Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-04-17
GREAT CITY OF STEEL
TO BE BUILT ON THE SHORES OF
LAKE MICHIGAN.
Steel Corporation VIII Erect Won
derfuI Structure and Employ More
than 10000 Men at Its Opening
S14, 900 TO BE spent on Plant.

Word has come to indianapolis from
Washington that the government will
lend every material aid to the lSans OF
the United States Steel Corporation to
establish a mammoth plant in Lake
CouhEy, Indiana, at a site near Indi-
ana Harbor. and which is TO be known
as Gary. The information is to the eff
feet that Secretary Taft, who has au-
thority to fix deep harbor lines in the
absence of action by Congress, will do
so unless this Congress makes the nee
essary provision for the work. Z. H.
Gary, chairman of the executive com
mittee of the United States Steel Cor
poPation, was in consultation with
Congressman Crumpacker for several
days, and the assurances given bv him
and received from Secretary Taft
leave no doubt that the work on the big
plant will be begun at once and pushed
rapidly to completion.
The steel corporation has not asked
any aid from the government nor any
bonuses from the people of Lake Coun-
ty, but has purchased hundreds of acres
of land at enormous prices and pro-
poses to expend $14000,000 on its new
plant One of the first steps will be to
erect a large number of cottages for the
men who will be engaged in cc1struc-
tion, and these will afterward be oc-
cupied by the men who will find perma-
nent employment in the big mills. 1t
is the intention to incorporate in Indi-
ana, and this branch of the corpora
ton is to be known as the Indiana
Steel Company. The immense pur-
chases of land and the large scale on
which the plant is projected are the
forerunners of gradual concentration
in Indiana, for it is understood that q
number of small plants throughout the
country are to be abandoned, the en-
ployes moved to Gary and the capacity
of the plant increased till it will be
the largest of its kind in the world.
Big Land Boom.
The coming of this gigantic corpora
ton with its millions of money to in
vest has worked great change in Lake
County. 1t has proved as good as an
oil book to the land owners, with the
added prospect of being very much
more permanent. Ten years ago the
lands in and around the site Of the pro-
posed mills could have been bought
for song, and it was rare to find Il
piece of lard that was assessed for
taxation at more than $40 to $50 an
acre. The first purchases by the cor
poration were at figures close around
the $100 mark. Then land began to
soar and many farms were sold at 5000
and $3.50 per acre, while in some in
stances as much as $3.50 an acre was
paid for land that was absolutely nee
essary to round out the tract which the
corporation desired. The negotiation
for this land began less than six months
ago, and men who were poor and al
ways expected to be poor if they de-
pended upon the land find themselves
with small fortunes in hand and free
from debt
vi NOuIoC. tlC ODJCtl vi LLC y Illtll
States Steel Corporation is to lessen the
cost of production of the manufactured
product. Much of the raw material
which it uses comes from the North
west, and the long raI~oad haul to its
plants is no inconsiderable part of the
whole cost. 1t owns large ore deposits
in Michigan and Wisconsin, and if it
can get this ore to its plant by water
in its own ships and thus escape the
railroad charges there would be very
material difference in cost.
The site of the new industry and
town of Gary, by which it will be sur
rounded, is only seven miles east of the
Illinois-Indiana line, and but nine
miles from South Chicago. The plant
will employ more than 10000 men
when it is first opened, and it is ex-
pected that city of 10000 people will
be added to Indiana in two years.