The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1914-01-16
MORE.
Frederick County Am ong the Pho
neers of the Great Industry
Through the Late Louis Nc
Marray.

Baltimore is the greatest canning cen
ter in the world, and practically the en-
tire industry in America will assemble
there the first week in February to attend
what gives every promise of being the
|. greatest convention the canning industry
has ever held. 1t will be the most re.
markable gathering of these purveyors OF
the edibes the world has ever seen, and
will rival in its instructive features any Of
! the great displays of industry ever under
taken. The convention will be addressed
on every phase, detail and department of
canning and preserving by the most en-
lightened and practical experts in these
lines to be found in the country.
Besides this great canning chatauqua
programme, there will be in daily opera
ton on the floor of the convention an as
sembage of practically all the wonder
full modern machines and equipment now
used in canning SO that the visitor will
have before his eyes complete canneries
! OF all STYLES in operation, and with ex-
perts demonstration and explaining every
use and feature Of the devices, operations
and methods. The present generation
may never have another opportunity like
this at your doors and no agricultu-
raj community should fail to take advan-
tage of it, Farmers and growers from
all sections of this State are to be pres
ent in delegations to give old Maryland
a great boost as this State was the pio-
neer in canning in America.
The people of Frederick should feel
special interest in this gathering and a
large delegation should visit the Gamers
| Convention. for the canning business has
had more influence in bringing about the
i present prosperity OF the Mountain City
than any other single factor.
In 1869 Louis McMurray established
the first Canning Factory here which was
also one of the first outside of Maine de-
voted to the canning ofcorn as a speciality.
For over twenty years the McMurray fac
tory distributed in wages alone +, ON 5000
to IS, 900 every week among the working
people of this city. The wonderful
popularity of McMurray's Mountain
Sugar Corn still lives, has given Fred
erick reputation for sugar corn equal to
that of Maine, and advertised the Monoc-
acy Valley throughout the Western Hem.
sphere.
Starting so auspiciously it is truly re-
markable that the canning business has
made Sc little progress in Frederick dur
ing the past twenty-five years. But it
has not, for Notwithstanding there are half a
dozen factories in the county their output
is restricted TO corn and peas, and the
very shortest season of active operation
possible. This condition exists in the
face of the fact that there is not better
territory in the United States for extern
sve and varied packing of the fruits, veg
etables, specialties and condiments run
ming factories the entire year and en-
ploying all the surplus labor at remuner-
alive wages. The progressive merchants
should investigate these possibilities
thoroughly. The success of the McMur-
raw factory canning corn broke Names
monopoly on this line and now corn is
canned from ocean to ocean. Many of
the improvements made in machinery by
McMurray here are still in use by Gamers
all over the country. The Gaping steele,
the closed process kettle, and the
Sprague Corn Cutters all got their big
gest boost and soon found favor after Nc
Murray gave them his Endorsement by
using them here.
The old McMurray factory here also
4 sent out men who were so thoroughly
| it,~ IL. -.
| services have ever since been in demand
and they have built, equipped and man.
| aged CannerieS in every section from
Maine to Brazil and from Maryland to
Hawaiian Islands. Among the corn
makers brought to Frederick by McMur-
ray in 1869, many have become either
managers or promoters of extensive
plants in various sections. Among those
better known to the older folks was
Charles Patten, who left Frederick in
1882. going to the Gulf coast. He started
! a number of factories along the Gulf Of
| Mexico and his venerable figure is still
to be seen around the canneres of Biloxi,
Mississippi. He is regarded as a canning
oracle and undoubtedly knows more
about Shrimp than any living man. He
| made the fame of the toothSome and de-
lcious Biloxi Shrimp.
The late Thomas H. Smith, for many
years manager OF the McMurray Gamer
les at Frederick and Baltimore, during
the last rs years of his life, started and
managed canning factories in nearly
every State i'll the East, South and West
About 20 factories now in operation IN
| these sections owe their success to his
methods processes and directions With
George K. McGaw of Hopper, McGaw
Co. and s. Davies Warfield, of the Con-
| tinental Trust Co, he gave an impetus to
canning in Southern Maryland With
Louis Trail and Theophlus Tunis, he
| started the first cannerv near Easton, Md,
where today a swarm of canneries are up-
| Grating successfully. Before Van Camp
had entered the field, Smith had made
Magic City Pork and Beans" popular
brand IN the West. He started the Reeds
.burg Canning Co. of Illinois, besides a
| number Of factories in the South and on