The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-16
CHICAGO PLANT OyERTAxED.
Unable to Produce Machinery for Nu.
merous New Locations.
LARGE NUMBER TO BE PLACED lNTEXAS
Report that Effort Is Bcing Made 10
secure Control of Gins Author
itntiyciy Denied.

~'VsSsfnNiphS tiic loW ptuulIS as a result
OF which, in all likelihood, the American
3 Cotton company will manufacture at iIous-
ION all of the machinery needed in its
numerous Texas plants. The American
Cotton company Is the round bale con-
Germ. of which Mr. John e. Searles, late
OF the sugar trust. Is president. II has
recently become apparent that the manu-
featuring plant of the company Mt Chicago
will not be equal tot the enormous demands
made upon it, and when Mr.. Searles was
IN Houston during the early part of the
present week the matter OF the large
amount of machinery which will be neces-
sary to the operation of the 100 new plants
which will be placed In Texas this year
was brought up. IL would be manfestly
impossible for tho concern to erect a fac
tory for the making of the machinery in
question in time for this years work, and
Mr. Searles ia consequence found IL adj
visable to look about for some plant al
ready in operation at which the necessary
machinery could be made. Birmingham.
Ala, was first thought Of on account
of its location, in the center OF the Ala
bama iron region, and for the further
reason that it enjoys other natural adj
vantagcs. but while here Mr.. Searos
called at and inspected the plant of tho
Dickson Car Wheel works in this city.
and is now OF The opinion that he need
look no further. The Dickson foundry
and machine shops contain all the neces-
sary apparatus for the manufacture or
The comparatively simple machinery used
IN the round bale presses, and il the deal,
which is now on. is contaminated there is
no doubt that the work will be done here
Mr.. Searles was highly pleased with tho
complete and thorough methods in uso
at the Dickson plant and was of the opiu-
ion that his machinery could be made
there as wei, and az cheaply IL not moro
so. than at the point he had first in mind.
The plant of the American Cotton com
pauy at Chicago IS a very large one, and
during MIR. Searles connection with the
sugar combine it supplied most of the ma
chinery used ~ the various renueries OF
that concern. When Mr.. Searlos resigned
his other interests and began 10 devote
his time and attention exclusively to the
cotton buRness, the Chicago factory was
utilized in the manufacture, OF Abe round
bale cotton presses. The demands made
upon 1t have been so enormous. however
that, as stated above, it was found neces-
sary to look elsewhere for relief.
nineteen plants In Texas. located respec-
lively at Abilene, Alexander Calvert CO.
lumbus. Cnero, Itasca, l.oclShart. Marion
Milford, San Antonio Seguip Sherman.
Sinner, Temple, Venus, Waco. West,
Wharton and Whltewright Con tracts have
been closed for the erection Of twenty
more in South Texas to be located at Ma
vasota, Wallis. BTookshire Sealy, Eagle
Lake Elinger. Kyle. Austin. Elsir, Ma
nor. Burton, Giddings, Livingston, Cam
.g1,ta
Manchaca and Luling. Contracts for
like number in North Texas have also
been made and negotiations are pending
for some sixty more in various portions Of
the state. Two presses ere used ut zach
of these plants, and IL will thus be seen
that considerable amount ~ machiEery
will be required. The presses are com
partively simple in construction, but what
there Is to them must OF necessity be con-
structed with great care and precision.
Houston would OF course, be benefited to
greater degree were the company TO
erect a plant OF its own at this point. hut
as has already been explained. this Is
impossible at the present time However
IN view of the large amount OF work be-
ing done in Texas and other Southern
States an Independent plant here nj some
no far distant date Is Within the range OF
possibilities, and in the meantime, II the
plans being made AT present do not mis-
carry. a Houston concern Will be given
+ the contract. rms OF lthell. can not ran
10 be OF advantage. az II Will necess'tate
the employment or additional labor. and,
IN consequence. put more money in cir
culation.
MIR, b. p Mcdonald, manager of tho
local office of the American Cotton COM
pany, expressed himself as being very
hopeful Of the contamination OF the plans
outlined above. when seen yesterday by n
reporter for The Post Personally said
Z Mr. Mcdonald. II would be more than
different reasons. We are doing all ehat
:, we can 10 eradicate the feeling which eH-
lists against the round bale method, aud
am OF the opinion that II some OF our
manufacturing We're done here II would
help us along this limo, rs well as 10 put
another feather in Houston's cap. We bp-
Iieve that the success OF the round bale
Z means a great deal 10 the cotton pro-
Queer. II is u self evident fact that II
the cost OF handling aud shipping cotton
can be reduced to minimum there must
be q, profit, and we Will undertake to prove
in time that all of this profit will not so
TO the planter. We have no intention Of
crDwding the compress men. or amy one
else. Tor that matter. out OF the business,
and. too. we must enter general denial
70 the charge made against us 10 tho Of
feet that we Will eventually handle all the
cotton In the country to the exclusion OF
other buyers. We buy cotton that no one
else will buy. and surely we eau not be
censured for that.
I'm line with this statement wish to
say that the report sent out from Paris
TO the effect that our agents were can
vassing Lamsr cSsnsrty for the purpose of
securing options on gins, With The ulti-
mite view OF securing control OF all OF
them, Is entirely erroneous. We have no
Agents engaged In such work and we have
no desire to acquire the property in qnes-
ton. In fact. were II possible at his
e time, we would be more than glad TO
<Is.t. tnfg IN