The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-07-28

I luu0IlI0U, uO 1858 IudA great WSdlII.
! Some of the homes cost $4,000 and
| more, and the Erskine home cost $780,
| 000
| j. i. Case the Man, Plant and the Horse.
Perhaps Racine suggests to the
| country over the name Of J. l. Case
| more than any other He was plain,
| sensible man who built up from small
| beginnings. He was mechanic as a
| young man, and came from the east
| with horsepower threshing machine,
with which he did work for the farm
ers, Rochester, in the western part Of
| the county, being his first home. He
started a small factory in Racine,
| boarding his employees. That was in
| the forties. Now the concern makes
| $500 machines each year, sending
| some to South Africa, and employees
1900 men. 1t sends out from twenty
five tC fifty carloads daily. An outfit
| costs the purchaser from $500 to $500.
| Mr. Case loved good horse, but like
| Robert Bonner, horses never demon
allied him. "Jay-Eye-See' is still in
| Racine we'll taken care of in his old
age by MI Cases widow This horse
brought the record down to 2:10 and
| Mr. Case was offered $4,000 for him.
| Mr.. Case left one son, Jackson Case,
! the present postmaster. The latter lost
|. perhaps & quarter of a million dollars
! in street car and other ventures. There
are three daughters. The Case estate
| was in the neighborhood Of 100000.
| The Erskine estate was about the
| same.
| Four Men in Big Concern.
| Four men were identified with this
| great factory-Mr. Case, Mr.. Erskine,
| Mr.. r. II. Baker Ca state senator), and
| Stephen Bull. The last named alone
survives. The pictures Of all hang in
the office of the company. They are
| strong faces of men who made their
way Mr.. Baker died in 1882; Mr..
| Case in 1891; Mr.. Erskine in 1895. The
| Case family is now out of the great
concern, a syndicate in which the Bull
| family is prominent having purchased
| it, Frank son Of Stephen Bull being
| the president, and r. F. Robinson,
sOn-in-law of Mr.. Bull, and man of
executive quality and courtesy being
vice president. The Case co. has l, 400
| local agencies. It's annual freight bill
| is $4,000 For paint it spends SIS, 900
| year.
The J. l. Case pillow works are dis
tinct plant. It covers eight acres and
| pays out 100000 annually in wages.
Racine has had wooden mills since
| 1865, famous for the shawls they make.
| The payroll carries 200 people. One
of the features of the Racine Fire En-
| CINE company is a chemical eXtinguish-
| er on a bicycle frame.
Milk in Powdered Form.
''Malted milk" calls Racine it's home.
/ It is an enormous plant one sees from
| the railroad. James and William HOr
| lick are brothers. They came from
| England and were poor Cousins Of
| theirs were already on the ground, en-
| gagged in the lime and stone business.
| One of the brothers brought the form
| ula with him and the story is that the
| first manufacture was on cook stove.
| The plant now represents half
| million dollars. Farmers bring their
| milk to be converted into this delic
| iOus infant and invalid food; and the
| concern owns large herd of its own.
| James Horlick lives in England, where
| he is operating q duplicate plant. He
! is a bachelor, but William has sons as
sociated with him in the business.
The city is equipped with churches.
Rev. DR.. @. M. Humphrey of Cincin-
natl, now dead, once moderator of the
Presbyterian general assembly, once
preached in Racine. Racine is the
home of Rev. Mr.. Cheney, the state
leader Of the A. p A. movement, a
| Baptist pastor The preaching of Rev.
| Charles S. Nickerson the Presbyterian
| minister, is attracting attention. The
mayor is Michael Higgins, manufact-
urer Of wagon springs and axles. He
started fifteen years ago with a bit
| of shack. working at his trade. Now
| he employees 800 men and is popular.
It is believed he pays the highest
| wages in town. Judge Flett presides
over the municipal court, a brother of
the eX-assemblyman of Merrill. Cid
dings is q prominent lawyer and
member Of the Republican state COM
| mittee.
A Hotel Overlooking the Lake.
The native stock settled Racine, but
it has been recruited by Scandinavians,
especially Danes, and some Germans.
| There are probably 5000 Welsh, in
Guiding their descendants. The Danes
forge rapidly to the front in all lines.
Peter B. Nelson, the district attorney,
is OF that stock The city has schools
Of which it is proud, the state univer-
sity being d favorite with it's gradu-
ates. The Hotel Racine is easily one
of the finest in the state. It cost $780,
600. It is situated on the lake and the
dining room 0verlOOks it--a most
beautiful effect. There are four banks
in Racine. n. E. Frat. the leading
Democrat, prominent in state fair mat
tiers and once candidate for governor,
is president of the First National.
Racine's water works are owned by
a Boston syndicate; but the franchise
expires in 1908, when there will be a
| merry Whirl as to municipal owner
ship. There is now protracted litiga-
ton as to the yearly tests called for
| by the franchise. one complaint being
that the hydrants Go not show the 125
| pounds test; and q demurrer being e.
claim by the company for $4,000 for
use Of water by the city for flushing
purposes. The water comes from the
lake through a three-mile intake pipe.
1t is said to be unusually good water;