The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times., 1917-01-25
COMPANY BEING FORMED To
PUT Up ANOTHER FIBER FAC.
TORY IN TUCUMCAR| At ONCE

a rousng meeting at the CONNER
eial Club rooms Tuesday night signi-
fies that the residents of Tucumcari
are awakening to the fact that they
would gain more by being promoted
than by pay to see some stranger pro-
NOTED.
Some years ago the citizens put up
several hundred dollars to promote
the bear grass industry in this sec
Lion of New Me ico. They furnished
the ground. q building and $500 in
cold cash and the industry was start
cd to the satisiact on Of all those who
had indulged. Mr.. Raymond. the man.
ager and owner, was fiber salesman
instead of business man. He bought
heavily but did not have available
cash to pay readily---even his help.
Then came the big explosion and about
$4,000 or $4,000 worth of property
and machinery went up in smoke, with
less than ten thousand dollars to pay
the Indebtedness. As soon as the in
surance money was received Mr.. Ray
mond was lost sight Of and the citi-
zens lost their money.
In the meantime Chas. Haas. who
had been employed in the factory as
superintendent, had picked up many
of the secrets and being of an inven-
tive nature, commenced work on an
improved method of producing fiber
from bear grass while it is yet in
green condition. He has made several
model machines and experimental to
his entire satisfaction and is now ready
to assist local capital in putting up
real home grown fiber factory. The
meeting at the Commercial rooms on
Tuesday night was at the suggestion
Of few who have partially invesu-
gated Mr.. Haas process and believe
it practical in every way. 1t is now
proposed to form stock company and
capitalize it at $4,000, with $4,000
paid-up stock to begin work with.
Committee was chosen to secure the
stock. Messrs. Israel, Higday and Jen-
nngs being detailed for this work.
Messrs. Prentice, Vorenberg and
Goodman were selected to draw up
articles Of agreement.
There were number of the most
influential business men present mt
the meeting and they promised to be
among the first stock holders and were
eager to put up the money to begin
the factory which in some ways is an
experiment while in other ways it is
sure of being winner as the pre-
vioua factory showed conclusively that
good fiber could be produced from the
bear grass while it was in dry form,
and cost more to harvest than by the
new process. BY the new way the
grass will he productive and will he
ready for harvest again every two
years. At the present time the sup
ply seems inexhaustible. Firms in the
east are eager to buy this fiber and
will pay good prices. One firm in New
York after seeing samples of fiber
as made on the small model machine
in the shop of Mr.. Haas, has written
several letters and is anxious 10 re-
ceive "a car load and if the product is
is good as sample they will contract
for the entire output of the factory.
This first payment of the stockholders
is to produce this carload and addition
al carloads after it is started and the
factory will increase its capacity as
fast as possible. The factory will
consist of four hackles and one pro-
cess machine, together with the engine
and other necessary equipment. 1t
will employ eight men besides the su-
perintendent. These men will turn out
one ton of finished fiber from four
tons of raw material. The profit Of
the factory will be put into new ma
chinery and then the capacity will be
unlimited as this whole country is full
of the native bear grass and the farm
ers are ready for the harvest as soon
as they have market.
This will be good roads booster
because the teams and wagons coming
toward Tucumcari will tend to make
the roads better. The better the roads
the more load team can pull thus
il will be to the interest of the farm
ers as well as Tucumcari to build suit
able roads for travel.
Tucumcari is wideawake to the fact
that town that waits for others to
do the experimenting never amounted
to anything. This fiber factory move
would be an experiment to any other
town in New Mexico hut not SO with
Tucumcari. Her citizens know it will
he all right as soon as the money Is
raised and the machinery stprted. The
fiber will sell itself and bring n good
profit from now non-productive ma.
tive shrub or grass that is growing in
all sections Of this part of the state.