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How Owosso Booms

How Owosso Booms image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
July
Year
1887
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Theie is nodenying the fact that Owosso ia the hveliest and most enterprising litüe city in the state of Michigan. Five years ago less than 100 men were employed in manufactories. Today there is over 1,100. During that time its population has more than doubled. lts valuation has increased accordingly. A village lot which was worth $1 50 five years ago is now worth nearly doublé that amount. lts increase, which has been almost phenomenal, has been the result of booming, not by a few merchants, but by the entire city. Whenever they saw a chance to secure a manufactory, the council appropriated money out of the city treasury for that purpose. Judge Walker, oL that place, now U. S. consul to Canada, was in the city last Friday, and in conversation with a Register reporter gave the above facts. Speaking further on the subject the Judge said : " I consider that it is a wise mo vement ; a few merchnt8 should not be called upon to furnish the capital for such a purpose ; the taxpayers generally should contribute their share, becausej everyoae h benefited accordingly. A large number of those employed in the various shops and factories are steady, sober men, 8ave their earnings, and the most of them purchase a home of their own ; so you see they Boon become permanent fixtures, as it were. Wheti we hear of a firm that wants to change its location, we write and make them an offer, and if they will come fór a reaspnable sum the council appropriatea it out of the contingent fund. I doubt the legality of their having the authority to vote money for such a purpose, but where is the man that has got the nerve to get an injunction restraining them from doing so? Owosso 8 certainly taking the proper course, and Ann Arbor, or any other city that wants to grove, has got to do the same thine."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register