The Washington times., 1922-11-24
FORD SEEN BACK
Of v. Va.
PLANT
n. S. Firestone Believed to Be
His Agent in $1o,Ooo,-
900 Project.

WINCHESTER. Va, Nov. "a
The veil Of secrecy that UP to the
present time has hidden the identity
Of the financial interests who are to
build and operate a 10000, 900 auto
mobile manufacturing plant at
Ridgeway. Berkeley county. West
Virginia, nine miles from Winches-
ter. on the Pennsylvania railroad.
was lifted today, when 1t became
known that II. s. Firestone. the mil
lionaire tire manufacturer of Akron,
Ohio. head OF the Firestone Tire and
Rubber Company and brother-in.law
of Henry Ford. is the man in whose
name all deeds conveying the land
at Ridgeway from the owners are
being made out.
Ford Visited Site.
Whether Henry Ford is associated
with Mr.. Flrestone is not known
but in this connection it Is recalled
that Ford. Firestone and Thomas
A. Edison, the world.famous inven.
tor, formed a camping party dur.
ing last summer which camped for
the Ridgeway site. and Ford and
Firestone at that time made an in
spection of the tract Of land OF
more than $500 acres now being
bought or optioned by agents rep
resenting Frestone. Ford, Fire
stone and Edison were hosts to
President Harding during their
camp outing near Ridgeway last
summer. the President having spent
several days with them.
1t is learned today that three or
four Of the owners Of land at Ridge
way. where the automobile factory
is to be located, have concluded
cash transactions with agents OF
Firestone and his associates, and
have signed deeds conveying their
tracts Of land to Mr.. Firestone.
George Setback has received $780,
Hoffman. of Bunker Hill. near
Ridgeway, $685. for 400 acres.
and c. f. Ridgeway $4,000 for
smaller tract. John J. Ridgeway
has also agreed to sell twenty-seven
acres for about $500. Options
given on the remainder Of the $500
acre tract specify prices for the
land ranging from 5000 to nearly
81 900 an acre. A great deal OF
the land wanted for the factory site
is planted in apple orchards. and
this fact adds materially to Its
value.
Agents for Mr.. Firestone and his
associates declare that their plan OF
laying off and building a town at
the Ridgeway site, where comfort
able homes and healthy surround
ings will be provided for the 1900
workmen to be employed at the
plant. will solve the problem Of
labor to a large extent and prevent
the economic loss from frequent
labor turnover. From 60 to 70 per
cent Of the labor required will be
employed locally, the representatives
say.
Sink Artesian Wells.
The town for the workmen at
the plant will have its own water
works, supplied from artesian wells,
and its own sewer system, and light
and power for the factory and for
the workmen's homes will be sup
piled from the $500, 900 power plant
of the Potomac Public Service Cor
poration at Williamsport. Nd. and
from auxiliary power plants to be
constructed with the factory units.
William Jordan, Of Detroit, Mich.
one of Mr.. Firestone's representa-
tives, said that arrangements would
be made with the Pennsylvania
Railroad for ample shipping facil-
tiles at the Ridgeway plant.
DIR. Make Hoffman, of Bunker
Hill, who has sold his land to agents
Of Firestone, has accepted the post
as physician-in.chief at the big
plant. and will at once devise a plan
for establishing first-aid medical and
surgical stations in each unit of the
factory. The plant will also estab-
lish its own ambulance service for
emergency cases requiring attention
at the hospitals In Winchester and