Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-01-30
RAPIDLY GROWING INDUSTRY.
LYLE Corrugated Culvert Co. Increases Its
Business 1000 Per Cent During
This Year.


but from the way the business OF the
concern has increased during the past
year it will soon rank among the lead
ing manufacturers of Southern Min
nesota. We refer to the Lyle Cor
rugated Culvert Co., now preparing
to put in well equipped plant in
the old school house. This company
begun operating their plant, manu-
featuring a corrugated metal culvert
in MAY of last year. but as their
product was new thing to the
officials who buy such articles the
near here. By liberal use of printers
ink and by having a personal repre-
sentative on the road they Increased
their business this year 1000 per cent
over last year and sold their culverts
generally throughout Minnesota and
Northern Iowa.
The men employed in the factory
will be kept busy from the first of
February making up stock for t he
spring trade which from every indi-
cation will be exceedingly large as
orders for spring shipment have al
ready begin to come in. The bust
ness is just in its infancy and its
rapid growth this year is only an in
dication of future business for there
is no end to the use of their product
as the demand will be on the increase
for untold years. The estimated
average is three culverts per mile
for the state besides those used for
streets, electric and steam railroads.
This plant is the only one of its
kind in the state and as this COM
pany owns the patent controlling
the manufacture and sale of these
culverts in this state and portion
of Northern Iowa, their field is a
large and productive one and is
bound to yield great results. They
have now on hand and under contract
for delivery during the first half OF
the year $50 tons of metal and expect
to use at least three times that much
during the year. On account of the
fact that the special sheets used in
the manufacture of these culverts
are made by but three rolling mills
in the United States and the further
fact that there are now some twenty
five such factories in operation in
various parts of the Union and new
ones constantly starting. they are
compelled to place their contract for
metal far in advance or run quite a
risk of getting it when wanted In
this connection we wish to state that
the metal used in this culvert is an
Ingot Iron and in a corrosion test,
with Sulphurlc acid, made by Pro-
lessor Henry M. Howe, of Columbia
University, New York City, it was
proven that this metal would last
20 fhn 1nn,,fh Of
ordinary Merchant sheet, and in a
later, salt water test, it was shown
that it would last twenty times as
long as an ordinary Merchant sheet.
1t is believed by the Manufacturers of
this culvert that fifty years is not the
life of it i'll the ground, as it has al
ready been in the ground IL years and
is still as good as new.
Mr.. Wilder, the president and mana
ger of the plant here. informs that
at the third ANIMAL convention Of
the Corrugated Metal Culvert Man
ufacturers of America, held in Craw-
louisville, Ind. the first week in
December, there were forty-two
states represented by about sixty
delegates who were present during
their two days session from all
parts Of the United States. A perm
anent organization was perfected and
a constitution and bylaws adopted
for their government. An executive
committee was elected and clothed
with power to act in the prosecution
of any infringement of this patent
which is now very valuable.
This association represents comb.
ined capital invested of over s., 900, 600
and one per cent or $50. 900 is avail
able and as much more as is necessary
for the use of the committee.
The newly elected officers of the
National Association are: w. S.
Williamson Emporia. Kas president !;
Lee Arnet, Lincoln, Neb., vice pres
ident; VIM. NJ Belt. Bloomington,
ILL.,, secretary; and b. w. Rogers,
Warren, Pa, treasurer. The COM
bined output of all the factories in
the United States for 1906 was in
round numbers 600, 900 lineal feet or
nearly ia miles of culverts Of the
various sizes The state highway
commissioners OF Pennsylvania re-
Gently adopted this culvert for the
highways of that state, and the state
Engineer of Minnesota Geo. w.
Cooley gives his endorsement to the
culvert. The local company will
make a vigorous canvass Of all of
their territory next year and the re.
rult will doubtless be large increase
in the number and size of all their
sales and they anticipate their ship.
ments to be at least $50 car loads be-
fore Jan. 1905. LIVE Tribuue