The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-20
A BIC DAY At DUKE
Erwin Cotton Mill Started
With Capacity Of 35,-
900 SpindIes.
Splendid tSchool in Operation Big
Department Store--- New Church
es.--Fine Bank BuiIding---and
Everything For Modern Man
ufacturing Town.
ufacturing Town.
Especial to News and Observer.)

Duke, n. c., Nov. 19.-ThurSday
was a great day for Duke. Erwin
Cotton Mills Company's people and
their many friends and neighbors saw
the engine start which will run the
new No. mill. Since the summer
of 1902 this company has been at
work building the town and this new
mill. The people have watched the
progress with keen interest, and
Thursday a large crowd gathered to
see steam turned on for the first time.
They were not disappointed for at 2:30
O'Clock the engine started, cheered by
the clapping of hands from the visi-
tors.
AS result of eighteen months of
labor and the expenditure of a large
sum of money, what was q well TIM
bered woodland has been converted
into a town, now ready to accommo-
date three thousand people. In the
centre of the town stands the Erwin
Cotton Mills No. 2 now ready to begin
operations which will soon give en-
ployment to a thousand hands.
Duke is fifty miles from Raleigh on
the Cape Fear & Northern Railroad,
four miles out from Dunn. Situated
on a high plateau( shaded by long leaf
pines, and having climate similar to
that of Pinehurst and Southern Pines
"a healthier place could not be found.
In fact, the town was laid off with
the idea of having an up to date city
and nothing has been omitted. The
streets are one hundred feet wide.
There are about three hundred
houses, ranging in size from three to
ten rooms. These were built by the
company and are most substantially
constructed by modern plans and
painted in various tasty colorS. Each
house is provided with a lot large
enough for garden and every house
affords a comfortable and convenient
home desirably located for the opera
tives. In fact nothing bas been left
undone for the comfort of those who
are to live in these houses.
The Cole johnson CO., run a large
department store and keep everything
for sale that is needed for a good sub
Stantial living. They occupy the first
floor of the store building, which is
100 feet square, built of brick. The
second story is fitted up for a graded
school and auditorium. The school
department is made into five large
rooms. The auditorium is fitted with
all the up to date equipments and has
seating capacity of 1850. Finished
in native pine, hard oiled, lighted by
electricity heated by steam, we'll ven-
tilated and protected from fire by ap-
proved appliances-a more attractive
auditorium and school rooms could
scarcely be found.
The mills, which are the centre of
attraction, were planned by one of
the best mill architects in the New
England States. The buildings are
beautiful. The smoke stack stands
one hundred and sixty-one feet high
as monument to American enter
prise, not only to the capitalists, and
TO the inhabitants of Duke. but to the
country around. The outside of the
mill looks good but the interior is bet
ter. Well lighted and ventilated,
equipped with electric lights, steam
heat and the sprinkler system for fire
protection. So complete is the fire
protection that if fire should be
kindled inside the buildings and left
alone it void have great difficulty in
doing much damage. The mill ma
chinery is all entirely modern in every
detail and each machine is so arrang-
ed with reference to the other that
minimum handling of the stock will
be necessary.
The capacity of the mill will be
$500 spindles and sufficient looms to
consume their product. The latest
system of Humidifiers has been INSTALL
ed which facilitates the manufacture
of the goods.
A handsome bank building is soon
to be built for the Bank of Harnett.
which is at present doing business in
the store building. The people here
have always been busy, that is char
acteristic of the Duke people, but with
ing of the new store, the starting of
the school, and the increased force
in the mill help in making Duke
quite busy centre.
Two teachers have charge of the
school and are making a success of
it. The number of students have
been doubled in three weeks. The
church people have not been idle.
They have a live Sunday school and
are hard at work on their church
which they expect to have completed
by Christmas. This will be one of
the prettiest village churches any
where to be found and will seat 400
people. The Baptists have preacher
here and a good Sunday school. They
too, are raising money to build a
church. In less than a year we expect
to see four live, working churches
Methodist Baptist, Presbyterian and
Episcopal. The Episcopal congrega-
tion have their plans and are almost
ready to begin their building and they
will have regular services when the
church is completed.
Duke is not cut off from the sur
rounding country, but has graded
macadamized roads leading out in diff
ferent directions. A magnificent drive
leading from the mill to the new iron
bridge which spans the Cape Fear
river at Smiley's Fall mile and
half away, is one of the leading fea-
lures.
In Harnett county live some of the
hest people of the State. Farmers
wto have been successful have
branched out into other lines of trade
and have made themselves independ-
nj and are broad gauged and liberal
'inded men. To visit their homes