The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-13
KANSAS NEWS.
Warden TOmlinSOn Talks About
the Irvine Plant.
Purchased 500 Bales of Raw
Material in New York.
WILL EMPLOY 100 MEN
All Will Be Convicts Except
Three.
News OfInterest From All Over
Kansas.

Leavenworth, Nov. 13.-Warden Tom
Hnson has returned from New York,
where he went to purchase raw ma
teriaI with which to begin the manu-
facture of binding Irvine in the new
plant just completed at the penten-
tiary.
He did not buy as much of the raw
material as it was intended to pur-
chase, owing to the heavy advance in
the price of the fibre since the state
legislature appropriated the money
for this item of the plant. The ex-
tent of his purchase was nearly three
hundred thousand pounds of sisal fib
re. The cost of the raw ma terial was
from nine and one-fourth to nine and
one-half cents pound The fibre IS
IN bales OF about 800 pounds each ana
there are eight hundred bales. The
material is expected to arrive any day
as it was shipped last week but the
will not begin before the latter part of
this month.
THE plant is not ready to start yet, D
said Warden TOmlinsOn, ''as the COM
panies supplying the machinery did
not ship the bushing for a number OF
the large puIleys for the machinery
and supplied no wiring for the motors
which are to run the machines. These
supplies we expect shortly Another
part of the plant which has not been
installed yet is the boilers Two Of
these. each of 175 horse power, were or
dered to be here August 18th. The first
one to arrive came last week, but the
other has not come. We would, how
ever, start without these, as We have
enough steam to furnish power for
awhile.
"A more serious question which is
confronting me-" said the warden, lis
the operation of the plant under the
best conditions after we start it, I
have talked with a number of Irvine
men in the east and they say for a
plant of the size of this one, it will re-
quire at least six expert irvine men
to oversee and superintend the manu-
facture of Irvine I am allowed but
three experienced men for this work
The remainder of the work will have
to be done by convict labor. 1 am not
certain how well the work will go until
the men get accustomed to it.
4 have not employed the experienced
men yet except Superintendent Meyers
of Peoria, who has managed the in
stallation of the plant, but 1 am on the
lookout for two more now.
"When in full operation the plant will
need 100 men. I expect to take these
men from the brick plant, the well and
from among the masOns. OF course
during the winter there is no large force
needed in these departments and it will
furnish employment for them
I had expected to buy a quantity of
Manila fibre but found that it was i'm
possible to get it at any price in New
York The agents of the big concerns
there say there is none being shipped
from the Philippines now. 1t may be
that later on the price will go down.
Just now they say the whole crop is
being held in the islands, but as soon
as matters get more quiet there. it will
be shipped down to Manila and eX-
ported
The fibre which purchased is in
large bales and looks more like baled
hay than anything else. AS soon as it
comes it will be stored in the new ware
house until we are ready to begin the
manufacture of the finished product.
I think we have enough raw fibre to
run the plant from now until the first
of the year when it is probable the
price will have gone down and we can
purchase a larger quantity"