New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-06-07
nine WOMEN TO
OPERATE PLANT
Curious Condition 10 Illinois
Through Founders Wlls.
FACTORY IS GIGANTIC ONE.
Supplied More Than Half tn. Material
Used In censtrvetien 81 the Panama
canal-Psttieoat Regime 70 Continue
Business 40 Family Monopoly With
Assistance From Mere Men.

Business 40 Family Monopoly With
| Assistance From Aoro Men.
7 One Of the most unique situations In
the Industrial history Of Illinois exists
at Aurora and concerns its largest
manufacturing plant outside Of the
Burlington railroad shops.
BY the death of the late Charles 81.
Smith nine women are left in control
, Of the great plant at the eastern edge
Of the city of Aurora that employs
hundreds Of men and turns out road
construction machinery and railroad
cars that are shipped to every part Of
the world. One-half Of the material
used in building the Panama canal
has been manufactured ut the gigantic
factory now owned solely by women.
Many years ago the late Warren
Beckwith was road master Of the Bur-
lington division Of the Burlington rail-
road in Iowa. Charles II. Smith was
his clerk. AS the Burlington railroad
was being built through Iowa Beck
with had much to do with it's CONSTRUCT
ton. He decided to 60 into this kind
Of work and took his young clerk as
partner. 7
Start In Business. J
In their work these two men found
use for road graders, and they COM
menced to manufacture in a small
way for themselves only. Then they
found demand for their product
among competing companies, and soon
they established factory for the man
ufacture of scrapers. This was at
Mount Pleasant, Ia, and was the be-
ginning of the company now owned by
nine women.
Captain Beckwith and the late DR..
Mcclure of Mount Pleasant, Ia, had
married sisters, the Misses Porter of
that city. Beckwith and Smith asked
Mcclure to take some stock in the
company, and he did so. Today the
entire stock of the company is held by
the families of these men, all of whom
are dead. Further, the stock is con-
trolled by the women of the three
families, Mrs. G. II. Smith and her
Stella, Edna and Genevieve,
6Aul O1o, AlS. ~. bCSh " I'LL ucl
Mrs. Trigg Garner, the
wife of a Kansas City physician; Mrs.
A. N. Mcclure and daughters, Miss
Martha Of Mount Pleasant and Mrs.
Mae Mcclure Kelly of Lincoln, Neb.
DR.. Mcclure was the first to die;
hen Captain Beckwith followed few
years later, and then Captain Smith,
who died last year.
Women to Manage.
There will be no change in the man.
agement of the scraper company. This
vas the desire Of the late Captain
Smith and his partner, and their
wishes will be CARED out by those
nto whose hands the property has
come. The scraper company has been
| family institution for years. Nearly
Ill the heads of departments and many
# the employees have been with. the
company for years and went to Aurora
When the institution was moved from
Mount Pleasant, la.
AS the corporation laws of Illinois
'equire that certain forms shall be !
complied with, the nine women who
'wn the company will meet and ar {
ange for the new board of directors
md for the officers.
1t is probable that they will select
he board from their own number and
will choose their own officers. These,
owever, will act merely in an ad- !
'isory way, while the active manage
nent Of the scraper company will be {
n the same hands that it has for many
ears.