem. 1t is a source of great advan-
tage to the farmers of this district to
nave IL uOuJt ludlhtI anu NNl'o N"SN
sale. at the highest market price, for
their products, and such market
these mills afford, in the matter OF
grain.
The leading branch of flour manu-
factured by the Salem FIGURING Mills
Co. are "Salem" commercial or do
mestic trade), Arcadia" export, Liv-
erpool England), Green Gire' lex
port, China), "Pagoda" export, China)
and "Salem Special' "a superior grade
of flour manufactured solely for the
local trade, and great fayorite
throughout the valley) Respecting
the quality and grade of these brands
of -four, Oregon being a state in which
the art of milling and grain have at
tained their best, it is sufficient to say
the Salem FIGURING Mills Co. has car
ried off premiums and honors for their
product every year at the state fair,
where the leading mills of the state
exhibit and enter into competition.
The officers of the Salem FIGURING
Mills Co. are A. Bush, president; A. Il.
Davis, secretary; Theo. b. wilcox,
general agent, and III. B. Holland, 10
cal manager These gentlemen are
too well known TO need introduction
or enconium ii. w. Hatch, the COM
panys head miller, has had twenty
three years experience as a miller, and
for the past decade has been employed
as head miller in these mills. Mr..
Holland the company's local manager,
is an Iowan by BIRTH but came to
Oregon in 1858. He came TO Salem
from California, however, thirteen
years ago, since which time he has
been connected with the mills in his
present capacity.