Evening journal., 1915-06-01

the situation to that developed in
Alaska's early days or the boom per-
iod when Kansas was covered with in
Vulnerable little towns that sprang
up over night With compact little
construction camps centred here and
there along the future streets, gasO-
line-driven sawmills turning out con-
struction material as wanted, great
concrete mixers whirling away the
glitter of freshly planed plankings IN
side walls and fresh-looking cedar
shingles on roofs, the ground Uttered
in all directions with evidences OF
hurrying up work and hundreds of
carpenters and painters hard at IL, the
impression created is strange and
visitors are eXcusable If they doubt
their senses and for the time imagine
themselves in new country where
some rich strike i'm mineral deposits
is drawing the thousands and tens of
thousands instead of in the purlieus
of staid old Pennsgrovc.
How the boom started is well
enough known. But what causes many
TO wonder is that the improvements
should be OF such stable quality.
Those who have sought for the an
swer say they have discovered il in
the determination 10 make America.
if not PennsgrOve. the worlds pro-
wider of powder.
How far ambition in that direction
may have determined the develop
ment of course. cannot be definitely
learned. but 10 looks as though the
guess was a good one.
When the boom struck pennssrOve
six months ago about $500 Pennsgrov-
ties existed. They had done so un-
disturbed for many years. and were
slow TO believe their native place
could ever be anything more than IL
had been. The presence of over 1000
people who own Pennsgrove as their
home town today is hard to reconcile
with the former idea. But the end is
not yet, for the announcement has
| just been made that with the COM
pletion of the new plant at the powder
works. which will take place within
the next two weeks. an additional o.
600 will be required, and. Of course,
will mean just that addition TO the
present population. What will be done
with them in view OF the present
/ AiUMutu lOuNlAiOl II Il rfilNhN lAUH-
lem AT present rooming accommoda-
tions are simply unobtainable thOus-
ands of the employees coming and go
ing TO Wilmington daily. and the new
emigration will simply for the present
add TO the latter.
IIalf-HilliOn Already.
Many inquiries are made as 10 what
the present development has cost. rs
Inmates run anywhere from a quar-
ter to half million dollars, while
no one hazards a guess as to the ul-
innate investment That It will rep
resent substantial amount is cer-
y tain
Furthermore. il is understood that
Pennsgrove is destined to be one of
! the few American towns that will be
strictly national in character. In other
words il rs given out that th> policy
will be to employ only Americans in
the great powder works. which means
that the future growth of the city will
be along national lines. Naturally
there prevails spirit Of optimism
It is predicted that within the next
year Pennsgrove will number not less
than 10000 people. while some are
inclined TO place the figure even
higher than that
Just now some 1000 men are be
ing taken care Of at the commissary
where they are fed and lodged II /
not safe to repeat the stories toll