The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-15
FAvORS TOPEKA.
SilverWare Manufacturer Tells
Why He Would Locate Here.
Absence of Open Saloons the
Great Inducement.
AN IMMENSE PLANT.
Says 1t Would Cost 100000
or More.
Commercial Club DispOses of
Much Business.
AN IMMENSE PLANT.

Walter G. Tucker. an expert in the
manufacture of silverware. now located
at Cincinnati, desires to establish an
extensive factory in Topeka for the
manufacture OF silver and electro-plate
] articles on a cooperative plan, and the
idea was presented to the Commercial
/ club last evening in a letter from Mr.
/ Tucker.
The plant which Mr.. Tucker proposes
/ would require a capitalization of $780,,
/ OO0 and he claims it would give en-
! pIoyment to 200 people the first year
and 1000 people at the end Of five years,
/ at an average wage Of $3.50 per day. The
/ letter is lengthy one and in 1t Mr.
! Tucker advances some unique reasons
/ Tor wishing to locate his plant in To-
/ peka. He says he is unable to capital
| ize his company himself. and he desires
the assistance Of Topeka. men to aid in
| securing the necessary capital. Among
other things he says in his letter:
1.-The writer is a nephew of Henry G..
Heed, OF Taunton, Mass, senior member
| Of the firm of Reed & Barton Co., sill
versmiths, founded in 1924, and has been
| engaged in that business over q years
| IN the factory. and as representative of
/ leading silverware factories throughout
wide range of territory reaching from
| Maine to Texas, and from the lakes to
/ the Gulf of Mexico.
Since the fall of 1893, at which time
| the approaching financial depression
/ temporarily set aside the project plans
4 an up-to-d date sterling silver and fine
! electro-plate mandatory on the most
advanced lines of artistic and mechani-
/ cal ideas, united with the plan of profit
sharing by the employees, in addition to
/ a nominal wage as high as paid else
| where in the country.
This industry is the queen Of manu-
| IacturlnS lines and one of the most pro-
| htable in existence. It will bring the
! finest class of artist mechanics to any
city where it is located and be worth in
ten years an increase of ten thousand
/ in the population, bringing the most re-
! fined, homecoming class of the east to
such a city.
my original intention was to locate
! the projected plant in the vicinity of
| Boston where l was invited by interest
/ ed towns to address their local boards
| of trade on the subject; but having had
to hold my plan IN allegiance until such
/ time as the finances and commercial
/ industries of this country were on a SOL
! id basis, engaged in the meantime to
/ represent the Underwriters Fire Extin-
/ gulSher company, of Boston, in order to
/ keep myself wholly aloOf from silver
/ ware manufacturers, many of whom
/ knew this project. This enabled me to
/ study the middle west where I have
/ been principally located, and to radical
/ ly change my intention of projecting
/ this enterprise in the east, where my
| home still remains. The center of pop
/ ulation in the United States is now in
/ middle Indiana. No large silverware
]
| west of New York city. The class of
! artisans employed in the manufacture
of sterling silver and fine plate earn
| very high average wage and are diff
cult to secure where they have to move
| long distances, but where the object to
! be attained is of sufficient magnitude to
outweigh such disadvantages this could
! be overcome.
It would like to state right here that
my reason for writing to you at this
! time is because have been very deeply
impressed with certain statements made
| concerning the high character of your
city. Being a man Of sterling Christian
principle and thoroughly convinced that
goodness is profitable in fact the most
profitable thing on earth, when incor-
| porated in every element of Tnanufac-
turing and business dealings, the writer
| has fully determined that no liquor or
bar goods, or goods used in gaming or
the vices will be manufactured by this
company. The fact that the statement
is made that Topeka is the only city on
earth which does not contain single
saloon appeals very strongly to me as
a reason, connected with the other
physical, geographical, social and COM
mercial advantages of your city why
/ you ought to be able to draw the very
finest class Of citizens in America to
| your doors, and believe if once a high
grade of manufacturing located there,
of which the silversmith's art is a tvDi-
cal example, it would ultimately draw
other high class manufactures, such as
your city.
There is no reason, If you have ad-
Vanced business men alert enough to
investigate thoroughly this projected
enterprise and lay a solid foundation
/ for it's inception. why it cannot be
| brought within your city gates Being
New England man, no inducement
could tempt me to locate such a fac
tory in the city of Cincinnati The con-
/ dllonS here are entirely antagonistic
/ both as relates to the physical and
moral atmosphere, to the project and
plans which 1 have in view. Ny idea
IS 10 round plan on such high and
advanced lines relating to the moral
and material welfare of all connected
with such an institution as will develop
! the latent talents of the finest minds
among artists and artisans and bind
/ them and the stockholders together in
/ indissOluble bonds, increasing the
profits of all, and being an object les
son to the world. The National Cash
Register company. of Dayton, has Of
! late carried out this idea to a. large ex-
tent and I will request them to forward
you a copy of their New Era in Manu-
/ featuring" which embodies many of the
/ ideas have had in mind for years
THE capital required will be at least
/ $780, 600 for a primary foundation Two
! hundred hands ought to be EMPLOYED
! the first year after the factory is built
/ and one thousand in five years The
! average wage will be in the neighbor-
/ hood of $3.50 per day, q very high av-
erage considering that many ladies and
/ girls are employed. One young eastern
concern made so per cent. on its cap
ital stock in 1892, just before the de-
preston in business. No company has
started in the manufacture of sterling
I silver during the last twenty-five years
1 that has not made a success Of the bust
ness, no matter how poorly managed.
/ The production of silver for household
and art use is just in it's infancy The
solution of the silver question is the
silver manufacturing question. We are
\ just in the dawn of the Silver Age.
If after a conference with the lead
/ ing business men of your city who
would be glad to see such an enter
prise established in Topeka, you de-