The Columbus Weekly Telegram, January 10, 1890
County Judge Hensley informs The Telegram that he will open an office up town very soon. He will probably locate upstairs in R.H. Henry's building, over Dowty's drug store.
The Columbus Journal, November 6, 1890
BIG IMPROVEMENTS.
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THE COLUMBUS CREAMERY TO BE REBUILT.
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A Large Addition to be Made to the Building, New Machinery to be Added and the Capacity
Doubled--It Will be a Big Thing For Columbus.Tally one more for Columbus. The wheels of progress are constantly revolving and new industries being added and the capacity of old ones being increased. One of the most important events in the latter line for some time, is the rebuilding of the Columbus creamery, which has been decided upon. The building will be entirely rebuilt, making it twice as large as at present, and two full stories high. New machinery will be added, among which will be a large engine and boiler, a patent refrigerator and three 500 gallon vats. The capacity will be 2,000 pounds of butter per day, just double what it is now. The improvements will cost $4,000 and will be begun at once and hurried to completion.
This is an important thing for Columbus and the surrounding country and the Columbus Creamery company is to be congratulated upon its enterprise. The company is composed of the following named officers and directors: Carl Kramer, president; M. Whitmoyer, secretary; Adolf Jaeggi, treasurer; George A. Scott and A. Henrich, directors, in addition to the officers, and L. Gerrard, C. E. Early, D. Schupbach and John Schotwell. Messrs. Stevenson & Kimble have leased the creamery for a term of years and with increased capital will make it an important and successful institution.
The Columbus Weekly Telegram, November 20, 1890
A BIG FACTORY.
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TO MAKE WINDMILLS, PUMPS, HARROWS, ETC.
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Articles of Incorporation of the Farmer's Manufacturing Company to be Filed Today--Its Capital Stock to be $100,000--The Incorporators.
From Friday's Daily.
It is the intention to file articles of incorporation today of a new company to be known as the Farmer’s Manufacturing company. Its capital stock will be placed at $100,000 divided in 10,000 shares of $10 each.
The incorporators are A. W. Clark, _. A. Way, J. C. Swartsley, A. C. Rickett and C. A. Woosley. They propose to purchase the Gilt Edge plant and manufacture and sell windmills, pumps, plows, cultivators and harrows and do a general foundry business. This institution will prove to be one of the biggest things for Columbus that ever happened, giving employment, as it will, to a large number of men and making Columbus one ot the leading manufacturing cities in Nebraska. When the books are opened for stock subscriptions, our business men should invest liberally in the company, for it will be a great benefit to all. The incorporators are principally among our best and most sound farmers whose names are a guarantee of good faith. Help the plan along and it will help you.
The Columbus Journal, October 7, 1891
THE COLUMBUS CREAMERY.
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The Most Substantial Industry in Platte County, and Second to None in the State-- A Brief Description of the Plant.
Thursday of last week, a JOURNAL reporter visited the creamery, located in the western portion of the city, and through the courtesy of the accommodating proprietor, Mr. F.N. Stevenson, was shown through the plant from top to bottom. Thinking that our observations there would be of much interest to our readers, we will attempt to describe
WHAT WE SAW THERE.
The cream is all unloaded on the west side of the building, from a raised platform, into the receiving room where it is carefully graded according to quality. It is then drawn into a large can into the vat room. Here are three large vats with a capacity of 1300 gallons. Here the cream is brought to a certain temperature--60 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and 55 to 60 during the summer.
Now the cream is ready for the churn, and is drawn into the churns, which are located in the working room, where after about one hour, it is taken out as butter. The working room is 30x30 and contains three large churns with a total capacity of 800 gallons; printing tables, butter worker, test churns, etc. The butter is now taken out of the churns and placed upon the power butter worker, where the salt is added, and after a thorough working, is packed into tubs or printed in pound packages and placed away ready for shipment.
Adjoining the working room is the refrigerator, 20x24, which holds 60,000 pounds of butter. It is of the McCray pattern and has all the latest improvements. The temperature here is about 48 degrees F.
Next, we were shown the engine room, where we found a large 20-horse power boiler and a 15-horse power engine which turns all the machinery and which was working away very quietly.
Adjoining the creamery is a large ice house which will hold 500 tons; this amount being used during the summer months to temper the cream.
That this institution is an important factor in Platte county's finances, may be readily seen by the following.
AMOUNTS PAID OUT FOR CREAM.
With the month just closed, Mr. Stevenson has paid for this and the preceding four months the sum $19,775 to his patrons alone. This does not include any labor, such as drivers of the routes, express charges, draying, etc. This amount has been paid direct to the patrons, and every cent of it has gone into circulation in Platte county.
During July alone, $1,356.28 was paid for labor, which, added to the amount above for cream, makes a total of $6,548.76 for one month only. What other institution in Platte county can duplicate this pay roll?
THE OUTPUT.
The total make of the plant during the last five months has been something over ten car loads of fine creamery butter. This is shipped both east and west and finds a ready market. Mr. Stevenson is constantly receiving orders, and is at present far behind in filling them.
THE SEPARATOR.
In connection with the creamery, a separator station is located in Grand Prairie township, near D. L. Bruen's residence. This is a machine for skimming milk, and is run by steam. While this is comparatively a new thing in Nebraska, yet it is an old time method in the east. It has proved very successful here the past two years and is no longer an experiment. By this method the milk is brought to the separator, where the cream is extracted and the milk taken back by the parties who brought it. Butter made from separator cream always brings a higher price on the market and is known and graded as separator butter.
SELECTION OF COWS.
Platte county, and in fact Nebraska, is far below the standard in the matter of milch cows and has little or nothing that can be called dairy cattle. Mr. Stevenson says that if his patrons would pay more attention to the selection of cows adapted to the dairy business and would take better care of them, feed them better and keep them up, that the amount paid for the same inches of cream could easily be doubled, because the yield would be greater and the grade would be much higher, consequently the product would be much finer.
The Columbus Weekly Telegram, October 22, 1891
GLUCK'S NEW BUILDING.
___________It is Completed, is One of the Finest in
the city and Occupied by Perma-
nent Business Enterprises.
April 17, 1879, Henry Ragatz & Co. opened a grocery store with a small stock in a building located on the lots on which I. Gluck has just erected a fine brick block. Their business increased until last spring it was found that they would have to either have more room or quit business. Mr. Gluck then decided to build and the structure he has erected is a credit to the city and its owner. It is 33 x 76 feet and two stories high with a roomy basement.
With the exception of one room the entire building--first and second floor and basement--is occupied by Henry Ragatz & Co's. grocery store. To give a description of their store, which is undoubtedly one of the finest retail houses in the state, is no easy task. The main floor or salesroom is lined on either side with shelves, drawers and chests all well filled with goods. The west half of the room is devoted to the crockery, glassware and queensware department; the shelves on the east side are loaded with groceries of every description, while from the ceiling are hung lamps of all sizes. In the center of the rear part is the business office, which is neatly and conveniently arranged. The second floor is used mostly for storing surplus goods, and is reached by either stairway or elevator. In the basement is the oil room, vegetable bins and general depository for canned goods, etc.
The fixtures for the entire building were furnished by Hunteman Brothers, and as far as possible, home industries were employed in the construction and fitting of the entire building. The front of the store is plate glass, and the building is illuminated by electric lights. In all, this popular grocery firm may well feel proud of their new business home and the many conveniences with which they are surrounded.
The northeast corner of the first floor of the building, a room 13x34 feet, is occupied by A.E. Searl's barber shop. When Mr. Searl moved from his temporary quarters, just west of Galley's store, he left his fixtures there and commenced business in the new shop yesterday with a complete new outfit, which is one of the finest usually seen in towns the size of Columbus. The glasses and chairs are finished in hand-carved oak, and the mirrors are so situated that you can sit in either chair and observe what is transpiring in any part of the room. Mr. Searl now has a barber shop which is first-class in every particular and in which he can expect to do a good business.
The Columbus Weekly Telegram, November 5, 1891
HAGEL’S NEW BUILDING.
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A Large Structure Which is a Credit to its Owners and the City in Which They are Doing such an Extensive Business
The large cold storage building located on the corner of Eleventh and Olive streets is completed and its owners, Messrs. Hagel & Co. may well feel proud of their new business quarters. The contract for the building was given S. B. Clemmons of Springfield, O., whose patent refrigerator was used in the construction of the building. The entire cost is about $5,000, but with its completion Columbus may boast of having the best cold storage building on the line of the Union Pacific between Omaha and Denver.
To give a description of the building one must go into details and describe it all before the reader will have an idea of its usefulness and completeness. The front half of the first floor is used as the office. It is a large and well lighted room and is probably the best located office in the city as it commands a view of all of Eleventh and Olive streets and the Union Pacific depot. From this room to the south is the egg candling room where everything is as dark as midnight. Double doors from this room lead into the south half of the building which is used as the cold storage room for the eggs. It has a capacity of holding 3,000 crates or 90,000 eggs. The room is finished in oak and surrounded by a twelve inch filled wall with two six-inch hollow walls. It is lighted by three windows having three sashes each. It is well ventilated.
You then go back to the office and take the elevator for the cellar. This elevator is large and strong and runs from the cellar to top story. The north half of the building down stairs is lighted by double windows on the north and east sides, has a cement floor, drainage and water works and is used as the butter packing room. The south half of the cellar is under the egg room and has double doors triple windows and is used as a cold storage for the butter. It is capable of holding five cars of butter at one time.
You are then taken to the third story on the elevator and here you find the north half of the building devoted to the crate making room. Here all the crates and other utensils are made and kept in repair. The south half of this story is the “ice box,” on a very large scale however. To gain access to it you must go outside and ascend the ladder. It is a very large room and has a capacity of holding 225 tons of ice when full. It has a zinc bottom and a drain at the west side which carries off the water as fast as the ice melts. Above the zinc is a wooden frame on which the ice rests. It is located over the egg and butter cold storage rooms and rests on heavy oak timbers. This finishes a tour of the building. Throughout it is built of the best and most durable timber and is constructed with a view of being substantial. The Telegram is pleased to see these marks of improvement and advancement and wishes the proprietors an abundance of well deserved success in their new location.
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