Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-25


ing for months, ended today by the
purchase Of the property, which for'
merly comprised the plant of the Glu-
cose Sugar Refining Company. by the
Western Grocer Company, of Whict
Let's. Fletcher Company and the
Spencer-Letts Coffee Company. of this
city. are a part. The purchase was
+ made for the Spencer-Letts Coffee
Company, which eventually will be-
come the owner to give that branch OF
the corporation q factory site and room
for expansion.
The purchase means the removal OF
the Spencer-Letts Coffee Compan!
from it's present quarters on Market
street, between Second and Third av-
enues, the enlargement of it's plant and
business, and, if its growth continues
as it has in past years, the develop
ment Of manufacturing business tina,
will rank among the first Of the city.
Executive Committee Closes Deal.
The negotiations, which have been
nearing completion for weeks, were
finally closed late Monday afternoon by
the executive committee of the West
ern Grocer Company, which met here
and which purchased Of Lewis Rosen-
bluth, o. Chicago, the land, buildings
and material now on the glucose prem
ises. The transfer Of the property will
be made either today or tomorrow, and
the Spencer-Letts Coffee Company will
take actual possession at once. While
the plant will be known as the West
ern Grocer Company Mills, it will be
operated indefinitely under the name
of the Spencer-Letts Coffee Company.
Eighteen Acres and Six Buildings.
The purchase includes eighteen acres
of land, lying north of Arson street,
and east of Third avenue, and six
buildings in all. These buildings are
three Of those used for manufacturing
purposes, the blacksmith shop, large
storage building, and engine room. The
buildings are one two-story brick, with
basement, 47x93, with over $4,000
\ square feet of floor space; one four
story brick, with basement, 64x140,
with $4,000 square feet of floor space:
what is known as the south building,
the front part Of which is five stories,
with dimensions of S0x90, and the rear
part of which is four stories, 75xS0; a
one story brick warehouse, 4Ox20O, and
what was the glucose engine room.
Begin Remodeling at Once.
From $4,000 to $25,000 will be spent
In remodeling and repairing the build
fngs to put them in condition for the
use Of the Spencer-Letts company.
This work Is to- commence at once,
and will be pushed as rapidly as posi-
BILE until completed. The two and four
story buildings are in a reasonably
good state Of repair, as is also the five
story section of The south building.
Use Two Buildings at Once.
The plans of the company are to pre-
pare the two and four-story buildings
for manufacturing purposes at once.
These buildings will be overhauled and
arranged for the machinery in the
the large number OF new machines
which are to be installed.
It is also planned to perhaps tear
down the four-story rear section of the
south building, and use the material
that is taken from It in the other build
ings and in the five-story section Of
the south building.
Plan One Of Expansion.
Expansion and growth necessitated
the removal Of the company from it's
present quarters, and the purchase of
the glucose property. This same plan
is to be followed In fitting up building
after building included in the pur-
chase, and even building more as the
business grows, and as department af-
ter department is added to it, This
tentative plan contemplates the estab-
Iishment Of cooperage and box factory
in the 40x200, onestory building for
the double purpose of supplying the
Spencer-Letts company with boxes,
barrels and other wooden containers;
also local and perhaps outside trade.
The old engine room is to be used for
storage, and the blacksmith shop will
be converted into stables.
Will Move Plant in Sections.
That the business Of the firm may
be interrupted els little as possible, the
machinery, stock and equipment of the
present plant will be moved gradually.
This work will be commenced as soon
as a part of the buildings are ready
Manager R. w. McCreery said this
morning that It was hoped that every
thing would be moved by October or
November, at the latest. A force of
eight or ten men Is to be put to work
making the buildings ready at once