Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-04-23
LINEN MILL IN SIGHT
IN VERY NEAR FUTURE
John C. Cady, Experienced Linen Manufacturer Of Wlscon
sin, Engaged To Install Flax Mill at Prison, Has Definite
Plans For Establishing Mil In Valey--MOst Feasible
Location For Linen Industry In United States

Not only is it certain that the flax
mill will be installed at the peniten'
tiarv under the direct supervision OF
an expert in the manufacturing end
of the industry and that fully 400
acres of flax will have been planted as
the first step toward the establishment
of the flax industry upon permanent
basis in the Willamette valley but 1t
il also almost certain that linen mill
will be established at some point in the
valley, and quite probably at Salem,
within the next year or so. This lat
ter probability developed in conyer'
satiOn last evening with John c. Cady,
late of Eau Claire, Wis, who has been
employed by the state board of control
to purchase and install the machinery
for the new flax mill at the prison.
At a meeting of the state board Of
control, held yesterday afternoon upon
the call of the governor, at which Mr..
Cady was present, the board voted
unanimously to engage his services for
an indefinite period to assume all
charge of procuring and installing the
necessary machinery in the old foundry
building, which will be utilized for the
flex mill, at mCMthly salary of $3.50.
Mr.. Cady will also assume complete
charge of the plant after its installa-
tion and look after the manufacturing
phase Of the industry until il is devel-
oped to Il point of efficiency whore his
services can be dispensed with, when
he will probably retire to perfect his
own plans which brought him to the
Willamette valley.
May Purchase Washington Plant.
1t developed at the meeting yester.
dav afternoon that there is a flax plant
in the eastern part of Washington
when was established a few years ago
and later abandoned, from which il
was thought the state can probably Sc
cure full equipment for the flax plant
at the penitentiary at great saving
in outlay. Mr., Cady estimated that
all of the machinery that would be nee
cssary for the plant would not involve
an expenditure of to exceed $1,000 ant
he was authorized to enter into nego
tiations Immediately for the purchas,
Of all the machinery needed and tC
assume full charge Of all details in con
nection with the establishment Of thC
plant,
With 400 acres planted to flax it il
roughly and conseryatively estimated
that this year S crop ought to yiel,
approximately 1900 tons of flax straw
It is Mr.. Cady's opinion that none o
the Flax should be cut and every acr
Of it should be pulled, in order to Sc
cure the best quality Of flax fibre. II,
states that if the stubble and roots ar
allowed to remain in the ground
! chemical action sets in which is detri
mental to the soil, whereas if the fla!
is mllcd these chemical constituent
are preserved and utilized by nature
mysterious process, in retting the stray
and producing the very finest grade o
fibre. Tie is also opposed to the tanl
rcttlg process, contendng that al
Of The flax should be rctted by tn
dew process for insurance Of best re
suits.
Is Familiar With Industry,
Nv COdy has been engaged in tn
flax business ever since boyhood an
is familiar with the industry fror
the ground up. For % years h
successfully operated his own line
mill at Eau Claire Wis, and when hi
mil burned down, in 1911, he did no
rebuild because he had set his min
upon the feasibility and practicabilit
Of the success of linen mill in tn
northwest, and came to the william
cite valley with that idea uppermoS
Tie was making arrangements for tn