Evening journal., 1916-08-26
CHESTER TREBLES
BUSINESS wealth
Industries Are Permanent
and No Depression Will
Follow Peace Treaty
INVESTMENTS SHOW
$72,OOO,OOO VALUATION

w A,VOVsOOO NAAOA AOeN
Chester. the oldest city in Penn
sylvania. is forging rapidly forward
on the crest of one of the greatest
industrial development waves ever
experienced by an American city.
From virtual obscurity in the indus
tial world 10 years ago. Chester,
through a period Of phenomenal prog
ress and development, today has be-
come one of the Invest centers in The
commercial and industrial life of the
nation.
Most important Of all is the fact
that Chesters growth has not been
ephemeral, born only of the European
war boom. but has been steady. con
tinuOus and consistent with the Op.
portunities afforded by the geographi-
cal location of the city. II is true
that war orders have given an UNI
usual impetus to a number Of the in
dustries during she last two years,
but even this growth has had the as
surance of later permanence because
the tremendous workshops were
made permanent structures which
can be utilized later in other pur-
suits.
The Chester section is that strip
Of land on the western bank of the
Delaware River between Crum Lynne
and Marcus Hook Many of the in
dustries found it impossible on ac-
count Of their size to locate in Ches-
ter proper, but the city limits we're
easily extended. and the district be
came known as the Chester section
Figures Show Growth.
The remarkable growth during the
last decade is strtkingly shown by thr
following approximate figures given
by the Chester Chamber OF Com
merce:
Population-In 1906. $4,000; IL
1916. $4,000.
Industrial Wealth. 1906. Sl5-
$4,000 600; in 1916, S72.O000O0
Number Of Industries - In 1906
125, in 1915. 200.
Industries employing more thar
1000 workmen-In 1906, .; in 1916
Is.
The population during the las
decade has virtually doubled, but al
the same time the industrial wealth
the money invested in industry. has
been more than trebled. The popu
lation is expected to grow IN propOr
tion to the increase in Industrial
wealth as soon as homes can be bull
TO accommodate the new men. Their
Is a dearth Of homes and many work
ers are forced to commute from Phil
adelphia.
The wave Of prosperity had its In
ception toward the close of 1906. A
that time the Baldwin Iocomotiv
Works, having outgrown its Phila
delphia plants. purchased 1874 acre
Of land at Eddystone. and commence
the construction Of shops which nov
constitute the largest single locomo
tive plant in the United States. tn
temporary boom was soon checke
by the subsequent panic. but not I'm
iii much attention had been drawn T.
the extraordinary advantages OF tn
Chester section.
Steady Growth Resumed.
As the signs Of the panic disap
peared the growth began with ne'
stride. And then came the world wa
in 1914. when the Allies turned {
America for ammunition, guns. steel
work. locomotives and all other al
tieles of war use Although the way
OF prosperity swept over the entir
country. the Chester section, bv res
son of its strategical location. becam
one Of the greatest centers for tn
war trade.
New enterprises were started o
every hand, established plants wOrl
ed feverishly in extending their Il
cilities to take care of the ever-grov
Ing trade, both domestic and fOreigi
The Industrial growth has Unite
only by the shortage OF labor. Fro
Crum Lynne to Marcus Hook bus
plants began to spring into being q
though by magic Plants of all kline
and for the manufacture of almo
every commodity known to modeI
Industry were included in the list.
Some Of the largest contracts fro
the foreign Governments were r.
ceived by the BALDWIN interests. In
mediately they commenced the ere
lion Of tremendous workshops, nj
temporary structures that would
abandoned after they had fulfill,
their use, but buildings of steel al
brick that could be utilized in Il
manufacture of locomotives or 9th