The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-02-23
TO MAKE AUTOMOBILE TRUCK ]
N M|[LS-ELLSV0RTH PLANT.

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practically the entire force Of men
will be put back to work, and in
short time It is planned to employ
100 or moro.
II everything goes as successfully
as the local company has reason TO
believe, It Is planned to enter into the
manufacture Of pleasure car when
ever conditions permit. The pleasure
car field has an enormous amount of
competition which is not found in the
truck field. But with a firmly estab-
lished market for trucks, the company
pans to be in position to enlarge.
There 1s sufficient ground space adj
joining the present plant for addition
al buildings at any time that the bust
ness warrants such an addition.
Putting It on Market
Plans are already made for put
ting the car on the market. The sales
force is being organized and the cata-
logues and literature will be ready
shortly. The car will be put on the
market at once, and the company is
prepared to take care of all orders
which will be given for the truck.
There is no hesitancy in saying that
the company will keep the plant at
sufficient power to supply the de-
mand. Bodies will be built as fast as
it is possible, and the cars will be
assembled as fast as they are sold.
Keokuk is going to get an unusual
amount of advertising out of the new
Ellsworth truck since ali of the liter
ture will go out from here, bearing
Keokuk's name, the factory is located
here, and the car Is being made in
Keokuk. While this is the first auto
ronhfln IN otnrv FOR KoNEI1ly thara iS
plenty Of chance to locate others here
and perhaps some day Ford will elect
to put one of his plants in onr midst.
About the Factory.
The Mills-Ellsworth factory was es-
tablished In 1884 at Mansfield, Ohio,
making the company thirty-two years
Old It was incorporated in 1890. In
1902 the company moved to Keokuk,
In September. Until three years ago
it was located along the canal below
Rand park. When the dam was built,
the water was raised and the Mills-El-
isworth plant was moved to its present
splendid location across Commercial
alley from the cereal plant. The plant
is more compact than iii the old To-
cation, and has every modern conven-
fence and machinery. The buildings
are modern, we'll ventilated, and
roomy They are ideal for the present
industry and will make excellent auto
mobile factory rooms.
The plant at the present time IL
turning out wagon poles and shafts.
There is a 100 horsepower boiler Al
ready installed and there is space for
installation Of a similar boiler.
The pay rolls of the factory while
in Keokuk have totaled S320,631.S2.
The officers Of the company are:
NJ L. Bryan, president, Mansfield, O.;
John Krause, vice president, Mans
field; G.. B. Bushnell. secretary, Mans
field: ]. H. Ellsworth, treasurer and
general manager, Keokuk; J. b. Ellis
worth, assistant general manager, Keo-
kuk. trga
The directors are: M. l.. Bran
yam, John Krause, C. B. Bushnell. w.
l.. Leonard, Fred Bushnell, W. S. Bell,
all of Mansfield and j. H. Ellsworth,
of keokuk.
Saw Mills In South.
The company has two saw mills IN
the south, one at Pine Bluff, Ark, and
the other at Clio, Ark. These saw
mills will furnish all Of the lumber
sawed in proper lengths for the manu-
Zehner OF Pine Bluff, is manager Of
the saw mill operations.
I'VE have beenson this proposition
for over a year" said ]. E. Ellsworth,
in telling Of the new industry. I'VE
have been investigating numerous
fields of the auto industry but believe
that the light auto truck that we are
making will be the best. We are go
ing to call the truck the Ellsworth
truck. and if our plans go right, we
will enlarge into the pleasure car
field when the time comes. Credit
should be given the Industrial asso-
citation for the help they have given
us, and we feel deeply grateful to j.
Albert Kiedaisch, the former presi-
dent. for all that he did towards help
ing us to start this proposition