History of Springfield, Illinois, its attractions as a home and advantages for business, manufacturing, etc. Pub. under the auspices of the Springfield board of trade, by J. C. Power.

102 SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, AND
to 2000 planters. The retail price at the but I will close by inviting, on behalf of
shop is sixty-five dollars, making an ag- the business men of Springfield, manugregate of $120,000 as the amount of sales facturers of all kinds to investigate the
for the season, if all had been sold at re- subject. You should, in the meantime,
tail. This is but a single implement, of bear in mind that the supply of water is
a kind unknown to the farmer, until unlimited. That if you wish to transact
within a very few years. If factories were a business requiring a thousand tons of
established here for making plows, reap- coal, per day, it can be supplied with the
ers, threshers, etc., the amount of sales in present facilities for mining as cheap and
agricultural implements alone could of as good quality as can be found anyeasily be brought up to half a million where, east or west; and if you want
dollars, annually. more, the supply can be increased to an
Cotton manufacturing could be done unlimited extent.
here as cheap as at any other point in the You should consult the accompanying
United States. The difference in the cost map, and you will find that the railroad
of labor over the Eastern States would communication is easy and direct with
be counterbalanced in savings on the trans- all parts of the country.
portation of the raw material, which
portation of the raw material, which In your investigations you could corcould be obtained by way of St. Louis, respond with any citizen of Springfield
with less than one hundred miles of
whose name appears in these pages; but
freight by railroad-the manufactured
if you mean business, your best way would
goods, being in the midst of the best mar- be to correspond with the Board of Trade,
be to correspond with the Board of Trade,
ket in the country, would save the freight the members and officers of which will
from the eastern cities also.
take pleasure in supplying you with acThere are advantages here superior to
curate information on any subject you
any other within the State, for rolling But it would
mills, nail factories, car shops, stone foun- may Wish to investigate. But would
deries, furniture factories, etc., etc. be still better for you to visit Springfield
The immense trade in sewing machines and call on the officers of the Board, who
from this place, and its abundant and in- will co-operate with you in finding the
creasing railroad facilities, with all its best localities for any particular branch
other advantages, point to Springfield as of manufacturing,and where lands may be
a good location for a manufactory of that procured on the most advantageous terms.
kind. The city council of Springfield is disposThe large and increasing trade in ed to be liberal also, and will, no doubt
pianos, reed organs, and other musical be willing to make all reasonable concesinstruments, would indicate this as a Sions, in the way of water rents and taxes,
suitable place for a manufactory of that towards all parties who are desirous of
kind also. inaugurating any enterprise calculated
I might go on, from One branch of man- to develop the industrial resources of the
ufacturing to another, and point out the country. The invitation to all is, come
advantages for each particular branch; and see for yourselves.