The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-08-17
DANVILL5 AND IT'S BOOM.
2200 Wage Farmers, Which viii Soon be
Increased 10 5000.


Concerning the great boom, which
has struck our neighboring town, the
Mont0M- american, Of that place, in
its last issue, says:
In order to fully appreciate the
magnitude of the boom in iron as it
affects Danvllle, a visit should be
made to our various industries. The
remarkable activity at each of the
works and preparation on foot for the
enlargement of capacity on every side
will give some idea of the era of pros
perity we are about entering upon,
the opportunities for business afforded
and the growth of our town, which in
the nature of things must ensue.
First as to the number of men en-
ployed in Danville. In order to get
at the facts in this matter a represent
atlve of this paper made a personal
visit to the offices of our various in.
dustries. The number of wage earn
ers in Danville are found to be at
least 2,aoo, distributed as follows:
Reading Iron Works, 500; North
Branch Plate Mill, I4o North Branch
Blast Furnace, 10; Stove Works, 1870;
Howe & Polk, Structural Iron, 800
Howe & Samuel, Pudding, 100
Curry & Vannan, 1a5 Hoover Bros,
10; Johnson Anti-Rattler Works, 10.
In addition to stores and minor in
dustries, such as carpenter. wheel
wright and blacksmith shops, there
are several other establishments, where
women and children are employed.
but which, through steady operation,
ETC., prove factors in the support of
the town by no means to be despised.
OF these the Silk Mill employs aS7
hands; the Knitting Mill, $50 (;
Bloch Bros, AS; Julius Helm, sus-
penders, IS.
In regard to the men employed two
facts must be borne in mlnd-hrst
that the work is steady and second
that more men are needed. The
Nail Works, or Danvllle Rolling Mill,
will probably start up next week, and
the above figures do not contain the
hundred or more men who will be re-
quired to operate the plant, nor the
large number of hands who have been
employed the month past in prepar-
ing the plant for operation. Should
the North Branch Steel Plant start
up, as there is now every reason to
believe it may in the very near future,
SIX to eight hundred hands more
the most of them skilled workmen-
will be needed here, who must come
from other towns. The building o
the inhrmary and the nurses home at
the Asylum, work on which will be
begun Immediately, will employ a
large force of workmen, whose earn.
ings, put into circulation, will ado
materially to the prosperity of the
town.
The amount of money paid out
monthly in wages here, as estimated
by those who are in position tc
know, including the considerable sum
earned by the attendants and Others
at the asylum, is not less than 500, 900
This sum, handsome as it is, aug
mented by the general advance o
wages announced and by additiona
men put to work as other industries
start up and those in operation in
crease their capacity, may be expected
to climb up steadily until limit il
reached, which is now altogether ou
Of sight.
Our town will take on a new lease
of life and growth. There is not
vacant house to be found in Danville
South Danville, or Riverside, and th'
streets are full of those inqulring fo
houses to rent. New dwellings wi
have to be built to accommodate tn
. additional workmen, whose service
. will be needed here. Danville ha
already outgrown its present limit
and nothing can prevent an importan
building boom but sudden collaps
of the iron boom, which is anon
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