The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-26
CAN'T Be SHUT I. { OFF i
Washburn-Crosby Mill at Buffalo a
Big Thing, for Minneapolis
800. -.: Interests. - a..
Freight Congestion at Chicago Will
Not Affect Supplies for
Big Market.

The entry OF. the :Washburn Crosby
company into the eastern milling field
marks the most important development Of
years in the flour industry. It means the
invasion by powerful western interests of
the richest consuming territory in Amer
lea. .,..5s
There are In the west many new points
rising into some prominence as milling
centers. While they can never be great
producing points, they will always cut
some figure. Here Minneapolis capital is
already in control or working into con-
troll. The Washburn-Crosby company, or
its officers individually are already inter-
ested In mills In Montana and Idaho, in
Wichita, Kan, and Toledo, Ohio.
The new mill at Buffalo will have a
daily capacity to start Of 5000 to 5000
barrels. Eventually there will be a grain
elevator erected, and following this it is
likely a. large warehouse for the storage
Of flour will be erected. The company has
gone. into the east to hold business in
what Is at once the richest and the hard
est territory in the country.
James S. Bell. president of. the COM
pany, said this mornings
Buffalo can never even approach Min
neapolis as a milling center or as point
offering advantages for the erection of
flour mills. From our Minnea polls mills
we now distribute flour over a wide ter
ritory where no mill in Buffalo could pos
sibly compete We send 1t to New Or
leans and Denver, Milwaukee and Chi
cago and hundreds Of other points and no
mill in Buffalo wha tever it's capacity
could ever get this business, for natural
conditions favor MinHeapoils,, and this
city will always hold itsiown and will con
tinue to grow. We: expect to- enlarge our
local plants from time to time rs years
pass. - a.! ~>" a.. q. 80
The greatest flour consuming territory
in America lies within an arc drawn east
and south $50 miles with Buffalo as CEN
ter. Here is. the densest population In
the United States. Insthis territory or
just on the borders lie such points as
Erie, Albany; Syracuse, 'Pittsburg and the
numerous smaller but important cities
in New York and northern Pennsylvania,
besides which the country is thickly set
tied. The consumption Of flour in this
territory local to Buffalo is enormous.
Minneapolis has never had her full share.
There are large mills In Buffalo and small
-four mills all through the east: We are
going for this trade. There will be a
warehouse where great shipments Of flour
from Minneapolis can be held for dis
tribution, and there will be mill where
we can make flour. This may be an
aggressive policy on our part, but 1t is
a. characteristic Minneapolis policy. We
simply have got to get that business.
The advantages will be that In times OF
congestion such as we have witnessed
when railroads are choked with freight
and things are in bad shape, we will be
able to hold our trade there. Sixty pei
cent Of the feed and >millstu1s,
products Of our mills,7goes east of Buf-
falo anyway. We are getting big. Min
neapolis is getting big. There must be
no possibility Of conditions arising where
a rich consuming territory can+be cut OH.