The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-10-14
READY FOR WORK
Keller Factory Will Resume Opera
tiOnS This weeh
REMODEL WAREHOUSE
Orders For HarrowS and SIeds Will
be Filled Immediately Rebuilt
ding is Uncertain

ding is Uncertain
"We expect to be manufacturing
harrows on Friday" said w. F. Kel-
ler, president Of the Keller Manufac-
turing Company, on Tuesday after
noon, while in conversation with The
Herald.
The main plant of the Keller fac
tory burned to the ground on the
night of Wednesday, Oct. 6. The
following morning Mr.. Keller imme-
diateiy took steps to remodel the big
warehouse on the opposite side of the
street from the factory site, into a
manufacturing plant for the purpose
of filling large orders for harrows and
sleds that were on hand at the time
of the fire. A force of men was put
to work on the building, machinery
was ordered and everything done to
get to work at the earliest possible date.
That the efforts then and since put
forth have been successful is proven
by the statement of Mr.. Keller given
above.
So it will not be long before the
hum of machinery will again be heard.
The factory, at the time of the fire,
had 100 men on it's pay roll. About
half this number will be put to work
in the netamorphosed warehouse.
The loss by fire Mr.. Keller says was
about $4,000, the figures given by
The Herald in last weeks issue. The
insurance on the part of the factory
burned, including stock finished and
in the process of manufacture, was
$45, 500. The insurance adjusters were
in Sauk Centre on Wednesday and the
loss will soon be adjusted and the firm
be paid its money.
The question of rebuilding the fac
tory has not yet been decided. Presi-
dent w. F. Keller said to The Herald
on Tuesday that he expected to re.
sumo the manufacture. of wagons by
the first of January, but where he
was unable to tell. The company
might move to the Twin cities, or it
might stay here. The Joplin plant
can be utilized; in fact work can be
started there on a days notice, said
Mr.. Keller.
Every effort is being made to secure
the rebuilding Of the plant in this
city. The citizens meeting held the
day after the fire, as recorded in last
weeks issue of The Herald, was an
enthusiastic one. The proposition
then discussed of so amending the
city character as to permit the muni-
cipality to vote financial aid to the
concern, met with approval. J.F.Coop-
er, the chairman of this meeting, who
was authorized to appoint commit.
tee of three to investigate and report
on the feasibility of amending the
charter, named the committee. Its
personnel is: w. o. P. Hilsdale, Geo.
G. Ingram, Lucas Kells. The com.
mittee began work right away and, in
company with the city attorney, has
conducted investigations relative to
the charter. Their findings have not
yet been made public. If the proposi.
tion to amend the charter should not
be found feasible, the citizens will un.
doubtedly take other measures to as
sist the Kellers, as the presence of a
manufacturing plant of that size and
nature here is recognized by all to be
an excellent thing to the city. Every
business man is interested in the re.
building of this plant and should, and
undoubtedly will, do all In his power
to see that it remains.
The fire was one of the most disas.
trous ever experienced by Sauk Cen.
tire. Composed, as it was, of the most
inflammable material, and being
stocked with combustible stuff, in
cluding large quantities of paints and
oils, the building burned like tinder
and the only thing the department
could do was to keep the fire from
spreading to other structures. The
wind blew almost a gale from the
south and it looked for time as
though all that part Of the city west
of the railroad tracks would go.
Whop tho huildip0 oot fh0rOuOh1v
afire, great blazing brands filed the
air, and property owners at distance
of a quarter of mile or more were
kept busy protecting their buildings.
The citizens lent helping hand at
once, and the Ingram Lumber Com.
pany's yard and plant, together with
the houses and outbuildings between
that and the Keller factory were pro-
tected at the cost of hard work and