The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-24

There is a new industry in Pensa-
cola-or rather an old one has taken
on new impetus under the direction OF
company recently formed, and, it 10
the only plant of its sort in all the
SouLn. Indeed, there are few manu-
| featuring plants of its kind in Amerf
ca, and those few are practically con-
fined to New York, Philadelphia and
| Boston.
The new company is the Import
Whiting & Manufacturing Co. To the
average person.. whiting indicates
but little, but il is one of the greatest
| industrial materials in the manufac-
turing world. whiting" In, techni-
ealIy, the result of refining rough
chalk 1t is used for various pur-
poses, according to its grade, chiefly
| in rubber goods, calsomine, mixed
paints, oil cloth. etc.
An Industry Revival
The Pensacola plant is situated near
Goulding, and was known as the "old
Curry plant" Recently a new COM
pany was formed with w. Nash Read,
formerly of New York, as president,
Isaac w. Read, of Nashville, Tenn,
vice. president, and ]. S. Reese, of PEN
saeola, secretary.
The Old Curry plant has been reno
waited and placed in working order un-
der the direction of John Deugherty.
superintendent, who has had twenty
years experience in chalk refining in
eastern plants. and who came from
New YORK to take charge ten days
ago.
Ten days ago the steamship Oats
marsum entered Pensacola with car
go of chalk consigned to the Import
Whiting & Manufacturing Co, bring
ing about 1900 tons of the white ma
terial, which had been purchased by
the company at the beds at Graves
End, fifteen miles from London, on
the Thames in Kent. 1t was switch
ed to the plant which lies next tn
Sunset Lake" near Goulding, and
the machinery started.
Bought in Europe.
President Read personally bought
inc chalk in Europe. None of the
rough chalk is produced in this coun-
try, with the exception of some on the
Missouri river, in Missouri, but this is
of a coarse variety. and of but little
service compared with that of the for
eign beds. The chief beds are at
Kent, where the Oatsmarsum' cargo
came from. at Dunkirk and at Calais,
France. Mr.. Read visited each OF
these points early last fall and con-
tracted for supplies for the Pensacola
company
This plant at Pensacola will ship All
through the south, and Is at present
on a parity with the eastern manufac-
turers in supplying the middle west
and far west. Some shipments will
be made direct from Pensacola to-
San Francisco, and Chicago and st.
Louis manufacturers OF rubber goods,
oil cloths, paints. etc, will also bay
the refined material from the Import
people.
industrial Advantages.
This new industry means much to
Pensacola commercially, for it proves
the availability of this port for import
ing raw material and the profit to be-
made in manufacturing at this point
and shipping the finished product By
railroad to market.
The operation of the plant is most
interesting. and while there Is much
intricate and secret processes neces-
sary TO the refining of the rough chalk
into its various commercial grades.
the plant affords no little interest to
the Onlooker The chalk is originally
in huge chunks about six to twelve
inches thick After going through the
various milling and cleaning process
e. it is turned into bags and Looks
and feels much like niIady's face
powder and is of about the same con-
sistency SO far as the layman can OBJ
serve.
II is not known how much capital fs
invested in the new company, but the
stockholders are made up principally
OF men OF e south and It Is distinct.
~ southern enterprise That this
city should have been chosen az the
place at which 10 establish the plant
speaks highly for Pensacoras posi-
bilities as manufacturing center IN
the South.