Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-01
One Of Burlington's Institutions
Would Move to Ottumwa.
PLANT OF THE ]. D. HARMER co.
Mr.. Harmer In the City Today-Wants
$4,000 and Four Acres Of Ground
He Is Receiving Much
Encouragement.

Ottumwa has it in her power to Sc.
cure another large factory OF wide
reputation and Importance in the COM
mercial world. The latest opportunity
in this direction is the plant of the J.
ID. Harmer & Co., at present located at
Burlington, and engaged in the manu-
facture of lumber, sash, doors, blinds,
stair work and Office and interior lin
ishings. If the plant is moved to OF
tumwa, the product of the same would
be that now manufactured at Burlng
ton, with the exception of The lum-
Der.
Mr.. Harmer, who is in the city today,
has inducements to come to Ottumwa,
and the object OF his visit here today
is to talk with some of the business
men of the city, and ascertain what
can be done in the matter. The re-
moval of the plant from Burlington,
he says, has become almost necessary,
or at least the saw mill portion of it.
The supply of logs in the north, Mr..
Harmer says, is becoming SO limited
that the company finds it impossible
to obtain it's raw material from shat
source and meet competition. The
saw mill will be moved south where
all kinds of timber used in the manu-
facture of the products of this factory
is obtainable in unlimited quantities.
The factory will be retained in the
north, that portion of the country
which constitutes the territory for the
sale of it's products. Illinois, Iowa, the
| Dakotas, Missouri and Nebraska are
the principal states covered by this in
stitution, altho it's output is soli in
many other northern and western
states. The lumber could be Slipped
from the saw mill in the south direct
to the mill in Ottumwa, and with the
advantage Of freight rates which are
obtainable in this city, manufactured
and placed on the market at a very low
| figure. The lumber would be obtained
in a portion OF the country where tim
Der is plentiful, and thus reduction
in the manufactured article would be
made from that source.
| Mr.. Hammer said that since he had
announced his intention of leaving
Burlington he had received a number
Of communications from different cit
les, both in the north and in the south,
where the plant is desired. Ottumwa
/ is included in this list, hence his visit.
The removal of the factory will entail
considerable expense, and the city se-
curing it will be compelled to Gssist in
this outlay, Mr.. Harmer estimates that
lit will cost him $4,000 to move, and
the, city securing the factory will be
compelled to give him this much Of a
donation, besides furnishing him at
least four acres of ground, convenient
| to railroad switches, on which to
build.
i Schedule of Wages and Sales.
4 Mr.. Harmer has prepared the follow.
| ing schedule showing the number OF
men employed, the amount of wages
paid out and the amount of sales by
the j. D. Harmer Manufacturing com.
pany, from 1891 to 1899. inclusive:
!. Wages in 1891, $2o,27s.57; average
number of men employed, 60.
Il Wages in 1892, $27,642.09; average
number of men employed, 10.
4 Wages in 1898, 29,192.s3; average
number OF men employed, IS.
Wages in 1894, $2s,s21.27; average
number OF men employed, IS.
Wages in 1895, $30,239.04; average
number of men employed, 100.
Wages in 1896, S45,s6s.61; average
number of men employed, $50.
Wages in 1897, $45,453.40; averag.
number of men employed, 1856.
Wages in 1898, $57,7s4.5o; average
number Of men employed, 100.
Wages in six months, 1899, $24 ,345 3S;
average number of men employed
100.