The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-03
COTTON FACTORIES /
ABOUT DANV|LLE.
Largest Plant of It's
Kind in All the
South.
GRE A T IN DUSTRY u.
ON MORAL GROUNDS
Wonderful Industry That Grew
Up and Became Great Because
Men at Helm Looked After
the Working Folks-Wel-
fare and School Great I
Features.
ny FRANK S. woopsoN.

.4tt, o. -huS uSl IL nave
known for many years about the work
and the workings OF the Danville cot
ton mills. 1 have known for all OF
these years something about the way
In which they were conducted. and
how the managers and owners were
running them on the higher level that
is- l thought 1 knew about these
things. but never before was I more
impressed with the good work than
the other day when / walked through
the acres of floor space of the various
mills that comprise the working prop
erty OF the Riverside and Dan River
Cotton Mills properties of this good
town OF Danville, and the abutting viii
lase of Scheduled. walked over
fifty six acres Of floor space and saw
saw 1t before. and 1 am free to con-
Tess that 1 never expected to see the
business in better shape.
l put down on my notebook a dozen
or more pages OF data from which
want to and intend to write a series
or articles about up to date manufac- &
turing interests in the South. To-day
l can only give an outline of the do
ings at the Danville mills. Next week
L nope TO go Into details and show
how a great industry has been built
up on firm foundation, and how good
people in charge have made the days
and the way of the worKInKman and
the working woman and their children
bright and sparkling and altogether
worth while.
There has been great deal of talk
IN Journals of one kind and another
about the way that factory owners
treat their employees In bad way.
mere may have been some ground for
this kind OF talk. so far as know,
and so far as 1t may apply to factories
up In New England and elsewhere, but
so tar as applied to Danville, there is
nothing to be said except to the good.
In Christinn Hands.
me cotton mill industry in this city
and out at the good village of School
field is in the hands OF Christian
gentlemen who look after the people
who work for them. and the welfare
interest OF the concern Is well worth
whole chapter of description in this
paper. and next week 1 propose to
give 1t in full
For the present, can tell only OF
the industry itself. and in so doing
am copying risht largely from another
writer. who, in recent issue OF the
manufacturers Record, said:
Two important facts distinguish the
cotton mill business in Danville. TIE
hrst Is that the mills were founded
ana are controlled. managed. and. for
me most part owned by local people:
the second. that they successfully man,
ufacture some OF the finer grades ~
goods A third fact is alleged, to the
erect that these mills constitute tba
greatest cotton mill industry carried
on In the South by one company. "
In the beginning.
IN 1852 Messrs T. 3. Fitzgerald, T.
n. Schooiheld, j. e. Schoolheld and r.
A. Schoolield organized n companv nm
der the name of Riverside Mills. and
began here the manufacture of cotton
cioth or the heavier grades They were
the business managers OF the enter
prise, and such good business men wera
they that they employed as superin
.ehoent or operations man who had
been raised in the cotton manufac
turing business and had large EXPERT
ence in mills both North and South
The power utilized was DEVELOPED nv n
dam across the Dan River the ma
chinery being belt connected with the
shaft from the water wheel without
the intervention OF electricity, that
mysterious current not having vet been
practically harnessed to do the pur-
poses of man. Care and ability In
management and economy in operati ting
made the Riverside Mills successful
from the beginning. and before MANY
years had passed they hogan to add
to their capacity by building other
Hi'iis announcer group or DanVille men
had. about the time OF the establish
ment OF the Riverside Mills. estab-
iished the Morotock Mills. and these
were finally absorbed by the Riverside
orSa IMITATION. BY taking over the
Morotock holdings and building new
mills the Riverside Mills grew to
number seven lying along the banks
OF the Dan River on both the north
and the south sides
In 1895 tho Dan River Mills, a new
organization. was brought into exist
ence for the erection or a mill ut the
south end OF the city. but did not get
into active operation until 1908. by
which time it had been amalgamated
with the Riverside concern under the
name Riverside and Dan River Cotton
Mills Gnc) With seven mills oper-
ating in the Riverside division, as tho
business grew and more output was
demanded additional mills were added
TO the Dan River division until there
are now in operation in that division
three units, and fourth very large
one is under construction and will bs
The company is capitalized at ;7.-
500. 900.
Telling Facts.
Cotton mills are OF various sizes, and
the mere mention OF a number OF such
plants does not tell much about their
iiHfci NH'SO " VIC |Oli'huHttN+ ! hSTG =
are some facts, however, which do tell
tho story in n forceful way. The ten 4
mills now being operated by the River-
side and Dan River Cotton Mills en-
ploy $500 people In running 100000
spindles and 200 looms and in the
various kinds Of work attendant upons@
their operation. The weekly pay roll
Is S3l,750. which totals about s1,650. 900
annually. The mills turn out 10000. 600 3
yards. or something more than 10000
miles OF cloth each year, Or aIfnost
100000 yards daily. They aGnualyyrS