The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-03-14
THE SHOE FACTORY.

The announcement last Saturday
morning that a Judgment for 5000 had
been entered and execution issued n
gainst the Main Shoe Company, Limit
ed, OF this place, met with universal
! regret.
The Main Shoe Company, Limited,
was organized two years ago as limit
ed co-partnership presenting capital
of $ll 500, more than $1,000 of which
was raised by the people of Middle
burg. The plant of the Main Shoe
Company Of Catawissa, Pa, was NOV
ed to this place and large building
wase erected and additional machinery
was purchased until the outfit was
quite complete. BY the time the build
ing and machinery was paid, the capi-
tai stock was exhausted and no funds
had been provided for the purchase or
leather and other material and wages
for putting the manufactured product
on the market until money from the
sale OF goods would rcplcnish a depict
cd treasury. In order to meet the ex-
lgencies of the occasion, the board of
managers made themselves personally
responsible for several thousand dollars
to put the institution on a working
basis.
Being compelled to install inexperi-
enced labor and consequently Obliged
TO throw an inferior quality of shoes ON
the market ut considerably less than
cost and having paid an unwarrnnt.d
amount as bonus, the first six months
run of the factory showed the loss of "A
very large amount.
Being provided with industry and
zeal, the management borrowed more
mfIey and set In with renewed energy.
TIE employees by this time had me-
81 Ssd- more skill and the product
dhed out was Of = better quality and
net with . ibetter sale, but the expense
connected with securing orders was 40 4.
great and haviRg been unfortunate In :.
not being able to collect some bad ac-
counts, a little loss was reported at the
end of the next six months.
In order to stop n heavy leak and
make all the discounts, which in the ,
shoe business are very large, ,G. Alfred
Schoch, the president Of the board of
managees, advanced of his own money
and in six months time had saved
in discounts alone, no less than $500.
The next six months ending with
last January showed larger orders, but
the balance was on the wrong side of
the ledger. There were evidertly leak,
that batiled the good skill of the mana
cement.
Here WAS debt of $1,000 held by the
First National Bank of this place,
while the president Of the board Of
managers had magnanimously used
$1,000 OF his own money to temporarily
float the sinking ship across t he
troubled waters But all in vain. The
faith of Others was not rs strong as that
of the big-hearted president. The crash
came and it must be met. The debts
are 5000 to the First National Bank,
$4,000 to Il. Alfred Schoch and $1,000 to
city firms. The $1,000 put in by the
people of Middleburg, unfortunately, is
lost as the sale of the factory, ma
chinery, TOOLS shoes and the collection
Of a counts due will scarcely realizes
sufficient sum to pay the debts.
This in brief is the history of rise and
and fall of Middleburg's only industry.
While it has proved Improbable to the
let the building stand as
Il monument to the industry, zeal
and loyalty Of the people of Middle
burg, to her industrial development.
Sixty or seventy loyal sons and daugh-
ters contributed their hard-earned mites
toward the establishment of this enter
prise.
While these people now will be de-
prived OF their stock, let them not also
be deprived oil the factory. They have
from their meagre store the
sum of 5000 and the least considera-
ton they can now ask is that the fac
tory be bought by home capitalists, the
business be thoroughly recognized,
and by careful management placed on
. paying basis as other shoe factories
are and the manufacture of shoes con-
IT, Led in Middleburg.
I The effects of the Main Shoe Com
pany, Limited, must be sold and those
who have contributed the $4,000, have
q right to expect that the factory will
be continued. The Posi- hopes it will.
birthdav narfv VIVA given Mt H.