The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-20


Worcester has another peculiar insttu-
ton. q grocery store. the swell store In
town. It Is one Of the few cooperative
enterprises that have been successful
around these parts.
IL was established about fifty years ago
and the capital was $4,000. One person
could hold only one share. That concern
q paid as high as so per cent. profits
In a a and 1t Is still paying not less
than rs per cent. on Its capital. For years
and years II paid 80 per cent, That is the
ualism has probably been beaten by CO.
operative measures. Its history simply
~intensifes the story Of individualism.
FACTS o
Perhaps a few more facts about the
town wouldn't be tresome. Its popula-
ton is $50, 600 at present or 8 tribe less.
There are about thirty-six square miles
in Its territory. 1t is 4si feet above sea
level. About 100. 200 Of It's people are
native born. The Irish predominant
ameng the others. There arc a good
many Canadians and Swedes in the
place.
The death rate ia about sixteen to the
thousand-very low. The assessed valua-
ton OF property Is about Si35 900 900. The
net city debt is a little more than IS zoo, 900.
1t has about 81 .OOo, 900 of exempt property
and the value Of its municipal property Ii
more than sic, 900, 900.
The net debt Of the city has decreased
In recent years while the borrowing
capacity has increased enormously. 1t
has about sol, 00J. OUU invested in It's in
dustries and 1t sells about $50. 900. 600
worth Of goods a year. 1t Ii one OF the
few inland cities Of the country that is a
port OF entry. 1t became a port Of entry
in 1900 largely through the efforts OF the
late United States Senator George Frisbie
Hoar.
1t has had 80 cent gas for years. 1t
has 1876 miles of improved streets, a larger
number than any other city Of its size in
the country. 1t has about "a 100 dwellings
and the largest public market in the
United States.
Worcester is situated in a beautiful
valley forty-ive miles from Boston.
The homes and public institu tons OF the
place adorn the hills that surround II.
Down In the centre of the town the
place is simply a busting factory city.
Passengers on through trains see
belching chimneys. great factories. miles
Of railroad tracks crowded with freight
cars, but out on the hills they catch
glimpses Of beautiful homes. OF the home
life the traveller sees nothing. and indeed
you must 90 far out in every direction
to get an adequate idea Of the beauty Of
the place.
The town seems strong on churches.
OF which there are about 100. There are
two universities. Clark and Holy Cross.
known throughout the world, and a third
great school, the Polytechnic, takes
equal rank with the best educational
institutions OF the kind in the country.
It has an art museum endowed with
S. 900 ana it has a Mechanics Insti-
tute that is known the world around.
It's musical festival for forty years has
been famous rs a great ga thering de-
voted to the highest and best in music
and almost every great singer that has
ever appeared in America has sung there.
soME OF THE THINos MADE.
Inc 'dTRcbt ulNeTsiI1CduOD Oh 1nOuttT1es
is in the metal trades but IL does all
sorts OF things In leather and wood. The
list OF its industries would cover several
pages Of this newspaper through mere
enumeration.
Here are some Of the things made:
Abdominal belts. corn cob crrishers, farm
carts, hedge shears. alpaca yarn. asbestos.
ash cans, automatic pin machines. auto
mobile parts, band instruments. bath
towels bed springs. beer taps, bicycle
parts. brass wire goods. bolts, bleachers,
billiard tables, boot and shoe dies, bottle
shoppers, braid, cough drops. court plas-
ter, crackers, cylinder oil, dado machines.
dividers. drain pipe, drills Of all kinds.
elastic stockings. all kinds Of electric
things. emery wheel grinders, envelopes,
felt footwear, files, fish hooks. fly traps.
folding steps, glue pots. hairpins, harvest
ing machinery, haversack sings. heaters.
horse collars. hydraulic elevators, hosiery,
ice machinery OF all kinds. jack screws.
jewelry, all kinds of knives. all kinds OF
lathes. SCORES OF things in leather goode.
looms Of all kinds, machine castings and
other foundry work, metal things Of
various kinds. including all sorts OF hard
ware and machine tools; moth traps. oar
locks, paper dolls. great variety Of paper
box machinery. planning machines, plan
tation machinery. pillow sham holders,
shoe trees. skates OF all kinds (some
liquid). springs OF every kind. snow
ploughs. stained glass. steam boiler &C.
c~essories, valentines. valves. violins, wire
goods Of every conceivable. description.
wood alcohol, woollens. ~wringers and
yeast.
That is only a small fraction OF the
total. Can you wonder now That there
are more patents taken out for Worcester
county than for any other territory Of it's
size on earth?
Name almost anything that human
hands make. except battleships, locomo-
tives and automobiles. and you find
Worcester turns It out. Worcester makes
no automobiles, but many automobile
parts como from there.
Take that valentine industry. A man
named Taft along about SIXTY years ago
started it up in a small way. II simply
grew into the tremendous business It
now is. Most Of the delicate valentines
come from that one shop Taft started.
Any relation to Mr.. William Howard
Taft7 Same family, the Worcester people
declare with pride.