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Observations on Linn County Industries |
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Some
years ago many people thought the drift from the “rural districts”
toward the large cities was certain to absorb all workers and all
industries of the country except those pertaining directly to agriculture
and mining. It was conjectured that centralization in the big city
machines shops and factories would force the small concerns in the country
to the wall; that the big department stores of the cities would absorb the
country stores; that the big city daily newspaper would drive the country
weeklies from the field-in short, that everything worth having in the
country, except farms and mines and other property which could not be
moved, would either be destroyed or taken in by the big centers of
population. But times have changed and we have changed with them. The
growth of small cities has not been checked; quite the contrary. If there
is a drift at all, it is toward the country and the small cities. At
least, the country districts are keeping a fair ratio of advancement with
the big municipalities. Country merchants who use modern methods are more
generally successful than ever before. As for manufacturing concerns, they
are finding that for many reasons the small cities are better locations
than the large ones. In the East, where manufacturing is the principal
occupation, most of the largest concerns have their factories outside the
big cities, while only their offices and a corps of clerks are kept in New
York, Philadelphia or Boston. The same condition will eventually obtain in
north Missouri, where manufacturing is growing at a rapid rate. We believe
it is no far cry to the time when Linn county-its excellent natural
resources in the way of fuel, timber, etc., and its railroad facilities
furnished by the two Burlington lines, the Santa Fe system and the
Wabash—shall have extensive factories e employing thousands of men,
located in the various towns. The rapid growth of such institutions that
we now have among us is a portent of future progress in this direction. Of
course our local industrial condition is now, and perhaps always shall be,
based upon agriculture. The county has been greatly blessed in this
direction, having
396,800 acres. The yearly production of our farms in the way of crops
amounts in round numbers to $2,000,000; in live stock and produce to
nearly $4,000,000. Of the total production a surplus of not far from
$1,500,000 was shipped last year, as shown by figures from the
commissioner of labor of the state of Missouri.
Why should not this surplus be kept at home to feed a large
manufacturing population? We quote the following from the Linneus
Bulletin, which we think fully describes the local conditions: “As for
manufactures, we point with an unusual degree of pride to a number of
thriving concerns: At Brookfield are pressed and vitrified brick works with a big annual sale, iron foundry and machine shops, railroad machine shops, and cigar factories. At Marceline, we have great coal mines, the shops of the Santa Fe system, flouring mills, etc. At Linneus the Superior Hay Stacker Manufacturing Co. has a large plant and foundry; here are also located a cigar factory, flouring mills, etc. At Browning, in the northern edge of the county, is the Jenkins Hay Rake and Stacker manufacturing plant, employing nearly 100 men, and doing a vast business. “It was with this vision before us of Linn county as an already considerable industrial center that we planned this edition of the Bulletin, to show, as far as type and pictures could show, what we already have here, in the people, their occupations and their homes. We believe a study of these will reveal to any inquirer the fact that Linn county offers valuable opportunities to any worthy industry-opportunities which, as a whole, are hardly to be surpassed elsewhere. “We offer, for instance, a highly civilized people, marked for their intelligence, sobriety, industry and adaptability to any pursuit requiring these characteristics. They are willing to assist and encourage any laudable enterprise. “We offer easy access to markets East, West, North, and South. “Vast fields of coal are known to underlie this section of the state, and our Linn county mines already produce each year about 80,000 tons. “We
offer a low tax rate, with an efficient though economical administration
of internal affairs. Our county tax is 32 cents on the $100 valuation;
school tax, 50 cents. Missouri’s state tax is only 17 cents. “The
entire county is strung with telephone wires, intercommunicating between
all neighborhoods, so that one can stand in Linneus, Brookfield,
Marceline, Meadville, Laclede, Browning, Purdin or Bucklin-in fact, in any
part of the county-and converse with people in any other part. This will
give an idea of the convenience with which local business may be
transacted. “Rural free delivery is also highly developed here, there being now 27 routes beginning within the limits of the county, serving not less than 10,800 of our 30,000 population. As about 15,000 of our people live in towns, it will be seen that a vast majority of our farmers are reached by rural free delivery service. And other lines are to be established. Our business men are modern in methods, progressive, and invite all classes of honorable business institutions suitable to this locality to come stand make a permanent location in Linn county. These business men are not mere “ boomers, trying to induce anyone to come here whether there be a chance for success or not; if the opportunities for a prospective newcomer are not good, they will frankly tell him so if he asks their opinion. They want substantial concerns, with either merit or capital, or both, to loc ate here and become fixed institutions. Such should address for further information than is contained in this paper the Commercial Clubs at Brookfield, Marceline or Linneus Concerning the live stock industry the same paper contains this interesting article: The raising and marketing of cattle and hogs is the chief industry of Linn county next to the growing of crops, mainly made so by natural conditions and the good judgment of our farmers. Linn is the central county of the blue grass district of north Missouri. Blue grass grows luxuriantly in every pasture and yard, an on every roadside, furnishing the best grazing in the world from six to eight months of the year. With this as a foundation and with a strong soil capable of yielding fine crops of corn, making that important feed as cheap here as anywhere, our farmers naturally find a good profit in raising calves and in buying and fattening feeders. Arrangements for caring for cattle on the farm are being improved steadily, and it will not be long until our farmers are all putting the maximum of beef on their cattle at a minimum cost. Many of them are proceeding along scientific lines-and this word “scientific” means here, as it does in other connections, that they know what they are doing. They make a close study of the subject, count the cost of every detail, and watch for certain effects from certain causes. This is one reason why about two million dollars’ worth of cattle alone are produced here in a year, and nearly a half million dollars’ worth of swine. |