The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-26

varied greatly from to-day's. Trans
portation was the largest and most
difficult question. For such raw ma
terials or parts as must be brought in
from the east, Minneapolis manufac-
turers had then to pay comparatively
large freight charges. Fuel for power
was high when brought in by rail;
and most of the manufacturers had to
depend on coal for steaming. Elec-
trio power, which has made a multi
plication of small industries possible,
and which has greatly facilitated the
operation of many large plants, was
then unknown. Shipping facilities
were also rneager, and the market for
any line Of Minneapolis manufactures
was limited, both by this cause and the
lack Of consuming population in any
territory, not reached by competitors
under better conditions The only ter
ritory reached by rail where Mime
apolis manufacturers felt that they had
any particular advantage was on the
lines of the St. Paul & Pacific to
northwestern Minnesota, and North
Dakota; and here the population, in
1878, was very limited. ...
A Quarter-Century's Development.
A perusal of the list of manufac-
turers Of 1878. with the understand
ing that many of them produced in a.
very crude way (making goods of lin
tied variety and in small quantities) =.
conVinces one that the most striking
development of the past twenty-five
years in Minneapolis manufacturing
has been in the ability Of the city
to provide for its own needs. One has
only to look over the business directory
of to-day and note the articles made
here in 1903 which must of necessity
have been imported in 1873 to arrive
at a very vivid idea of this fact. Prac-
tiCally all of the. essentials are now
made in Minneapolis; the city is as
near being self-supporting as TWEEN
tieth century community can we'll be.
Beginning with foods, Minneapolis
produces flour, cereal foods, meats,
sugar, bread, cheese, butter, con-
densed milk, extracts, lard, pickles,
sa1er kraut, preserves, vinegar, mac
aroni, and all kinds of liquors. Every
variety of clothing for men and wom-
en-, including underwear and hosiery,
and hats, caps, gloves and shoes, is
people and their commercial enter
prises q large variety of building ma
terial IS produced-lumber, brick
stone, lime, cement and glazed pipe
various plumbers supplies, all kinds
Of iron work, elevators, electrical ap-
paratus and machinery in great
variety Furniture for home and bust
common articles, a great many special
ties in the furniture line are made
A factory of almost any kind may
be fitted out complete in Minneapo-
lis, for engines, shafting, betting, and
great variety of machinery for wood
working, Touring, or other industries
are made here. The farmer may OBJ.
tain supplies of almost every kind Of
agricultural implement from a pillow
or farm wagon to q complete threshe1
outfit-all made In Minneapolis. The
city Is the largest producer Of linseec
oil in the country, and has become
a considerable paint manufacturer
All kinds of cooperage is produced II
quantity. There are few things no
made in Minneapolis which could no
be dispensed with for. time with
out particular inconvenience.
Some rather odd things, and diff
cult of explanation, are made here
For instance, the city is the center o
artificial limb manufacture for TIN
United States. why 1t should be.
leading maker of sauer kraut, when i
Is not center of German population
is also an open question. The making
of knit goods and WOODEN blanket
has developed, without any special 10
cal reasons. to be a great industry.
One of the developments of manu-
featuring during the first decade o
the quarter century was the scatter
Ing of factories to suburban locations
This was due to the rapid growth o
individual concerns and to the rapit
advance in real estate prices. EXpan
sion was imperative in many instances
and it was natural to seek cheap loca
tions in outlying districts. It was ais
necessary in many cases to locate upol
railroad lines for convenience in re
ceiving and shipping. The invention
Of the telephone and the electric stree
car made this change in manufactur
ing locations easy. The move brough
into existence the manufacturin,
suburbs of ST. Louis Park and Hop
kins, and led to the development o
other districts considerably distan
from the business center.
Coincident with the tendency to es
tablish manufacturing establishment
of the larger kind in suburban loca
tions came the development of tn
small manufacturing business il
groups in large buildings. In 1873 al
manufacturing was small; but tn
shops were for the most part scat
tered. Where they used power it wa
steam power, operated at large com
narrative cost. The first notable NOV,
towards consolidation of plants wa
when the Island Power company pu
up a building on Nicollet island il
1882. This building was supplied will
power from the East Side dam, ai1t
has always been filed with small man
ufacturing establishments, which hav
al he n