Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-03
Something About Names
Boot and Shoe Industry
Grand Trunk Railway Co. Sub
m1ts Its Annual Report.
Contract Awarded for State House
Carpets and Shades.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Coun
Gil Tuesday, Nov. 90, at $50 A. M.

shoe manufactures. but she declines to
stay there. The demand for more fac
tories is increasing every Year and it
is being supplied as rapidly as posi-
Bile, In some cases buildings former
ly used for shoe shops, are being. re-
occupied. in others. new buildings are
being erected Maine is destined to
| become d shoe State of the first mag
nitude during the next decade.
1T was about 10 years ago that the
| first shoe factory of which we have
any record in this State commenced
"perations.' says an article in the D-
rectory Of Manufacturing Industries
recently issued by the Maine Bureau
OF Industrial and Labor Statistics Up
| to that time most of the footwear had
been made by local shoemakers, and
| 1t was several years later before our
people generally purchased the factory
product instead of having their feet
measured for their boots and shoes.
| Although Auburn has been the
leading town in the manufacture of
! boots and shoes and now gives en-
! ploYment to three-eishths of the shoe
| workers in the State, the industry did
| not originate there. The first fac
tory of which we have d record was
! started in New Gloucester in 1874 by
~. +. White, who at first employed II
| hands. He moved to Auburn i'm 1856
| In lS4S, John f. Cobb started "A fac
tory ut North Auburn, at which time
the two factories gave employment to
3S hands. Mr.. Cobb moved to Au-
| burn in 1886. shortly before Mr.. White
| tr1 4
manufacture Of shoes at West Mnot
This third shop increased the number
of factory shoe workers in the State to
~" and by 1860 the number employed
| had reached 10 Mr.. Cushman moved
to Auburn in 1862. Thus nucleus of
the industry was formed in Auburn,
about which other shops have been
built until now the city contains nine
shoe factories. giving employment to Il
little over 5000 hands. The adjoining
! city of Lewiston has one shop. en-
IloNing 80 hands. while Mechanic
Falls has one which gives employment
t" 90 hands, making 34l5 employed in
! Androecoggin county.
| "tumb"rland county has five fac
ltHri"S in operation, two each in Free
port and Portland and ON" in Var
mouth These furnish employment to
-" hands. In Franklin county New
sharon and Wilton have one factory
each where iG hands are at work.
In Kcnncbcc county there ar" four
Factories in operation, ON" in Augusta.
! two in Gardiner and ON" in HalloWcll.
| They give employment to 1860 hands.
| The ON" factory in Warren i'm Knox
county employs no hands and l05 are
employed 1T the factory in Norway,
the only one in oxford county.
In P"nohScnt county a new com
ls'nN i Just starting the manufacture
Of shoes in Bangor in a building for
mcrly occupied in tho same business.
They viii employ 2oo hands. In
Sagadahoc county. one factory in
Richmond gives employment /" %
hands, and Somerset county. with one
factory each in NorridgcWntk and
:;loWhcgan gives employment to 30
Worllm"n.
"Waldu county has ON" factory To-
Gated in Belfast where - hands are
employed. and Calais in Washington
county has two where 30 are at work.
In York county the principal shoe fac
tories are in Sanford (SpringValc
pnStuilicrp ANA South Berwick. one
each, although Their" is a small con
lcern in North Berwick, also a small
factory in Acton where stitching only
is DONE and another in kennebunk
where counters are made. The total
number Of hands employed in the
county is sos.
The census o. 1905 eaveSthe num-
Der OF shoe factories in the State at
49, giving employment to "9t2 men.
l19l women, and e. children. total of
DO our present returns show 81
Factories. giving employment to o4SS
males and 225l females. Il total of
>u3g While the number of factories
has fallen off % per cent. the number
Iof hands employed has Increased 20
per cent The tendency has been to
larger factories which can undouhted-
Ilv be worked more economcallH than
smaller ones and 50 far as the pres
cnt business is concerned it seems to
lbc on solid financial basis.
| Preference has been made to the
fall OF in the number of factories.
Practically every city and large town
has sooner or later. made strenuous
efforts to locate this industry within
their borders. Factory buildings
have been erecetd and exemption from
taxation offered for Il term of wears.
ana the now business started. but IN
too many cases the manufacturers
nave proved irresponsible and dropped
out, leaving the factory unoccuped.
| Experience has been a good teacher
land the State seems now we'll rid OF
the tramp shoe manufactured.
The business is firmly established
and is one of our very important IN
,lustries. The value of the product
in 1905 was over $l2.0o0o0o, ranking
fifth among the manufactures OF the
state. being exceeded only by pulp
land paper. lumber. cotton goods ana
wooden goods"
The annual report of the Grand
Trunk Railway co. for the year end
ing June 80. 1910, which was hied at
the office of the Board OF railroad