The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-10-14
Millions of Dollars Worth of Ex-
plosives to Be Made in
Pennsylvania.
GREAT SECRECY MAINTAINED
kfammoth Industry Due to Europe's
Demands for War Materials
Springs up-Hazardous Work
for Which Men Are Paid
Big Wages.

the small town OF Emporium, cameron
county, Pennsylvania. Emporium for
years has manufactured powder and
dynamite, the explosives being used
chiefly for mining and blasting
purposes. An explosive company.
backed by millions of dollars, has
bought up the old powder and dyna-
mite plants in Cameron county and
has started the manufacture OF gun
cotton and other high explosives in the
plant now being brought to completion
near Emporium.
The company has huge war orders
to fill and to fill them on time it has
been necessary for hundreds Of inn
ported men to work night and day in
building the new explosive plant, which
extends over one mile up the valley
and which is composed Of over 100
separate buildings, the cotton plant"
as the guncotton department is called
at Emporium, being the most extensive
of the new buildings.
At this time the creation of great
industrial plant near the village of EN-
porium has taxed the rooming capacity
of the town far beyond its limits. In
order to do the necessary building and
to start work In the buildings as soon
as completed, over 900 outside men
have been brought into Emporium. In
order to house the future permanent
workers of the new plant, practically
a new town will have to be built, either
by the company or by local specula-
tors. Many new homes are now under
construction and many more are to be
built.
Suspicious Of Strangers.
On account Of the filling Of war or
ders for high explosives the company
is suspicious of strangers who visit the
new plant. On duty all the time at the
plant are &c armed guards, deputy
sheriffs carrying rifles and revolvers,
who do not hesitate to hold up stran-
gers on the state highways near the
plant and question them as to their
business in Emporium. Naturally, the
company fears some fanatic might gain
entrance to the plant and do mischief
which might result in the killing of
workers and delay in filling war or
ders. The town of Emporium was
thrown into a panic a few days ago
by the report that an aeroplane was
seen lowering over the new guncotton
plant at night. From all the writer
could learn at Emporium the story Of
the aeroplane was a mere fabrication.
Nevertheless, the company leaves no
stone unturned to protect its property
from strangers who might be bent on
making trouble.
Reports have circulated throughout
western Pennsylvania and western
New York to the effect that there is
work at Emporium for hundreds Of
men. AS result, the little town has
been and still is deluged with job seek
ers, most Of whom are fitted in no way
for the work the company desires done.
Emporium and towns near it have
raised many powder and dynamite
workers. These men have been given
employment in the new plant at great
ly increased wages and they are the
real backbone Of the new industry. Elk
plosive makers are not made over
night and the big company is not
hiring careless incompetents to do the
work Of filling its great orders. Car
penters and masons, concrete workers
and steamfitters, and various other
skilled workers have been in demand
at Emporium and the demand has been
pretty. well filed There is no place
there, however, for the average COM
mon laborer who Is out of work, for
the average common laborer cannot be
trusted with the handling of high ex-
plosives.
Attracts Many Workers.
The boom at Emporium has attract
ed many men in search Of work, men
who would have been hired by the
company if they had not lost nerve
after reaching the new explosive CEN
ter. The making of high explosives is
a hazardous occupation and many
men who would like to draw the good
wages paid by the explosive company
have given up their chances of employ.
ment at the last moment through fear.
There are men, too. who have come to
Emporium for work who have left the
place because they did not care to
work upon war orders. In fact, the
creation of the new plant, which will
bring great prosperity to the little
mountain town. of Emporium, has
played hob with the consciences OF
hundreds of people. 1t is one thing to
make powder for firing shots in coal
mines and quarries and quite another
thing to make high explosives for the
use Of an army or armies. In EN-.
porium and in the neighboring larger
towns of Ridgway and st. Marys the
old-fashioned conscience has been dis
covered even among big business men