The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-04-13
For The Good of Our Town.

gencies In business which canuot be pro-
vided against and that large losses are
liable to drop upon a manufacturer when
least expected.
One is moreover impressed with the
idea that 1t takes large capital to run
even moderate business when the mar
kets take freaks which pile up goods in
big stacks, awaiting favorable sales and
shipment, and he appreciates the steady
going, courageous, man who year after
pursues the even tenor of his ways and
keeps his workmen busily employed,
although they may gain upon the sales
men and fill his storehouse to the brim.
Our people awake to the importance
of the oil cloth factory in this town
when the burning shows the danger that
threatens all the buildings. and realize
to loose so important an industry, the
source of employment and means of
livelihood to so many people, and of such
signal advantage to the business and
Otner interests OF our town.
Our people more fully realize the adj
vantage of the steady work at the oil
cloth factory covering so many years. 1t
has continued so long and so constantly
that its loss would be little better than
calamity to those directly interested and
make big, uncomfortable gap In our
list of varied Industries that would be
sadly felt 10 many ways. They also APP
preciate the interest Mr.. Bailey and his
sons have taken in the welfare of their
workmen and the efforts they have made
to give them constant employment even
to the assuming of large risks and the
manufacturing of goods long distance
ahead of the market.
While this WAS to the special advant-
age of the workmen it also was of de-
cded advantage to the town and our
people generally, and this is taken into
account when the advantage of any
manufacturing enterprise is considered.
We have heretofore been favored with
a multiplicity of industries, some of
them moderate in size and none of them
very large but the aggregate has been
respectable, our people have usually
been well employed and thus our town
kept prosperous and in good condition
financially. May this condition long
continue with US. Every good citizen
should do everything in his power to
help to this end.
Mr.. Charles M. Bailey of the firm,
Charles Nj. Bailey's Sons and Company,
was in town, Saturday, looking over the
ruins of the large building destroyed by
fire Wednesday night of last week.
Several of our prominent citizens waited
upon him and made inquiry in regard TO
the prospect of his replacing the build
ing destroyed by fire aud to assure him
that our citizens are much interested in
the company continuing its work here.
We are not informed that any definite
conclusion has been reached yet in re-
gard to rebuilding. AT present the
llIllSutilE anu val lllSIlllS VI lht EO''dS
now being made, are done ut Winthrop,
and the other work moves on as before
the fire. This is of course an neon
venience and causes extra handling If
the goods aud extra freight expense.
MIR. Charles NJ. Bailey has been inter-
ested In the factory here "a years, com
ing here in 1865 because of the burning
of buildings in winthrop, and because
the buildings erected by A. & Z. Coburn
and for time used by them for the
same business, were available. The fac
tory has been run ever since that date
with great regularity, much greater
than is usual In such works. or IN feet,
in any manufacturing business. The
preference has been given 10 the old
hands and there are now nine men EN-
ployed who were employed on the start
in 1865, viz; Samuel Nash, G. H. Cush-
man, Simon Nudd, Thomas Dugan, G.
w. Nash, Nathan Sullivan, John Il.
Young, 5. p. Durrell and II. G.. Gage.
The first six named in this list came here
from Winthrop and were employees in
the Winthrop establishment. g. w.
Nash, the uperintendent, had worked
for the Baileys In Winthrop before he
entered the army and when mustered
out returned to their employ.
Supt. Nash informs ia that there are
76 men on the roll OF workmen now, and
of this number so are heads of families
and large part of these, "a, own their
homes here in town. They are very in
dustrious men and being here so long,
have strong attachments for the town
which, together with their property in
terests. would make the suspension of
work here cause of unusual hardship,
far beyond that Of the general run of
workmen In mills and factories, where
the conditions are widely different.
These men could not remain here in idle
ness and are not used to standing on the
street corners and railroad crossings,
waiting for something to turn up. They
are a class of citizens that no town can
afford to lose, and that any town or city
may well make effort to keep. There
are no better men in this town or any
other. Mr. Bailey and the other men,
hnr, 81 10 nv lisya no