Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-17
GREAT DEAL OF A GREAT MAN

largest cotton manufacturing business
, in the world, has again proved himself
the friend Of labor.
BY purchasing 500, 600 pieces of cotton
goods ait 27s cents he has foiled a con
spiracy to reduce wages, averted a strike
and saved an entire community from un-
deserved disaster.
This is not the first time that ''the
ca!ico king" has appeared as the cham
pion of dIae toilers against his fellow
manufacturers.
In 1891 he cleared out a glltted market
and saved $4,000 mill hands from idleness
and famine by buying $50, 900 pieces OF
cotton goods.
In February, 1897, he repeated the Op-
GRAFTON. This time he took the entire
stock held by the Fail River mias-750.-
600 pieCes-and paid Il 1000. coo for it. The
effect on THE market was an active de-
mani at advanced prices. What APP
PEAKED ngcst to Mt. Borden was the effect
on laEor-3, 500, 900 spif,dles working full
tine instead of half time.
In November. 1899. Mr.. Borden again
startled New England by compelling his
feilOW-manufacturers to advance wages
10 per cent. He had tried his usual rem
edy Of buying a large block of goods. but
his rivals had baked him by delaying
the completion Of the deal.
Determined that the army of wage
earnors should suffer no longer, and that
an talk Of q strike should cease. he vo.-
UNFAIRLY granted the advance of 10 per
cent to the 1000 hands employed in his
own enterprises-the Fall River iron
works and cotton m.Lls. and the Ameri-
can Print cC'mpany's works.
Only a month passed before the other
manufacturers of cotton goods, much t,
their disgust, We're compelled to follow
suit.
Fall River alone gained $4,000 a week
in wages by Mr.. Borden's action. and
throughout New England not less than
lCO,0OO operatives We're made prosperous
and happy.
And now. in 1900. 1.-THE calico king has
won another victory for labor. Again
the cotton goods market was in a peril
Gus condition. Again the m~iil-owners
were threatening to cut wages, and the
hands We're preparing to strike. New
England seemed on tine eve of an indus
trial cataclysin.
Mr.. BordeniS purchase of 500, 600 pieces
of cotton goods ait a total price of $780,
200. relieves the mills of over-produced
goods and stimulates the moribund mar
ket into activity.
AS each piece will run from 46 to so
yards. he has become the owner of u.s.
100000 yards of catton-enough to carpet
q foctpath from New York to San Fran
cisco five times over. But this is not
such a vast quantity to the man whose
W malls in a single year produce
enough calico to make a bandage round
the middle of the earth, with 5000 miles
to spare.
The story of Mr.. Borden's life makes
Interesting reading. He comes originally
Of French stock, and can trace his an
csstry back to ~Bourdonny, an ancient
village In Normandy. The first member
of his family to lane on British soil en-
tered england with William the Con-
queTor. and having served his majesty
Faithfully was rewarded with vast es-
tates in the County of Kent after the
overthrow of King Harold. From tina,
time until the middle pf the seventeenth
century the original Bordens lived in
England. steadily Increasing in wealth
and number of family.
In 1865. however. Richard Borden, who
then was the lord of the estate, came to
America and settled in Rhode Island.
With HIS emigration to this country the
family fortune was confiscated by the
Ensmsn and he was left ITO share the pr
Va;lons of the early %colonlsts. Finally
he married and the union was blessed
with a son. Matthew. the first child of
English parents to be born in Rhode
Island. From this point the family de-
scent lis authenticity recorded up to the
present time.
In spite Of his illustrious ancestry and
Fortune that smiled upon his forefathers.
the present Mr.. Borden was born in 1S42
amidst humble surroundings, endowed
only with the love of a devoted mother
and father and good health. When he
was quite a boy his father removed to
Fail River and there became a leader in
all that contributed to the success OF
hhe thriving Village. Later the elder Mr.
Borden went to the war and came our
decorated With the regalia of a colonel.
Young Matthew was sent to Phillips
academy ait Andover, Mass, to be fitted
for a Course of higher education. and
when his term was completed there he
went to Yale, graduating with honors in
the class of 1864.
AS soon as he had graduated he was
offered a position in tie stock DEPART
INERT of a New York dry goods store,
which he accepted and held for three
years, Until he became a partner In one
or the leading commission houses of the
metropolis. He continued q member of
this firm Until 1879, when it failed.
In 1866 he married Miss Durfee of Fail
River, and from this union there has
sprung seven children. only four of
Wt1aon are now living,
When questioned by a reporter of this
newspaper in reference to hts recent big
purchase. MIR. Borden replied: -
Il want to keep my people EMPLOYED.
my whole record is evidence of that. and
Ut is gratifying indeed if the transaction
will have that result. But It's a h,sina.s
venture. I may not make a dollar ana
I may have to accept a loss.
"Of course 10000 pieces per week are
Hcit sufficient to prevent oyerprod,,ctao,