Atlantic, a city of smokestacks.
That is one of the dreams of those who labor for the upbuilding of the good old town and her institutions, a dream which bids fair to become a reality.
But, while the city has not more factories of various kinds that one can count, she has a number of very good and very beneficial industries, and the men behind them are not only contributing materially to the prosperity of the city by the money they pay out in their business, but in every instance they are men whose time and talents are ever at the disposal of the city and whose hands are always in their pockets, where the good of Atlantic is concerned.
The Atlantic Canning Company.
Chief among the industries of the city, is the Atlantic Canning factory, the biggest corn cannery in the world, owned and operated by the Atlantic Canning Company, the stock in which is entirely owned by J. W. Cuykendall, whose business ability and genius have placed the factory where it is and have made it a source of pride and profit to Atlantic and her people. The factory was built in 1877 by a company composed of J. W. McWaid, S. F. Martin and R. D. Wilken. It was a small and crude affair at first, and practically all the work done by hand. The ownership was gradually acquired by J.W. McWaid and as the business grew new machinery was installed until today all the work , practically, from the making of boxes to the labeling of cans is done by machinery. The product finds its market all over the world, and in the shops of the Phillipines, in the Alaskan country, and all over the United States, the goods of the Atlantic factory will be found for sale. The company operates a factory at Fremont, Neb., and one at Shenandoah, this state, in addition to the factory here and the business, which started from so small beginnings, has grown beyond the wildest dreams of its founders and is constantly on the increases. The company now has an absolutely fire proof factory building, modern in every way, and representing a large investment. Mr. Cuykendall, the owner of the factory, is the owner of the process which keeps the corn white after it is cooked, and is a canner of life long experience. The company furnishes employment to hundreds of people during the canning season and between twenty-five and fifty the year round, besides furnishing a market for hundreds of acres of sweet corn in addition to the corn grown by the company itself. The Canning Company is one of the beneficial institutions of the city, and it is paying annually thousands of dollars out for corn and labor which go into the pockets of the local merchants and business people generally, and materially |
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aid in the advancement of the town and its interests.
J. W. Cuykendall, of the company, was born in New York State in 1858 and at three years of age went with his parents to Delaware. At 16 years of age he conceived the idea of evaporating peaches and engaged in the business himself. He cut the logs and hauled them to a local mill, giving the mill man half the lumber for cutting his half. He built his factory on designs of his own, devoting it to the evaporation of peaches. His total cash capital was $ 20 and he cleared $ 600 in his year's business. The following year he went to Philadelphia and leased a plant at Leroy, N.Y., forthe evaporation of apples, and cleared some $ 2,600 on the year's business. Later he went to Canada and operated evaporating plants there which were financially successful. He made two moderate fortunes in business, one of which he lost by fire and another through an absconding partner. In 1880 he came to Atlantic and went to work for the canning factory on a salary. In 1900 he bought a half interest in the business and the business has increased from year to year until today it is the largest corn canning factory in the world.
Mr. Cuykendall and his charming wife, and daughter, Miss Virginia, are prominent in the social affairs of the city, and their beautiful home, "Lyndhurst," on South Chestnut street, a picture of which appears elsewhere in this edition, is the scene of many an enjoyable social affair.
The Atlantic Mill and Elevator Company.
Another of the manufacturing concerns of this city which is doing much towards keeping up the prosperity and progress of the town and surrounding country is the Atlantic Mill and Elevator Company, which operates the 150 barrel modern flour mill at the foot of Oak street and the 30,000 bushel grain elevator, in addition to elevators at Grant, Marker and Gates, on the Atlantic Northern & Southern railroad. The firm of J.A. Campbell & Son, which operates the mill and took hold of the business in 1899, is composed of J.A. Campbell, and his son, Clyde T. Campbell, while Grant Campbell, another son, is connected with the mill in the capacity of purchasing and selling agent and general outside man. The mill gives employment to about ten people at good wages. J.A. Campbell, the senior member of the firm, is a native of New York and a resident of Lincoln, Neb. He is a miller of fifty years experience and he and his sons have the hustle and push which spells success in any business. The mill makes several different brands of flour, all of which find a ready sale at home and elsewhere. |
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The S. G. HUNTER Iron Works Company.
This is one of the concerns which is making for a bigger and better Atlantic. The present owners took over the company some two years and more ago, and since taking over the business have injected into it the twentieth century methods of doing things. The company owns plants at Omaha, Red Oak, Kansas City, Sioux Falls and Portland, and is growing and progressive concern. The principal business is the making of steel and iron work and the company will soon start the plant here on the work incident to the bridge contract for the county, awarded them at the recent session of the board of supervisors. The local plant pays out many thousands of dollars for wages, has modern plant here housed in a commodious building 107 feet long by 73 feet wide, and it is forging to the front. T.C. Brett, the manager, is a genial gentleman. He is married and has a daughter seven years old.
The local plant employs fifty men and more when running full force, some of them being employed on the outside work and a number in the factory.
Atlantic Produce Company.
This splendid Atlantic institution was established in this city in September of 1899, and has prosecuted the business of buying and shipping produce to the eastern market since its establishment. In 1906 the company embarked in the creamery business, which has grown with the passing years and is one of the most satisfactory departments of the business of the concern. The creamery last year shipped 300,000 lbs. of butter, which was sold locally and to customers in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
The company busy cream, butter, poultry and eggs in this territory between Council Bluffs and Des Moines and in the course of a year pays out a large volume of money for these products and for labor. From fifteen to ninety people are employed according to the season, and the yearly pay roll is around $ 20,000. The poultry is bought alive and fed from three to fifteen days, depending on the grade of it. It is then killed, graded, packed in thirty-seven different grades and shipped. The poultry goes to New York and the New England states, and the company has certain grades which go to the other side of the Atlantic, being sold in Liverpool and other British cities.
The produce house has a cold storage plant in connection. The cold storage makes it unnecessary to pack the poultry in ice for shipment during the hottest weather as it is kept in the cold storage and from there packed in refrigerator cars for shipment.
In the spring and summer the company handles mostly eggs and ships them to various markets, after sorting them into different grades. In the spring the eggs bought are (Cont'd on Page 10)
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