The Daily Texarkanian

The Monied Men of Our City Thoroughly Aroused to the Need of Factories.

For a longtime this paper has agitated the subject of cotton factories not only for the south but for our home city has labored to work up an interest in this direction.

We are happy now to say that the seed we, with others, have planted have sprouted, with promise to mature.

Last night at the West Side city hall, a representative citizenship gathered, to hear Mr. H. H. Hargrove, lecture on cotton factories.

Mr. Hargrove came here by invitation, which fact shows that our people have become thoroughly convinced that a cotton factory would be a splendid investment for our city, and would be the nucleus around which other factories would spring.

The speaker was introduced to the audience by Mr. Henry Moore, in a neat little speech.

Mr. Hargrove, after complimenting his audience and the city and the surrounding country, branched off to tell what he knew and what he had learned about cotton factories since he started out to make them a study. In his talk he showed that Massachusetts, the leading state in cotton factories as to the number of spindles, was farthest removed from the cotton zone. He showed that these manufactories bought our cotton, paid the freight on it to the bleak, rock bound coast, where most of the factories are situated, manufactured the raw material, reshipped it to the producer and made a big profit on every pound of the raw material woven into cloth.

He spoke of the "awakening" in some parts of the south, where cotton factories were being established and the enormous profits made, and the benefits therefrom to the people living in the radius of the same. His arguments were all good, sensible and not overdrawn, and we think his talk here means that we are to raise a hundred thousand or more dollars, and have a factory running before a great while. After he had entertained his audience for an hour or more, he said he would answer any questions asked him. He was kept busy for a time in being interrogated as to the cost of machinery, building, the number of acres for a site, the amount of capital required to be on hand to pay for raw material, etc., which he answered satisfactory to the questioners.

After the speaking, Mr. Henry Moore was called to the chair and Ben M. Foreman was chosen secretary.

Mr. Moore made a short talk, as to the great need of this city in having a cotton factory, and called on Mr. J. W. Buchanan who also spoke in favor of factories. Others followed after which a call from those present was made as to the amount of stock each would take then, as the meeting should have a nucleus to work upon.
Mr. B. M. Foreman was the first to put down his name after which several others followed, the list and amounts standing as follows:

Ben Foreman $2,000
M. D. Tilson 2,000
P. J. Ahern 2,000
Henry Moore 2,000
E. K. Smith 2,000
L. Heilbron 2,000
B. T. Estes 2,000
Tucker 2,000
J. W. Gardner 1,000
W. M. 1,000
M. 1,000
Col. 1,000
Total $20,000

Other gentlemen were reported as saying they would take stock, but not being present the amount of stock they would take could not be definitely ascertained. No one left the meeting doubting as to the outcome for the people are aroused to the necessity of factories, and they will take stock and the factory will be built.

The following committee, which is a good one, was appointed to solicit subscriptions to the stock:

East Side—E. K. Smith, P. J. Ahern, M. Kosminsky and J. W. Gardner.
West Side—W. R. Grim, M. D. Tilson, L. Heilbron and J. H. Stewart.

The committee will now get down to business, and we will soon report all the stock taken and the factory a certainty.