Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-03-19
A Chicago Man Offers to Place a
Wooden Manufacturing Plant in
the City Of Lewistown.
HE WILL FURNISH MACHINERY
Wants the City to Furnish the Neces.
sary Factory Buildings and Some
Working Capital.


of Chicago, who states that he has
until lately owned and operated a
wooden mill in Illinois and is now
DESTROYS Of securing a location in
Montana. In his letter Mr.. Harpold
says:
Chicago. ILL.,, March 10, 19O2.-To
the Mayor, Lewistown, Mont. Dear
Sir: | have a first-class WOODEN mill
in this state, which was built only a
few years ago at a cost of $40,0 0G
and the machinery is about as good
as new today, and all of the latest and
most improved machines, but for vaIi-
GUS reasons wooden mills in this state
have become Improbable, while | am
told that there is a great opening in
Montana for such business; in fact.
| know Of one man who owned a NAL
In this state nothing like as good or
valuable as the one | have, who went
ut to your STATE and come of yoa.
citizens got together and formed a
company, they putting in sufficient
money to put up a suitable building
and also enough for working capital,
he putting in his machinery, thay
making a fair and equitable division
of the stock. This was just last sum.
mer, and | am told they are getting
along nicely and making money fast
and all parties satisfied, and the town
and community benefited, for such a
mill properly managed helps every
body.
| write to ask IL you would kindly
tell me il you think your town would
be a good location for a first-class
wooden mill. If so, do you think a
company could be formed on the same
plan or basis as the one I referred
to; that is, that | furnish the machin.
cry on the cars all free and clear
of debt. AS to the value we can cas-
lily agree upon that, and your people
furnish money to put up a suitable
building and for working capital.
II this interests you please men,
tion it to some of your citizens who
would likely take hold of such an en-
terprise and ask them to write me.
II you don't care to bother with it,
will you please give me the names
Of good parties that | may write to?
To parties interested | will send a
complete list of all machinery | have
and there certainly is a lot of it. As
Montana is such a great wool produc-
ing state, by manufacturing the goods
there, and by that mean saving the
freight on the wool east and also on
the goods coming west, together with
the profit made by several middle
men, there can be no question but
that II the business is properly man
aged 1t would be very profitable. AS
you see, | am not asking one dollar,
and all the money put In by your peo-
pie will be used right in your town
to the great benefit Of everybody in
the community, in fact, in this part
of the country the citizens and the
property owners are usually willing
to donate the ground and buildings
necessary for such an enterprise, 80
II your city is desirably located for
such a business and such a donation
could be secured, the parties there
would only have to furnish the work
ing capital, which they could safely
afford to do, las you know the wool
and labor must be paid before we
have goods to sell to bring in money!.
AS | am not familiar with construc.
ton in your section l hardly know
what the buildings should cost, but
at a rough estimate on the whole en-
terprise | should say that the build.
ings necessary would cost 10000,
my machinery, 5000; working CAP.
ital. $25, 900 to $4,000.
Trusting that you will give this
matter your consideration and that !
may hear from you at an early date,
am, very truly yours.
e. C. HARPoLD,
SO Dearborn St., Chicago, Ill.
The reference made in the letter
to a similar enterprise In Montana
is the wooden mill at Big Timber,
which by all reports is turning out
to be a pronounced success. The
proposition seems to be a reasonable
one and there is no valid reason why
the operation of such a plant here
should not be attended with success
after it has been placed in thorough
working order. An argument ad
vanced by some is that the high price
OF labor would make the operation OF
a wooden mill impracticable, but OF
the other hand 1t should be borne in
mind that there is a large saving in
transportation on the raw material
and freight on the manufactured ar
ticle.
The cost of transporting the product