The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-03-24
A PLANT OWNED BY WOMEN.
Workings Of the Large Illinois FACTORY
That Is Under Their Control.

One of the most unique situations IN
the industrial history Of Illinois exists
al Aurora and concerns its largest man
ufacturing plant outside OF the Bur
ington Railroad shops. - Ct,
BY the death of Charles II: Smi.h
nine women are left IN control OF tne
great plant at the eastern edge OF the
city of Aurora that employs huhuIeus
of men and turns out road construction
machinery and railroad ears that are
shipped TO every part Of the world.
| One. half Of the material used IN build
ing the Panama Canal has been manu-
featured Mt the gigantic factory, now
owned solely by women.
MANY wears ago the late Warren
Beckwith was r0admaster 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, Beckwith
had much to do with its construction.
He decided TO 90 into this kind OF WORK
and took his young clerk as partner.
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
a demand for their product among com
peting companies. and soon thew estab..
lished a factory for the manufacture OF
scrapers. This was at Mount Pleasant,
Ia, and was the beginning of the West
ern Wheeled Scraper 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 en-.
tire stock of the Western Wheeled
Scraper company is held by the fami-
lies of these men, all of whom are dead. |
Further. the stock is controlled by the |
women of the three families: Mrs. c. II. |
Smith and her daughters, Stella. Edna |
and Genevieve, Aurora: Mrs. S. Z. |
Beckwith and her granddaughter. Mrs.
Trigg Garner. the wife of a Kansas
CITY physician; Mrs. A. y. Mcclure and |
daughters, Miss Martha of Mount
Pleasant and Mrs. Mae Mcclure Kelly
Of Lincoln. Neb.
Dr. Mcclure was the first to die. then
Captain Beckwith followed few years
ater, and then Captain Smith, who died
asst year.
There will be no change in the man
agement of the seraper company. This
was the desire of the late CaDtain
Smith and his partners. and their
wishes will be carried out by those into
whose hands the property has come.
The scraper company has been a family
for years. Nearly all the
leads of departments and many of the
EMPLOYEES have been with the company
or years and went to Aurora when the
Institution was moved from Mount
Pleasant. Ia.
As the corporation laws of Illinois
eouire that certain forms shall be COM
lied with, the nine women who own '
he company will meet and arrange for
he new board of directors and for the ]
Ulcers. I
It is probable that they will select {
he board from their own number and {
nil choose their own officers. These. j
owever. will act merely in an advisory a
Tay, while the active management of I
he scraper company will be in the c
anne hands that it has been for many f
ears.-Chicago Tribune.