The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-10-02
A MODEL MILL OWNER.
Chicago Tribune.)

tChicago Tribune.)
once more the calico King of the
pls cotton manufacturing district of
massachusetts, has proved the good
angel OF the millmen Matthew c. D.
Berden, head of one of the greatest of
ran River Cotton mills, has bought
ooV'VVo pieces of cotton goods at rs
cents a yard and by doing so he has
otocheo an attempt of manufacturers
! 20 cut wages, has stimulated trade un-
II the great looms viii not have to
Snut uoWn, and directly has saved So
IVY persons from impending disaster.
as an example of now much this ac-
lIoh means TO the operatives of Fall
river and vicinity the case of Henry
5ootIory, slaSher< tender of Fall
river, is cited Tootlory is an expert
workman, but had been laid off two
weeks until Mr.. Borden'S purchase
started The wheels again One OF his
girls ana two of his boys are in the
Inlils, and the starting up of the in
uustry means $3.50 a week additional
income, the payment of a long deferred
doctors bill, new furnishings for the
mouse, and a better table.
AhIS is one family. From these il
may De gathered what the effect will
De IN a working population of $4,000
rms Is not the first time that Mr..
Bofden mas come forward to the help
! OF mlilmen when other manufactur-
/ ers were determined to squeeze them
| 10 lower wages or shut down the mills
/ for a period.
| In 1891 just such a condition as that
/ OF last week existed in the mill coun-
| try The market was glutted and stag
nant- Then, for the first time, Mr..
bofoen went into the market and
bought the $4,000 pieces of calico
which, by piling up, had threatened to
work trouble for the mill people.
In February, 1897. it looked as if the
operatives would be forced to work
half time only. There We're 10000
pieces OF cotton goods in stock in Fall
RIVER and manufacturers were shak-
ing their heads against piling up more
OF It A1r. Borden bought the last yard
( OF II, paying $1,000, 900 in cash for the
stock. The result was that 100000
( spindles went on whirring for full time
instead of half time, as had been
] threatened.
{ In November, 1899. stagnation ex-
listed Mr.. Borden sought to relieve it
as he had done before, but the men in
/ the conspiracy for lower wages baked
I him IN the effort to purchase stock. As
a recourse Mr.. Borden simply raised
( wages IN his own mills straight 10
/ per cent.
FAN River and the whole district was
! disturbed Operatives dissatisfied in
/ other mills came to Mr.. Borden, and
as far as possible places were found for
them. The Borden mills continued to
j run steadily, with the result that in
i thirty days every other manufacturer
/
| 10 per cent increase. This action af-
| fected 100000 operatives, and in Fall
J River alone the gain in wages was
! $25, 900 a week
! Mr.. Borden's recent purchase of 500,
! Geo pieces of cotton involved the ex-
! penditure of $4,000. Each piece runs
/ forty-six to fifty yards, soS@that he has
z, 100000 yards of cotton, or nearly 49,,
GOO miles of single width stuff
! Yet in one year Mr.. Borden's own
/ mile Of Hc
enough to belt the earth at the equa-
| tor. with 5000 miles to spare.
Mr.. Borden is modest in the face Of
! his action. He has turned aside the
praise of his admirers by saying that
he may yet make q profit on his pur-
] chase.
Il have wanted to keep my people
! employed" he said, simply. IF have
accomplished only so much I shall be
| satisfied. Yet il is a business venture,
too; L may make money on the deal.
! Again, of course, I may have TO &C
cept loss"
Fall River has been critical of the
situation which Mr.. Borden has just
; relieved. 1t charges conspiracy against
| wages on the part of the manufactur-
ers- Mill men ask why the whole coun-
/ try is prosperous-why the mills at
/ Lowell and Lawrence are running
steadily-and only Fall River affected?
! They say that Mr.. Borden'S purchase
4 may have been both shrewd and gen
/ erous. and not a millman in the town
! would fail to congratulate him If he
! should come out of the deal with a
/ handsome profit. His print mills are
| running full time, and if cotton should
go up he can have gray goods cheaper
! than he could afford to weave it in his
own mills.
1t is generally conceded that Mr..
I Borden's purchase has averted seri-
Gus strike. Operatives in these times
of prosperity would have been in a
mood TO resent a cut. such as was pro-
posed. A long tie-up of the industry
almost certainly would have followed
a cut in wages. This situation has
been averted for time at least.
The Borden mills are of the largest
in Fall River. He uses A., 600 bales of
cotton annually, and last year pro-
duced III. 600 600 yards of cotton goods.
The founder of these mills is so years
old and son of the founder of the cot
ton industry in Fall River Socially
Mr. Borden is a New Yorker, and he
has a beautiful home at % West Fifty
sixth street. This house is marked for
its hospitality and its festivities in
season
Two of Mr.. Borden's sons are in bust
ness with him at Fall River. a third
son has been graduated as a physician
While the operatives at Fail River
are the loyal hackers OF Mr. Borden
the manufacturers of the district have
no love for him or for his methods.
| He is flying in the face of his bust
ness rivals said a Fail River man
He scarcely knows how deep are then
feelings against him. Last year, II
II forcing . 10 per cent increase in wages
for mill hands, he raised them from
the level of existence to one of some
/ comfort. Men who have been working
10 break down the wage schedule vii
not forget that action. 1t undid muci
of what they already had done. If h
should fail there would be rejoicing il
! the district on the part of his rivals
but it would be a gloomy day for TIL
men, women and children who delve il
the mills of the city
Mr Borden has a firm. kind face anC
a pair of keen, gray eyes. He knows
what he is dOinP and 1t is with a feel
ing of pride that he recognizes the ad
miration Of every workingman in hi!
home city.