The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-01-02
INSTRUMENTATION RELATIVE
THE BIG PROPOSED STEEL Mill
tiese grades, or had not tho courage
to furnish the wires we required.

tiese grades, or had not tho courage
to furnish the wires we required.
We finally made an nrranEemen,
with the Psge Woven Wire Pence
Company. of Monessen, Pa. and
bought from them very large tonnage
Of spring wire; bought tne latest up.
to-date machines for manufacturing up
holsteqy springs: In fact, springs oi
every description.
At the end of one year our business
had been Increased trom 81. 10000 per
annum to s250,OOo.o0. This was done
in the face Of fight with what would
be called the most powerful organlza.
tion in the world.
Our business continued to grow and
the Page Company found great diff.
Guilty in disposing Of the various prod
ucts they made. They found that they
were able to make surplus quantity
OF spring wire, and being impressed
with our business success and our abil.
ity TO- do things. arranged with us TO
sell their products. Thereupon our
business was moved tv Pitt5burg. and
a factory retained in Chicago to take
care of tho large business we had es.
tablished there.
In the selling of the Page products.
we found this difficulty. The Page
Company made only a limited amount
of wire products. and In calling upon
u customer We found that the repre-
sentative Of our competitor woulii say
to the customer that If they bougnt
from us the wires we did make that
they would not sell them the wires We
did not make. Therefore. 1t became
necessary for us TO manufacture com.
Dlete line OF products to successfully
compete. In order to do so we. ac-
qulred n mill at Cuyahoga Falls. Ohio,
with reputation for It's ability to
make superior quality of special
wires for which they had always OBJ
taIned n premium, and with our now
complete line, our business rapidly In
creased to nh amount in excess OF s2,-
100000 per annum.
In obtaining control OF other mills
1t became necessary for us to secure
an assured supply Of our raw mate
rials. The Page Company had at their
plant open hearth furnaces capable
OF making only very small percent
age OF the steel they used; therefore
1t became necessary that tae Fage
Company be put in a position where
they could make practically all their
own steel. We then arranged with
them TO finance the building OF open
hearth furnaces, and for doing this
they agreed to sell us q large part OF
tneir Output at their cost plus a mini
mum profit Our contract was a strong
one and carried us during n given pc
riod. so that II the Page Company had
been bought out by any OF our COM
petltors. they would have been COM
PEELED to fill their obligation to lis.
Our business continued to increase,
and it became necessary for us to buy
mw material. from other sources. Our
plant at Cuyahoga Falls we had added
much new machinery and to-day II is
in such a congested condition It is no
longer economical to operate there.
Our Nail Plant at .Ellwood City. Pa.
Is in q very congested condition. and
It Is impossible to add on to the build
ingB
Our Spring plant Mt Monessen. Pa,
ls at such distance from our other
plants that the writer cannot give It
the time Il ought to have SO II be
came necessary that we Increase our
capacity 10 keep pace with our grow.
ing business, and as a question OF eco
Monies, 1t was better to have all our
plants under one roof.
Plans were made by us to build
modern open hearth furnaces. rolling
mills and finishing mills, that would
put lis In q position where we would
depend upon one one, and where wo
could take care OF our business In such
n manner that It would continue to
thrive.
Negotiations were pending with sew.
eral cities in Ohio, where It was pos.
sible TO secure an abundant supply OF
scrap iron to manufacture the steel
that would go into our products.
Your committee called upon US: we,
at their request. gave them the rropo.
sition as It had been given to other
cities. and we explained to them that
other cities were willing and anxious
TO grant our request provided we
moved our business 10 their city.
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