Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-11

The most important industrial news
made public in the city in years, anc
of especial significance not only to the
city but the county and central Iowa
! was made public today in the an
nouncement of the sale Of the pork
packing plant of Britain & Co. Ne
gotiations for the purchase by Rob,
crts & Oake, Inc, pork packers at the
L. S. stock yards, Chicago, were
closed in Chicago Friday. The pur-
chasing corporation takes possession
at once, and its representatives VIII
arrive here Monday morning to start
preparations for operating the plant.
That Roberts e. Oake intend to
waste no time in getting the business
going is shown by their order to have
coal delivered to the boiler room at
once, and to get up steam to test boil
crS and pipes. Fire was started under
the boilers today. Information from
Chicago i that the buyers expect to
start the plant as soon as possible, but
the date will depend on the require
lncntS of the federal government as
to alterations in the equipment and
buildings.
Price Not Made Public.
The sale price. which was paid IN
cash Friday. has been withheld. Brit
tain {: Co. had, however. an asking
price OF $4,000 on the property, which
included thirteen and one-fourth acres
of land surrounding the buildings. The
81 hrIcl- htlJIH-
lngs of the property and all their
equipment and machinery as at the
time operation ceased two years ago.
The sale was negotiated by /. h.
Boyd, Chicago. president of Britain
G. Co., and John l. Bell, of this city,
vice president. Mr.. Boyd's father, I,
L. Boyd. Of London, but now in Italy
and the~Henry Zeiss estates, Chicago
1 together with MIR. Bell, were the own
erS of the property at the time OF the
sale.
Roberts & Oake Rated High.
Roberts & Oake, rated at from
/ $500 900 to 100000 and first class
are independent packers who have
/ been operating a pork packing plant
at the L. S. yards for number OF
years. C. J. Roberts is the active
! head of the business. succeeding his
! brother. John Roberts, who is in the
army. Mr.. Oake is not believed to be
actively interested in the business
now. Others associated in the man
agement of the business are W. j.
Graham, superintendent, and n. Hood
chief engineer. who. with c. J. Rob
erts. will be in the city next week.
Roberts G. Oake's advertised prod
ucts are equality Brands" Of meats
and Sweet meats" The buyers Chi
cago~ plant, which has an average ca
pacity of / 800 hogs a, day, Roberts &
Oake will continue to operate.
Sale Is Closed Quickly.
The negotiations for the sale of the
property were closed quickly: 1T ex-
tended over a period of only three
weeks, it being three weeks ago today
that the Roberts brothers came here
and inspected the property. Negotla-
| lions were closed so far as the selling
company was concerned when the
stockholders at meeting held in Chi
cago Thursday agreed to sell.
Means Local Hog Market.
The prime Importance of the opera
ton of this property to Marshall coun-
ty and central Iowa is that it will fur
nish a local hog killing market for
farmers, something they have lacked
since the plant shut down in 1916. Its
last killing was in August of that
year. The Importance to the city is
the large sums of money that will cir
culate in the city in pay to employees
and for materials and supplies pur-
chased.
It is the opinion of John I. Bell. who
was associated in the Britain & Co.
business for many years, that Roberts
& Oake will employ as many of the
former employees as is possible. An
idea of the size of the financial under
taking in operating the property to its
capacity is estimated by Mr.. Bell at
from sac, 1000 to $4,000 day at pres
ent war time prices. When Britain
& Co. we're operating they employed
an average of about 1926 men.
Mr.. Bell does not expect to become
interested in the business, other per
haps than to give the purchasers the
tha plant started.
History of Old Company.
The pork packing company of Brit
| Caln q 70. Was one OIL tne plOHeeI
leading industries of the city. 1t was
organized in 1882 by BENJAMIN and
Joseph Britain, of Bowmanville, Ont
who were joined not long afterward
by Richard Read and John I. Bell, OF
the same place. The late A. G. Click
of this city, became associated with
! the company, which, until April Z
1893, operated it's business as CO.
partnership. On the latter date Messrs
Benjamin Britain, Read, Bell, and
Click, filed articles of incorporation
with an authorized capital Of 100000
100000 Of which was paid up.
4 The business, of Britain & 90. was
begun on very small scale, like al
most every other successful concern
which has been in business for long
period Of years. During the first year
of it's business the company killed only
1000 head of hogs. The business grew
steadily, until, when Britain & Co.
went out of business in 1916, and the
last slaughter of hogs was made on
J Ang. 2 Of that year, the killing was