Norwich bulletin., 1921-12-22
WIIL4IMAN TIC

took place Wednesday afternoon shortly after 1 o'clock at the intersection of Church and Valley streets when the au-
 touobile ambulance of St. Josephs hos pital collided with car owned and \ driven by Fred Herrick. The ambulance; was trayeling west on Valley street andi ran into the right rear wheel of the Her rick car, which had nearly crossed val
 ley street, breaking several spokes in the
 wheel and pushing the Herrick car half
 way round. The ambulance escaped with
 a few slight scratches The matter was
 reported to the chief of police immediate
 ly by the driver of the ambulance, Frank Guancione, of Temple street, who said he,
 applied his brakes as soon as he saw the
 other car but could nvt stop il time to
 prevent an accident.
 Mansfield is to Iose it's chief industry within a short time, as the new plant of the Max Pollack company at Poquonnoc is nearing completion and as soon as the dyeing quarters are finished the thread business will move to GrOton. The loss of the plant to Mansfield and this city will be felt by many, as the plant during normal times employed nearly 100 opera tiyes and the payroll yearly amounted to over S100,000, great part of which was spent in Mansfield or in Willimantic. The Max Pollack company began bllsi- I ness in this city about 1900, locating on the top floor of the old wing Of the Windham Silk company. Some time later 1 the company purchased the Conantvilhe mill from the late Michael A. Sullivan of Winima1rtic and moved their plant there, gradually increasing their business until about 100 hands were employed. Two years ago the company, in part owing to i the costs of the long haul from the mill l to the railroad, and because of differ 1 ences with the town of Mansfield, decided , to move the plant. A site was selected in { Poquonnoc and the new building is nearly 1 completed.
 1 Herman Johl, who managed the Mans l field plant Q few years ago, assumed the 1 controlling interest in the business. and ! the village and employees benefited. :! Through MT. Johl the company built a 1 number of tenement houses with modern l improvements. Every tenant was given 1 g. large tract of land for garden purposes, 1 The blowing of the land. fertilizer and l seeds were furnished, with the result that ! the high cost of living during the war 1 was lowered. Deserving employees in ] cases of distress or illness were looked 1 out for by the company under MT. Johls ] direction.
 1 Each summer at least once or twice 1 reunions of the operatives were held in :; the open, and generally took the form of 1 dinner or picnic. when Mir. Johl would { divulge plans of the company along lines ] Of interest to the operatives.
 { For the past 10 years MT. JohI gave a ] Christmas part yto' the operatives of the plant, generally a few days before Christ 1 mas During past years the company 1 ,niJ iS< 1 length of service and in addition estab- lished 8 savings department to which the company contributed generously. Every operative carried life insurance on the 1 group form paid for by the company ] Many other innovations valuable for the operatives were carried out by the Max 5 Pollack company and a Christmas tree for the children Was an annual fea lure Mir. Joni is 8 believer in unity and the square deal which lie preached and prae { ticed, and had the confidence of his eIn- /! nloyes, & Large number Of whom have
 left ConantviiEe 10 work at the GroteI plant,
 Announcement WAS made wednesda5
 morning that the annual Christmas party under the management of Mir. Johl vii 1 he held at the Poquonnoc plant Friday l afternoon of this week. The, program will be carried out in the pa&&ing room 1 Two hundred k1vitaiGns have been issued } to leading citizens of Groton and New
 London. The affair is looked upon as tht dedication of the Poquonnoc plant of tht
 company,
 \ The Conantville plant was built at th, 1 beginning of the Civil war by Joseph l Conant, uncte of Col. J. D Chafee 0.
 this city, for silk manufacturing pur
 poses After operating the plant nun ! Der of yea.cs. Mir. Conant sold the mill t
 James H. Holland, a relative of the orig inaLi owners of tine Holland Silk company l in this city. Later L. c. Rottun, a notef i silk manufacturer, came in possession O the miil and later took ill a, partner Tht
 inill closed about 1896 and was bought b!
 the late F'M- A. Sullivan, who four year! l later sold it to the Max Pollack com 1 pany.
 i The r M. c. A. has arranged an at l tractive Christmas season program |,