The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-09
Three Days Campaign fo1
Funds Results in Contract
Being Signed With
Company
START WORK TOMORROW
Actual Work on Construction
Of Factory Building Starts
Tomorrow Morning
Ready Feb. /.
Especial to The Cat, City.l

HAMILTON, ILL.,, Dec. 9.-The fac
tory Of the Peterson Shoe company
of Chicago, will be moved to Ham:l-
ton as soon as a plant for its use can
be constructed. A contract between
the company and the Hamilton BUSH
ness club was signed at o'clock last
night, following three days cam
paign in which $4,000 was subscribed
by the people Of Hamilton and vicin-
ity for the purpose OF securing the
factory.
Actual work on the factory building
will be started tomorrow morning in
order to have 1t ready for use FeDfu-
airy 1, or as soon thereafter as pos
sible.,
OF the 1000 subscribed for the
purpose of securing the factory, So
900 was raised by cash subscriptions,
$1,000 by labor donations, and real
estate conservatively valued at $500.
The factory will be located on the
north side of Broadway, between
Twelfth and Thirteenth streets. just
little east of the Hamilton Hard
ware company's building, accessible
to sewer and water.
Under Consideration Three Weeks.
The proposition for the location of
the factory hes been under considera-
ton for the past three weeks, during
which time two committees from the
Hamilton Business club have visited
Chicago, and Edgar s. Peterson, the
president and principal owner OF the
factory has visited Hamilton and Keo-
kuk. F. s. Mordaunt OF Chicago. who
has located three factories in Ft. Mad
ison during the last six months. was
instrum entail in bringing the Peterson
Shoe company to the attention OF the
Hamilton Business club.
The record breaking campaign for
factory subscriptions was carried on
under the direction of John A. Cor
don, president OF the Hamilton Bust
ness club. Most Of the money was
raised by house to house and a farm
to farm canvas during the rain and
snow storms Of the past few days by
the committees OF loyal Hamilton
business men. No finer spirit has
ever been shown in any community
anywhere than was displayed by
these men.
VIII Move Twenty Families.
The factory will move at least
twenty families to Hamilton, as Mr..
Peterson would not agree to move I'M
til he had ascertained that enough or
his labor would move with him to in
sure a good working organization to
start with The factory will begin
operations with about fifty hands ana
will increase this number to seventy
FIVE or hundred by the end OF the
first year. A number OF new houses
will have to be constructed in Hamfl-
ton to accommodate these families as
there are only very few vacant
houses in the city at the present time
There are number Of reasons CIV
en- for the factory being willinv to
move to Hamilton from Chicago. The
present location Of the factory in Chi
cago Is on the fifth floor of large
factory fat with machine shop oc-
cuoying the floor above. The noise Is
objectionable while the oil the dust
and the dirt from abov., soil the ma
ter'al and the shoes. The windows
cannot be raised without the SCOT,
smoke and dirt blowing in on the
material No better location can be
secured in Chicago for factory OF
the size without going out,i6.- OF the
free delivery zone. and the installa-
i'on of new machinery. ALREADY or
deret', makes the move imperative
] ahor conditions ar, always threaten
iry in the present location. while IN
Hamilton al, these conditions can be
eliminated. and cheaper living condi-