The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-02-29
MOVE WOOL MILL
UTAH TO BUTTE
BIG PLANT EXPECTED TO BE IN
ASPIRATION WITHIN A
FEW WEEKS
Will Manufacture Blankets, Under
wear, Sweaters and Stockings;
Will Help to Make Market for
Montana Grown Wool.

Wool now on the backs of sheel
wintering in the Big Hole basin ant
other large areas of Montana range
will be transformed before next sum
mer passes into sweaters and under
garments in Butte. The $250,OO(
Montana Wooden Mills corporation
which has absorbed the Utah WooleI
Mills company of Utah, will have II
operation by March l machinery nov
in transit from Salt Lake City. Ther
it will be possible to observe the in
teresting processes by which sheer
coverings are worked up for the com
fort and adornment of human beings
H. D. Hanson, president of the
new corporation, which represents
one of the most important industrial
projects in the state in recent years
proposes, as soon as the mills are
installed in the Pallas building, Da-
kota and Park streets, to throw II
open for public inspection.
This promises to be an interesting
event, for it will demonstrate how the
raw wool nav be taken aud in the
space of an hour turned out as fin
ished sweater or undergarment. The
mills constitute a collection of ma
chimes which duplicate at dazzling
speed the skill and dexterity of the
women who, in pioneer times, knit
ted the stockings, socks and winter
apparel of their families.
These machines, some of them i'm
ported from Switzerland, are said to
be marvels of efficiency, and are
capable of turning carload or more
of wool into finished garments every
day.
Floors Laid Out
Engineers of the new corporation
already have laid out the upper floor
of the factory building according to
plans designed to eliminate all I'M
necessary motion. 1t will be liter
ally possible to see raw wool go in at
one end of the mills, and come out
the other ready for the shelves of the
garment merchant.
Every process required in the pro-
duction of sweaters and underwear
will be carried through under one
roof. The machinery coming from
Salt Lake includes scourers, carders,
yarn winders and both hand and au-
tomato knitting machines.
Between forty and fifty hands will
be employed. These operatives will
include number of girls and wom-
en-. The hand knitters will be oper-
ated by men, who also will be the
experts in charge of the automatic
knitters, which are capable of produr-
ing as much as three hand machines.
Montana Wool
Raw wool in ordinary manufactur-
ing practice will require about five
hours from securing to the turning
out of the finished product, accord
ing to Mr. Hanson, but the machines,
he said, are actually capable of per-
forming all the processes in an hour.
Wool stocks held in reserve since
last years shearing will furnish the
material for the initial operations of
the Butte knitting mills, but the clip |
Of the coming season, which comes |
Just after lambing, will be drawn on
for succeeding stocks.
Montana is third among the wool |
states in production. This was one
Of the factors which determined the
projectors to locate the knitting mills
IN Butte. The organization of the
followed some months of
negotiation shortly after the estab
ishment in Butte of retail branch
Of the consolidated company of Utah.
This branch will be retained by the
Montana Knitting Mills, and will oc-
cupy the ground floor of the Pallas
building, on which long time lease
has been obtained.
Officials Named
Mr.. Hanson was president of the
Utah corporation, and was chosen {
head of its Montana successor when /
The charter was obtained from Hell
ena. Tom Davis, former Rotary dis
.rict governor, is vice-president, with
B. A. Buchi as secretary, and George ,
A. Robe treasurer. John j. Caplis, +
DR.. Keane and Mike Sheehan are
among the directors.
All the machinery used in the Salt !
Lake mill will be installed in the
mill in Butte and will be supplement-
I'd by several automatic machines of
he latest design, which were recently !
purchased in the east.
Only One in State
The knitting mill viii be the only
)ne in Montana It's market will en-
brace several northwestern states, as
we'll as the prairie provinces Of Can
ada. Mr.. Hanson believes in highly
specialized manufacturing He Is con-
1inced this is a requisite II success.
Trying to cover the entire field" c
oankrupts the over ambitious, he y
says. Nevertheless, ii Il The inten- Q
ion of the Montana KNITTING Mills \
20 include the manufacture II blan-
1ets as soon as conditions warrant. I
Cows for Western Montana Z