Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-04-17
A CITY
OF STEEL
WORKERS

that the government will lend ever,
material aid to the plans Of the Unit
ed States Steel corporation to estab
lish mammoth plant in Lake county
at site near Indiana Harbor. an,
which Is 90 be known as Gary. Tn,
Information received here is to the ef
feet that Secretary Taft. who has auth
ority to fix deep harbor lines In th,
absence Of action by congress. will dc
SO unless this congress makes the ne
cessary provision for the work. T.. n
Gary, chairman of The executive com.
mittce of the United states steel cor
poration. it is said. was in consultation
with Congressman Chumpackcr for sew.
eral days this week. and the assurance,
given by Dim and received from Sec.
retary Taft, leave no doubt that the
work ou thc big plan will be begun at
once and pushed rapidly to compile.
tior.
The steel corporation has not asked
any aid from the government. nor any
bonuses from the people Of Lake coun.
t', bot DO has purchased hundreds Of
acres VI land st enormous priccs and
propose to eypord si4OUn.UUU On its
new plant one Of che first steps will
DO 60 erect a large number Of cottages
for OBJ" men who will bo engaged TN
construction, and these will afterward
bc occupied hy che men who will end
permanent employment iu the big mills
ne be- che intention 90 Incorporate iu
th.s state. and tfIs branch Of tho cor.
rofatioh will be- known as che Indiana
Steel company The immense purchau
es of land and che large scale on which
tho plant BE- projected are The forcfuu
ncrs of q gradual concentration of the
energies of ibc corporation iu Indiana
Tor ii is understood that a number of
small plants throughout tho country
are 90 be abandoned. The employees NOV
cd 20 Gary and the capacity u ths
plant increased till Il will be- the lafg
ssi of be kiBd 90 the world
Tho coming Of the gigantic corpora
iioh With Ice millions of money % Ia
wee, has worked great change In
Lake county 10 has proved as good
as an oil book 20 the land owners. With
the added project of being very much
more permanent, reH years ago the
lands ia and around the site of ths|
proposed mills could have been bought
for a song, aud IL was rare 70 hnd a
piece of land that was Assessed fof
taxation at more than geo or s25 ah
acre. The hFst purchases By the cor
poFation were at hguFes close around
tho 900 mark. Thea land began 90
soar and many farms we're sold at
500 and $3.50 an acre. while 10 some
Instances as mush as $3.50 au asFs was
paid Tor land that was absolutely !
aeeessaTy % round out the tract which |
.te corporation desired, The negotia
ions for this land began less than
ia months ago, and men who were
loor and always expected 20 b. poor
Z they depended upon the land Cad
themselves with small fortunes 10
,and and free from debt
OF course, the object Of the Unitsd
states Steel corporation is 20 lessen
be cost 0f production Of the manu-
aetured product Much of the Tas
Material which il uses comes from tls
northwest, and the long railroad haul I
o its plants is no insonsidsFable part
4 tho whole cost. IL owns large ore
deposits in Michigan and Wise0nsiu,
nd II il can get this ore 70 its plant
y water IN It's own ships, and thus
seape the railroad charges. there
would be a very material difference In
Ost. MT. Gary, who appears 10 have
he pTeliminaTiss in charge, has repre-.
ented 10 Congressman CrumpaeksI
hat nothing less than q deep sea bar
.or would meet the demands OF tLet
Ompany, and il 10 assumed FROM tlif
hat the largest possible ships are &c
o employed in transporting the ore
rom the northwestern mines 70 the
eW plant.
The site Of the new industry and
OWn Of Gary, by which Il will be sur
0unded, - only seven miles east u
be nlinois-Indiana line, and but nine
liles from South Chicago The plant
in employ more than 10000 men
hen il is hTst opened. and II Is eK
setsd that a city Of 10000 people viii
. added 20 Indiana in two years
.eW York sun