Mississippi Lumberman

YOUNG, HOSFORD, JOYCE, DUNHAM, CURTIS, DISBROW, ANTHONY

Posted By: Michael J. Kearney (email)
Date: 1/16/2011 at 14:21:25

The Clinton Herald Monday May 18, 1891 p. 3 The Mississippi Lumberman of the current issue contains the following letter from this point: W.J. Young Sr., has recently returned from an extended pleasure trip through several southern States, improved in health and ready to look after his large milling interests in this city. Mr. Young is not only known as an extensive lumber operator, but he is a recognized leader in many deeds of charity and takes a deep interest in religious work and matters pertaining to the uplifting of young men in this city. Recently he purchased from the widow and heirs of the late A.P. Hosford the handsome residence property at the corner of Fifth avenue and Third street, which he is having converted into handsome and commodious rooms for the Y.M.C.A. of this city. Besides the $18,000 paid for the property, Mr. Young has expended about $2,000 more in putting in bath rooms in the basement, building on an addition for a gymnasium and making other improvements. The association will be given a free use of the building for a year, and if Mr. Young is as pleased with the work then as he is now, and satisfied that the young men are taking an interest in the work of the association, he will donate the property to the society.
David Joyce of Lyons, who has been spending several weeks in Hot Springs, is expected to return home this week. Mr. Joyce will find considerable business on hand to look after on his return. He is president of the Clinton & Lyons street railway company, which is owned and controlled by Lyons capitalists, and during his absence the Clinton City Council has passed a resolution ordering Second street guttered, curbed and paved from First avenue in this city north to the city limits, a distance of about twelve blocks. Mr. Joyce’s street car tracks occupy this street and the paving will cost his company thousands of dollars. Apparently Mr. Joyce has a fight on hand with the State Electric company of this city, which was recently organized and has given bonds in the sum of $20,000 to build and equip five miles of street railway here during the present year. This company has been unable so far to secure a right of way for their tracks in Lyons, owing to the fact that Mr. Joyce has secured from the Lyons Council exclusive right of all the principal streets of that city, and the State Electric company is practically shut out. It was thought a few weeks ago that both companies would eventually make concessions that would harmoniously settle the question of exclusive rights of way, but Mr. Joyce’s company recently so amended their articles of incorporation as to change their principal place of business from Clinton to Lyons, and it looks as though no concessions were to be made. W.T. Joyce, secretary of the company states that they will have electric cars on their lines in Lyons during the present year, but it is presumed they will continue to operate thei Clinton lines by mule power, as the Council here refuses to allow the company to put in electricity unless they take up and relay their tracks to the standard gauge, which would necessitate an outlay of about $50,000.
All the mills in Clinton, Lyons and Fulton are running ten hours per day. The Clinton Lumber company was the last mill to start here this season, being some two or three weeks later than the others, the delay being caused by necessary repairs being made.
The government boat Louise in command of Capt. Dunham, was in these waters a few days since in the interest of river improvements to be made here this season by the government. In conversation with your correspondent Capt. Dunham said the $5,000 appropriation by Congress for river improvements opposite this city was not near enough to make the improvements needed, and should have been at least $10,000. He thought that a portion of Stony Point should be cut away, and thus open up a straight channel for rafts from the Lyons bridge through the east side of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad bridge in this city. Capt. Dunham expects to commence the work here within a few days and says it will take six or eight weeks to complete it. The principal improvement to be made is the building of a dam from the head of Little Rock Island to the head of the little island near the Illinois shore on the west side of the east channel. This is done in order to throw the large body of water now passing between these two islands into the west and east channels and it is thought the dam will have a tendency to wash out the big sand bar which has been forming opposite the Clinton Lumber Co.’s yards for two or three years. In speaking of the matter in regard to the east pier of the new high bridge here standing out from the shore about fifteen feet too far, the captain said he thought the matter could be easily remedied by putting in a sheer boom or driving piling. The pier as it is will not interfere with rafting at an ordinary stage of water, but with high water the pier without a sheer boom at that point would prove dangerous to rafting.
The new high bridge at Lyons is rapidly approaching completion and will probably be finished by July 4th. Considerable complaint has been made by pilots in relation to the location of this bridge some of them claiming that it is the worst bridge on the river to put a raft through.
Curtis Brothers & Co., sash, door, and blind manufacturers of this city, have the foundation for their new warehouse nearly completed, and brick laying will be commenced within a few days. When finished it will be one of the largest and best arranged warehouses in the city. The building will be three stories high, 130x80, and will be equipped with steam elevators.
M.A. Disbrow & Co., of Lyons, sash, door and blind manufactures, have recently completed extensive improvements and repairs about their factory. The company is now engaged in erecting a handsome brick office on a lot adjoining their buildings.
W.R. Anthony has recently placed steam feed engines in the mill at Camanche in place of cable engines, the result being an increase in the daily output of between 6,000 and 7,000 feet.