The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1910-05-26
ITS NOW UP TO ALL
Tentative Contract for Pearl Button
Factory Has Been Signed.


set the wheels in motion except to
raise the necessary $4,000 to build the
factory Tie tentative contract iwas
signed by Mr.. Bishop. of Museatine.
president of the Hawkeye Factory
Company, and a special committee APP
pointed for the purpose by the osxa-
loosa Commercial Club, comprising
w. r. Lacey, G. Winter and r. NJ.
Boyer.
Mr.. Bishop agreed to have one
hundred macines ready TO install as
soon as the building is completed
and will add more machines as rap
idly as operators can be found He
hopes to have at least 200 men at
work within six months, as provided
at the morning mass meeting of bust
ness men, a committee of six was
named to act with board of directors
Of the Commercial Club. They we're
Warren Kalbach, j. G, Hanna. A. Ros-
enblatt, c. Winter, w, R. Lacey and
oren Schee. These, together with the
directors of the club met with Mr..
Bishop in the afternoon and went over
the proposition in detail. The favor
able action mentioned above was the
result.
A general finance committee to
solicit the necessary funds was imme-
diately elected, comprising L. f. Cor,
lett John Kalbach, N J. Bentley, A.
Rosenblatt and r. X. Davis A plan
of campaign will be blocked out at
once and the work of solicitation
started Be prepared to meet the
committee. The proposition means
much for Oskaloosa.
The proposition frs; came to the
Commercial club about two weeks
ago and the club Immediately sent a
committee to Muscatine and to Keo.
kuk, where the company has factor.
les in operation, to make an investi-
cation. This committee comprised
Secretary Colburn, of the Retail Mer.
chants Association, and Cashier
Boyer, of the Mahaska County Bank.
These gentlemen found everything
just as represented and returned very
enthusiastic for the proposition.
AS explained by Mr.. Boyer before
the mass meeting Monday morning,
the Hawkeye company asks for the
free use of factory building and a
location of 140x140 feet of ground,
either on the Iowa Central or Burling-
ton roads, or if possible, accessible to
both roads. They further ask that
when they have paid out $3.50 900 in
wages that the building will be deed
ed to them
The company agrees to furnish EN-
ployment to all the men that can be
secured to work in the factory. The
capacity of the building for the pres
ent will be two hundred machines
which means two hundred operators.
If more men can be found the factory
will be enlarged by the company.
They are away behind with orders
and the business is growing all the
while so that they are anxious to
furnish employment to all the men
they can secure.
The Keokuk factory has been in
operation about six mouths and an
average of 100 men are employed
there already. The pay roll for the
first six months was over $40, 900.
Some of the men there are already
making as high as $500 per week
All who become expert easily earn
$500 to $500. The work is clean
and perfectly sanitary. and the ma
chinery is all driven BY electricity.
1t will cost the company about $751;
600 to equip the factory here and they
agree to keep all repairs. The com.
pany~is capitalized at S15O,00O and is
rated at half million dollars, SO that
they are not promoters, but mean TO
do exactly what they say they will.
They need larger production of but.
tons and find that the best way to get
them is to establish factories in in
land towns. The supply of labor has
practically been exhausted in the river
towns.
1t is remarkable fact that only
about IL per cent of the shell which
are cut out into buttons along the Mis-.
sissippi are secured in that river. The
shells are now being shipped into the
Iowa factories from Ohio, Wisconsin.
Arkansas and other states. II will
thus be seen that Oskaloosa furnishes
as good site for factory as does
a river town, and the leading ques
ttoh is to get enough help.
The proposition seems to be the
most promising one ever made to Os
kaloosa and if carried through will be
a big addition to the industrial inter
ests of the city The necessary money
will have to be raised by subscription,
but there Is no doubt that when the
contract is finally made this sum can
be secured within very few days.
At the meeting this morning r. l..
Blackford also told of what had been
done in the way of securing site forI
the proposed building. and o. r.
Dede told of the advantages coming
under his personal observation. that
had cunletto Washington, Iowa, by
reason of the establishment of fac.
tory there.
Honesty No Bar TO Fortune.
II Is mistake to think that vast
fortunes cannot be built up by honest |