Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1915-10-22
Millions Of Dollars Worth Of Ex-
pIOSiveS to Be Made in
Pennsylvania.
GREAT SECRECY MAINTAINED
Mammoth Industry Due to Europe's
Demands for War Materials
Springs Up-Hazardous Work
for Which Men Are Paid
Big Wages.

Philadelphia. order to fill vast
war orders, a mighty high. explosive
plant is being built in valley neal
the small town of Emporium, Cameron
county, Pennsylvania. Emporium fol
years has manufactured powder ant
dynamite, the explosives being usec
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 anc
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 i'm
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 loo
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 mer
have been brought into Emporium. In
order to house the future permanent
workers of the new plant, practically
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 26 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 theiI
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 few days age
by the report that an aeroplane was
seen lowering over the new guncottor
plant at night. From all the writer
could learn at Emporium the story Of
the aeroplane was a mere fabrication
Nevertheless, the company leaves nc
stone unturned to protect its property
from strangers who might be bent or
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 a 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 moi
hiring careless incompetents to do the
work of filing it's great orders, Car
penters and masons, concrete workers
and steamftters, and various Other
skilled workers have been in demand
at Emporium and the demand has beer
pretty we'll filled. There is no place
there, however, for the average com
mon laborer who is out of work, fol
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, mer
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
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 tc
Emporium for work who have left the
place because they did not care tC
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 o.
hundreds Of people. It is one thing tC
make powder for firing shots in Goa
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
oid-fashioned conscience has been dis
covered even among big business me1