The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-21

If there was ever any question of
the desirability of the Scranton Bolt
and Nut works as an addition to the
industries and investment opportuni-
ties OF Scranton, that doubt was re-
moved at the first annual meeting of
the company. held Saturday
President w. ID. Zehnder's report
contained a statement to the effect
that during the six months the works
have been in operation both mill and
factory have been working practically
day and night and at that there were
as many orders refused as taken. AS
an evidence that this was not an acci-
dental or temporary spurt, according
to the views of the management. the
directorate approved unhesitatingly of
President Zehnder's plan of enlarging
the works, by increasing the size of
the factory, putting in new machines
and hiring more hands.
When the works started out last No
vember it was thought that 200 would
be the maximum number of hands en-
ployed the first year. At present there
are 1926 hands employed and as the
extension of the works are to be rush
ed through with all possible haste, it
is expected another half hundred hands
will be added to the already $4,000 n
month pay roll.
OLD DIRECTORS REFLECTED.
The meeting was largely attended,
1850 of the 1900 shares being repre-
sented. Luther Keller presided over
the stockholders meeting. The board
of directors was reelected, and that
in turn reelected the old officers. The
| officers and directors are: President,
w. d. Zehnder; vice president, Chas.
ii. Welles; secretary and treasurer, l..
NJ. Horton; general superintendent, e.
NJ. Zehnder; directors, W. D. Zehnder,
| J. a. Lansing, Charles u. Wellts, John
| Jermyn, T. II. Watkins, Q. S. Johnson,
L. NJ. Horton.
The stockholders expressed them
selves as highly gratified with the re-
! suits of the opening year, and the
| prospects for the future. Although
| the mills and factory have been rush.
! ed and the workmen for the most part
new hands, the volume of work turned
out was remarkable, and the product
was uniformly satisfactory.
The trade extends in all directions,
| and even as far as Cuba and Mexico.
| While there is just at present a stag
| nation in the iron business, owing to
| the disturbance caused by the Ameri-
| can Wire Nail company's depression of
| New York stocks, there is no question
| but that there is a large volume of
| business in suspense awaiting the res
| toration of confidence that will surely
and quickly come, according to the best
authorities. The necessities of the
trade are as large as they were before
the disturbance, and when business re-
sumes its normal conditions the re-
sumption will be another big and last
| ing boom.
President Zehnder came in for warm
| congratulation on the success which
he was enabled to report. Especial
| commendation was forthcoming for the
manner in which the construction of
| the plant was carried out Ground was
broken June l. 1899. Six months later
the mill was in operation, and month
after this the factory was turning out
| the finished product. All this was ac-
complished too, in the face of a strike
in the building trades and boom in
the machinery business, which made il
| difficult to secure the filling of orders
at boom prices, let alone the low anti
boom prices, at which, through Presi-
dent Zehnder's foresight, the Bolt and
Nut works machinery was purchased.
FORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE
| A fortunate circumstance, which
| President Zehnder was pleased to re-
port, was that while excavating for the
bed of a tram in the rolling mill a sub
| terranean stream was uncovered which
| furnishes sufficient water for every
purpose except making steam, and there
is enough for this purpose, too, if they
wanted to take the risk of using it in
the boilers. The chemists to whom Il
has been submitted say, while it is not
| free from corrosive elements, 1t is not
impregnated to such a degree as to
make it dangerous.
1t is deemed best, however, to avoid
the risk of injuring the boilers, and
the city water in consequence is used
The saving this stream effects can be
figured when it is stated that 200, 0OC
gallons of its water is being used daily