The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-10-19

10, 1906.
factured here The Simplex Railway
Appliance company. which furnishes
the standard Steel Car company with
car holsters and other supplies, occu-
pies about twenty acres Of ground.
while the new plant will occupy about
$50 acres.
What VIII be Made.
The product of this company viii in
clude cattle cars. fiat cars, coal cars.
stock ears, box cars. baggage cars, ex-
press cars. and the manufacture Of
steel passenger cars will be taken up
in thes near future. In view OF the
fact that the New York Central re-
Gently placed an order for three hun
dred steel passenger cars, this part Of
the output OF the company may become
a very important one.
The Standard Steel Car company viii
rank third In size in the world when
the Hammond plant is completed. The
strongest competitors of the new COM
pany are the American Car and Found
~ company and the Pressed Steel Car
company, both of which exceed the
Standard in size.
The story of the deal is an interest
ing one. w II. Gostlin heard that
Chicago man had been in the postoffice
several times to see him on important
business, but in some manner the two
had failed to make connections The
next day was Sunday and Mr.. Gostlin
was called to the phone by the per-
sistent man, who was so desirous of
seeing him. When asked what he
wanted, the man said that he had come
out TO Hammond to buy some land. Mr..
Gostlin asked him how much he wanted
and was surprised to find that he de-
sired to purchase at least three hun
dred acres.
SEQ Acres Wanted.
1t did not take the local real estate
man long to hitch up his horse and
start on the way down town to see his
prospective customer. He found a
sauve, heavy set, prosperous man, about
IS years old. and Immediately took him
in his buggy to show him the city
On the way Mr.. Gostiin got out of
the buggy to show the stranger how
deep the sewers were out on Calumet
avenue. He started to pull off the COW
er from a manhoIe, when the man, who
had not introduced himself, said that
he had already taken the cover from
one of the manholes and knew all about
the sewers.
Mr.. Gostlin then took him to the
property which was afterwards pur-
chased and again was surprised to
find that the mysterious customer had
been all over the very ground he in
tended to show him. The two walked
through the weeds for miles before
they finally returned to the city.
1t was learned from the mans con-
versation that he had already visited
Gary, Indiana Harbor and East Chi
cago, but of course, Mr.. Gostlin only
got an inkling of his Impressions OF
those places and was still kept in the
dark as to the identity of the buyer and
the company he represented.
Finally the prospective purchaser re-
vealed the fact that he was only the
agent of a company that had sent him
to investigate the matter of a factory
site, and that he would have the presi-
dent, Mr.. ]. NJ. Hansen, come out and
see Mr.. Gostlin. Mr.. Hansen came and
after numerous conferences practically
decided upon the site, providing options
could be secured on the property at a
reasonable figure.
No Bonus Demanded.
| The significant thing about the deal
was the fact that the company was
not asking for bonus or for any fav-
ors whatever 1t was simply desirous
| of purchasing a site at a reasonable
| figure and was willing to pay cash fol
| it.
There was feverish activity in the
/ e 20,
the next two or three weeks while the
members of the firm were engaged il
securing options on the property
The greatest secrecy had to be observ.
ed for should the news Of the loca
ton of such a factory become known tC
the owners of the desired property, i
would have been impossible to buy th'
! land for less than four or five times it
actual value.
When all of the most important op
tions had been secured Mr.. Turne
preached the matter to Mayor Becke
and he. with Mr.. Turner, went to New
| York to close the deal.
Where Located.
The new industry which viii mean s.
much to Hammond is to be located OF
the triangle of ground that is bounde
on the west by Columbia avenue, o.
the north by the Nickel Plate track
and on the south BY the corporatio
line. 1t is composed of the whole 0
the southeast quarter of section siS
that portion of the northeast quartz
of the same section which lies sout
of the Nickel Plate tracks and thos
portions of the southwest and south
east quarter of section five that lie t
the south of the Nickel Plate railroad
A more Ineligible description of tn
location to the average person not &C
quainted with the section lines, woul
be that it is almost directly east of tn
Conkey plant on the other side of Col
umbia avenue. and occupies the groun
upon which the race track is now 10
| Gated.
VIII Boom Real Estate.
This is the first large industry tha
has been located in the eastern par@c
the city, south of the Calumet rive
and the impetus that will be given t
!