The diamond drill., 1920-09-11
AMERICAN SHOE LAST COMPANY
LOCATES FACTORY MERE
WORK STARTED THURSDAY
Will Consume Four Million Feet of
Timber and Employ About
One Hundred Men

The siren on the city hall announc-
ed TO the people OF the city, last Wed.
nesday, about noon, that the last act
had been performed in the work Of
securing the location of branch OF
the American Shoe Last Company for
this city. A message had just beer
received from Mr.. Holbrook, saying
that he would be in Crystal Fails
Wednesday night to start work on The
factory buildings.
Mr.. Holbrook arrived wednesday
afternoon and Thursday morning set
surveyors at work getting the levels
and other information necessary e
have for foundations, etc. All day
Thursday was spent in conference
with material men and contractors.
Build Half Of Plant mt Once
To reporter for The Diamond Drill
Mr., Holbrook showed the plans which
the company had made out for the
plant TO be constructed here.
We cannot give the exact dimen-
sions as they are not fully decided up.
on, but In general way II will con-
sist of a factory building, a battery
OF twenty l5ilns and a large number
OF drying sheds.
The intention Is to get az least half
Of the factory building, ten klns and
tho hot pond In before the snow comes.
The balance OF the plant will be er-
ected next season. All efforts will be
bent just now to getting the plant so
far along that the work OF shaping
up the lasts can be started this win
ter. The timber requirements OF the
concern Is about 100000 feet per
year, and the company IS now ready
10 contract with jobbers for this class
OF timber A large log yard Is pro
yided, which will be stocked with logs
to keep the factory going all summer.
Company Has Large Interests
The shoe last company is allied with
the Krentler Bros. OF St. Louis.
They have interests in both the east
and west. The western center Is st.
Louis and the eastern center is New
York. The company is in the busi-
ness OF making the lasts from which
shoes are formed and which are a
very important item in shoe manufac-
ture. Maple Is the wood that is used
almost exclusively.
The local plant will take the timber
from the woods and shape II up into
blocks in the rough. These blocks
must be thoroughly dried and It is
said that the drying part OF the pro-
cess is the most particular. After the
blocks are dried they are shipped to
the finishing plants. There are three
plants which the company figures will
be fed from the local roughing in
plant, one at Milwaukee, one at Chlca-
'go and another at ST. Louis.
In these finishing plants the process
OF forming and polishing the lasts is
completed and II Is a very particular
process.
Business Men C0-0perated
The work OF locating the factory up
on the present site has been in pro-
gress for several months. Mr.. Hoi-
brook and Mr.. Hanthorn visited these
parts and looked over the field care
fully. They visited Iron River as
well as Crystal Falls and finally de-
cided that the site they wanted was
ten acres adjacent to the North-Wes-
tern railroad, in Lot s OF section 2S.
City of Crystal Falls. The land Is
owned by the Oliver Iron Mining Co.
and the Breitung interests. The bust
ness men OF the city undertook TO Sc
cure the site at reasonable figures
and In this work II. u. Webb did yeo-
man service.
The committee was ably assisted by
Hon. o. c. Davidson OF Iron Mountain
who advised his people as TO his idea
OF the property value. The oliver
people and the Breitung interests a.
greed 20 Join In a deed 10 the tract
the Breitung decision being received
last Tuesday.
Mr.. Holbrook was Immediately not