The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1899-10-05
OSKALOOSA'S CHANCE
There Should be No Delay in
Securing the Factory.

rare do Hedrb 10 pTOnptiy rcspOuu
and do their part. The Acme Manu-
featuring company are engaged in
the manufacture of wagon-beds,
wheels, harrows, carts, hay-racks
and things of that kind. They are
now employing over thirty men and
are not able to keep up with their
orders. There are several towns that
are trying to ge5 this plant located
with them, and the board of trade
has entered into contract with the
company that if carried out will
secure this factory. There is gen.
eral movement of factories to the
west in order to be nearer the con-
sumner, and if Oskaloosa wants to
continue to grow and be along with
her sister cities she must get move
on herself. The old power-house
has been idle for great many years
and the agreement now is to pur-
chase the old buildings and ten acres
of ground and donate them to the
Acme Manufacturing company. They,
are to come here and invest $40, 900
in machinery and fixtures and in the
business of the factory, and the
agreement is that they are TO employ
not less than thirty men in the fac
tory, and that the factory is to be
men for three years, and the factory
cannot be moved under any condi-
ton for five years.
People who own this plant own the
stock, and the fact that there is no
stock for sale indicates that they
consider the institution good one.
The deed of this property is to be
taken in trustee, to be held for the
benefit of the subscribers to the fund
for the purchase of the property and
the Acme Manufacturing Company,
and when the Acme Manufacturing
Company fully carry out the terms of
their contract as above mentioned,
deed in fee simple is to be made to
them, and should they fail to carry
property will remain in the hands of
the trustee, to be disposed of to some
other factory, as the subscribers to
the fund may direct. This is surely
the best proposition for a factory
that Oskaloosa has ever had. We
make them a donation and at the
same time have string to it so that
they cannot mortgage it or dispose
of it in any way until they have COM
piled with their part of the contract.
This factory means a gfsat deal, in
our opinion, to Oskaloosa. 1t means
at once the addition of 200 to our
population, consisting of wage
earners and their families, who will
all have to eat and wear and be kept
warm and housed. The committee
is meeting with wonderful success,
and has not been turned down but
by one person in its canvass for
funds to carry out this scheme, and
it should not be turned down by
single other person, as every resi-
dent of the town is equally interested
in bringing this institution here.
Merchants, lawyers, doctors, labor
ing men, coal men, Water Co., Gas
Co., Electric Light Co., and farmers
are all equally interested in adding
to the population of Oskaloosa two
hundred people who will draw their
support entirely outside of the city
and county.
A committee consisting of your
friends and neighbors and business
men of Oskaloosa of all classes will
call upon you for subscription.
They are taking their time from
their business and giving it to you
and the city simply to build up the
city. They have no more interest in
the city than each party that will be
asked to contribute, : and it is your
duty to respond cheerfully and
promptly to their request. Their re-
quest will be reasonable and no one
will be asked to contribute but a
small amount towards this institu-
ton, and you should not do it grudg
ingly, but cheerfully.
Do not say to the committee that
no one paid you to do business here,
if anyone wants to do business here
let them come and do it the same as
you did. Such talk as that will never
build up a town, but has ruined
many. Des Moines, Marshalltown,
Waterloo, all want this plant and are
bidding for it, but they consider our
offer the most favorable and have
accepted.
1t remains with the people them
selves to say whether they will go
down into their pockets and take out
very small portion for each one
and bring this plant here. 1t is not
an institution that will compete with
any of our business institutions, but
will bring men and women to buy of
our merchants and children to at
tend our schools. Let every one do
their duty in this matter, do it
promptly and cheerfully. We are
falling behind our sister towns of
Marshalltown, 0ttumwa and Water
loo, and it behooves us to get move
on ourselves. Even Iowa City has
been getting some of these most inn
portant factories. The committee
win call upon you Monday or Tues
day; respond literally and at once.
Raise the moneysnecessary to secure
this valuable plant. The sum re-
quired is $500 1t looks like alarge
sum, but compared with other SUBJ
scriptions that have been raised in
this town. it ia a mere bapateile.