The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-14
LOYAL TO WORKMEN
IF 1T WERE NOT FOR THIS SENTI
NIENT GOV. CRANE WOULD BE
IN THE CABINET
LAB0RERs HELP HIS SECRET
BY Preventing Discovery of Inven-
ton for Making Paper for Money
They Have Built His Fortune
and Earned GratefuIness.
FROM THE GLOBE BUREAU,
EzyaSI,iu pfnn n q

EROM THE GLOBE bGAEAOy
Washin etOa, ID. C.
WASHINGTON, d. C., April 13.-At the
treasury department last Tuesday it was
announced that the annual contract had
been let for the paper on which the
money and checks Of the government are
printed. At the same time it was an
nounced that there was but one bid,
that of Crane & Co, of Dalton, Mass,
and that the price was the same as the
previous contract.
For many years the story has been the
same. theoretically the contract is let
on the competitive basis to the lowest
and best bidder. The competition is open
to all; but, as a matter of practice, and
of history, there is never but one bid
that of Crane & Co., of Dalton. This
firm has practically a monopoly of the
business of making paper for the money
of the United States.
The reason for the absence Of compe-
tition is we'll known. There is a secret
process employed in making the paper,
and up to this time this is the only firm
which has been able to conform with the
governments requirements.
In the discovery Of the process and the
keeping of the secret has lam the for
tune Of one man, at least, and the pros
perity of an entire community. w. Muir
ray Crane, now governor of MassachU-
setts invented the threaded paper used
for bills. This was nearly twenty years
ago He was then young man, and
had fallen heir to small paper making
business in the little village of Dalton,
a few miles from Pittsfield up among
the Berkshire hills Of Western Massa-
chusetts.
RecIuse During Time of Studies.
He was not what would be called a
rich man; there was simply a small pa
per business for him to manage. But
he threw himself into the work with all
his soul He labored twelve and sixteen
hours a day, and at one time while per-
fecting his new process he was practical
~ a recIuse from the world for many
weeks. With the first government con-
tracts the profits began to come, and
for twenty years the paper mills at Dal-
ton have grown in capacity and impor-
lance.
Meantime w Murray Crane was be
coming a very rich man. He did not
| appear to be interested in this fact; he
was devoted to his business, and labored
| at his desk in Dalton as many hours rs
| his hardest worked employee. AS his
! wealth accumulated he invested 1t in
! the business and in property in Pitts
| almost every money making enterprise
/ in the western part Of the state, and his
| acquaintance and connections extended ia
| Boston. Many offers were made him to
| leave Dalton and become connected with
! business firms in Boston; but he always
| declined. He was devoted to his work
! and his people at Dalton, and did not
care particularly for enlarged business
! connections.
! Similar overtures from Wall street were
| turned down. His great wealth was only
| an incident to him; it had come and ne
kept busy handling it. His pleasure
was in doirG, not in spending.
His Tastes Like Presidents.
Everyone who has ever seen w Muir
| ray Crane agrees that his chief personal
| trait is modesty. He seems to shrink
| from publicity. His political honors have
come to him much as his wealth did. He
| met men and was an ardent doer oil
| things, and the office Sought his executive
| talents and demanded that he serve
| Roosevelt is q great admiTer Of Crane
and was sadly disappointed mat he coulC
not have him in his ca~-net to succeed
| Long. But to Crane acceptance would
| have meant giving up Dalton, the busi-
ness which he had built up and the en-
| ployes whom he had gathered about him
! and who had served and been faithful to
him for many years. For without great
| personal fidelity it would have been i'm
possible to preserve the secret of his
| process all this time.
The treasury portfolio was the first one
| offered to Crane, and the reasons which
induced him to decline seemed to him tc
| apply also to the navy secretaryship
| Roosevelt is still anxious to have Crane
| in his cabinet Aside from his business
| capacities Crane is the kind Of mar
| Roosevelt likes. He has tastes which arc
| similar and likes and appreciates good
! books and pictures. If Crane would say
/ the word there is no doubt he could have
| a portfolio at any time.