Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1906-04-14
THE MICA FACTORY PLANT.
" o Reason Why the Factory Should Not
be Located in Custer Benefit
OF Such an Establish
ment in Our CITY

No Reason Why the FACTORY Should " OF
be Located in Custer Benefit
Of Such an Establish
ment in Our city.
The proposition which was presented |
to the Custer City Commercial Club last
week by Mr. Frank n. Meyer, agent for |
the Westinghouse Electric and Manu-
featuring Company of Pittsburg, Penn, |
has been duly considered by the club |
and their reports presented, Every
thing is working smoothly and there is |
a strong probability that the original
design viii be carried out and the plant
will be erected here.
There is no question but what Custer
is the logical point for the plant, and
the only question which arose in the
meeting of the agent with the club was
the number Of children in this district
which could be depended upon to fur
nish the necessary labor to carry on
the work to its full capacity This prob.
lem has been favorably solved by the
committee appointed to canvass and re
port on the situation, which report las
been received and accepted as satisfac-
tory, and all that the company asked or
desired
The agent announced at the beginning
that the company would require a
pledge from the committee that opera
tives-girs and boys--to the number of
one hundred could be obtained for per
manent employment The district has
been Canvassed although not so widely
as might be- and they have obtained
the written application Of the parents or
guardians for the employment Of their
children to the number Of 100 so that
that question is settled. Since the can
vass was made there have been quite
number who have come TO town who
say that they never heard of it, and that
in factory Of that kind 1t may seem
a little strange but it is fact, that while
some of tho parents are careless about
the matter, the children are all eager
for the work. They quickly understand
that the work is light, clean and health
ful, and comes within the range of their
ability, and does not strain the powers
either mentally or physically but is
something they can soon learn to do and
do it well. The work consists in
trimming the mica and splitting i'll
into thin sheets of from 500 to
1000 to the inch There is no dust to
nhale, as there is an appliance con-
structed that creates suction of air
which is drawn downward and away
from the operator, and is carried away
ont Of the building The scale of wages
starts at 80 cents per day, and increases
as the children become more skillful,
until they may earn as high as SO cents
per day while they board with their
parents.
As we have said our Commercial Club
has submitted its report, which has
been forwarded TO the company for
their final consideration, and as all re-
quirements of the company have been
met, We have no doubt the plant will be
established here.
We may now reasonably look forward
to this as final decision, in which case
likely to have OF the furtherence Of the
interests of the town. OF course the
mining interests of the district will al
ways be paramount to all else, but in
addition to this the mica factory will, or
should be great adjunct to the pros
perity Of our city.
First, it will increase our population
by bringing many families to Custer
who will move here for the sake of find.
ing pleasant and profitable employment
for such of their children who are of
suitable age to engage in the work.
Second, it will make money matters
! little easier when we have an additional
pay roll in the town By which about
81 10000 per month will be distributed
among the laboring class of our people.
This in turn will benefit the farmers
and ranchmen living in the surrounding
country AS it will give them a better
cash market for their produce, such as
vegetables. butter, eggs. poultry and
small fruit.
Still, as we said before, the mining
business must always be our chief in
dustry. anG should there ever come a
| day when such was not the case, it
would be dark day for Custer. But in
the nature Of the case this can never oc-
cur. for there is constant and growing
demand for gold, silver, copper, tin,
lthia, manganese, fullers earth, tripoli,
wolfram, graphite, and last, though not
least, we have platinum. AS we said in
previous article these we have, and
each and all will in their turn he re-
cognized by the outside world, each will
be utilized, and each will form a separ-
ate industry. So let US not forget that
while the mica is one of our grand re-
sources 1t is not the whole cheese by
any meaps, and should not be so re-
garded.
Timber Fires
There were numerous timber fires IN
different parts Of the Hills during the
past week until the rain of Tuesday
night put an end to it for the present.
We hear that tbe fire near the foot hills