Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-08

ne cut Il rev hldhkSs just tHbuSH 10
convince himself that they could be
made into buttons that would be ac-
cepted on the market. While con
Quoting these experiments he was
looked upon by those with whom he
came in contact as one not sound
mentally.
Out OF Fnnds.
He was now practically without
funds and he sought in VAN for some
time to interest someone with Sufici-
ent capital to start him in the but-
ton making business in a small way.
He coulG net speak English AMI he
found his task a hopeless che. Final
| ~ Il country man whose name h. does
not remember. WI q was then con
Quoting the MaucE II house. advised
him to learn the English language.
telling him that he could never sue
ceed till he did. 1t should be borne
| in mind that MIR. Boepple was at this
time a man of middle age and the
task of learning "A new language was
very formidable one to him.
| Seeing the wisdom of his friends
advice however, and fully determin-
ed TO succeed al any cost, he went to
the vicinity of Washington. Iowa,
where he hired out as farm hand in
an American family and there in two
years time obtained fair command
| of English and at the same time by
the most severe economy saved the
| sum of $500 with which he returned
| to Muscatine and began the manufac-
| ture of buttons i'm small way and
under many difficulties. Some of the
machinery used he had made and
some he brought from Europe. While
many improvements have been made
| i'm minor details connected with the
| business and many of them have been
made by Mr.. Boepple himself. the
principles used in the manufacture of
buttons are today the same as those
introduced 10 years ago by this deter
mined German.
When it was seen that Mr.. Boepple
had made success of his undertake
! ing those who had scofTed at him
were the first to start rival factories,
and i'm an incredibly short time the
industry grew till thousands were
making a living by means of the new
| industry.
The beginning of the manufacture
of buttons was followed by the rec
ognition of the commercial value of
fresh-water pearls which had never
been popularity supposed to be worth
picking up, and now many thousands
of dollars are made annually by clam
diggers from this source alone.
HusIness Now Slack,
just now there is a great dizziness
| in the business. whether a temporary
or permanent one remains to be
seen. The Muscatine News-Tribune,
which is at the center of the universe
50 far as the button business is con-
cerned, discusses the outlook in the
| following manner:
"Rumors are rife that there is dis
PLAYED considerable restlessness and
anxiety among the employees of the
various button factories regarding
the lowering of the present scale of
wages paid. As noted in the News
Tribune some time ago, there is
decided degree of dullnesS i'm the in
dustry at the present time, and all
kinds Of reports are afloat regarding
the future of the business in this city.
Some contend that the once flour
ishing business is on the decline. but
4 this view of the matter does not have
very many supporters. Others assert
that business is very duli and that
only the larger factories can survive
the present demoralized condition of
the button business. This view seems
, to have many adherents and will bear
! considerable investigation. While these
two opinions are given with all seri-
BUSINESS, it is stated by some that the
larger factories are in n measure ac->
countable for the present seeming
distress and that no relief Will be
forthcoming until the smaller factor
les, which have no capital and which
are operated at little cost because
rent and taxes are not among the ex-
penses. are closed up.
"Just what the difficulty is seems a
matter not clearly understood, but