In the year 1913, Marion was small town but it was growing with several new business opportunities. The town was built back up and progressing nicely after the 1905 fire that wiped out all of the business district.
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Jan. 5, 1913 - A Clean Town
There is no town of the size of Marion in the State that is kept cleaner and more sanitary than our town. Our streets and yards are far above the average.
Most of our citizens are doing their best to make their homes comfortable and beautiful. Quite a number of our houses have been painted and the out buildings whitewashed. Yet there are a few that have neglected some things that go to make us perfect.
Our streets have been cleaned and oiled but recently and already on many of them is to be seen paper and rubbish of all kinds.
Our post office is supplied with a receptacle for waste paper and yet some have persisted in throwing it in the gutter to be blown over town. Let us have more of these receptacles for banana peals, that great fly producer, and other things that are not sanitary.
This coming Friday will be “clean up day.” Our best citizens are behind this and they are anxious that there will be no building left without a coat of paint or whitewash. Lime will be furnished to any one who is not able to buy it and wagons will cart away all rubbish that may have accumulated around your house. Have this rubbish in a pile on the side of the street or alley so that no time may be lost in getting to it.
If there is anything that should be burned place it where there is no danger of setting anything else on fire and burn it. Let us have a clean town.
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Here are some of the businesses that was contributing to Marion's progress and also profiting from the growing town.
The tobacco business was a contributing factor to this busy time in Marion's history. In March 1913, the Press tells us that about one hundred wagon loads of tobacco were received at the three houses which opened for business. At the A. B. Jarvis, Stemming District Association factory, B. L. Wilborn and T. J. Woody were busy looking after the tobacco deliveries there; at the Farmer's Union factory, A. J. McMullen was on hand to receive and D. N. Kemp to grade. At the Independent warehouse where S. T. Dupuy holds forth, everything was running as smooth as a river and an immense lot of tobacco was received, more than at both of the other factories put together.
During the month the deliveries of tobacco here in Marion have been quite heavy. Thirty, forty or fifty loads come into town every day. The greater part of the tobacco goes to the Stemming District Tobacco Association at the Jarvis factory. While the prices have not in all cases been as high as had been hoped for, the farmers as a rule seem well pleased with the situation.
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The mineral outputs of the county were on the rise and contributed greatly to the progress Marion was making. The mining and shipping of fluorspar, zinc, ores of both carbonate and sulphides, lead ores and barytes have, during this year, perceptibly increased in tonnage as well as values. From the Crittenden Springs property a great body of zinc and lead ore are found. The size of the crystals of zinc and the cubes of lead are greater than the ordinary ores of the district. They carry a matrix of white calc spar and with our ordinary limestone, produce an ideal concentrating and cleaning proposition. The Commodore mine is also producing large quantities of ore and zinc.
Seven hundred and fifty tons of zinc ores have been shipped during the month from this point valued at $20,000. Lead values were considerably less, amounting to $1,200. The value of fluorspar shipments as compared with other seasons will aggregate really more on account of it superior quality, much of it going into hydrofluoric acid production and for enameling use. Shipments of fluorspar during the month, from this district aggregate 1,150 tons, of a value of $10,350.
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In March of 1913. Boston's new lumber emporium is nearing completion and is an immense establishment worth a visit from any citizen of the community who is interested in the growth and development of our various enterprises.
Few, if any of the enterprises in Marion, since the city was laid out almost three fourths of a century ago, have succeeded better and are on any more firm foundation than the Boston Mills and Lumber plant.
The growth of Marion and contiguous farming territory added to the great amount of material used for mining shafts and other buildings of all characters around these mines have lent valuable help to the splendid business sagacity and acumen of Mr. J. N. Boston the owner of this fine property. He has also had valuable help in the conduct of his office from his two sons, Messrs Maurie and Ted Boston.
Altogether its a strong team, and the equipment in the way of machinery and buildings is unsurpassed in this section of the state. Their new ware-rooms and offices near the I. C. Depot are not only immense but are stored with everything that goes into a house. Their machine shop and engine rooms and planing mills are now being reconstructed and enlarged and at the same time not put out of commission.
They handle lime, cement, nails and all kinds of builders hardware and have recently installed a self measuring apparatus for gasoline where motor can be filled and the gasoline measured and strained at the same time. This is a new invention and a patent will worth going a long distance to see.
In fact few people in Marion know to what extent this business has grown and would be surprised to take a trip through all its departments and see its immensity.
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New Enterprise Launched - Eskew Brothers Open Branch Establishment
No one who knows the Eskew Bros., will be surprised to learn that they have bought the Stembridge wagon works and machine shops on Bellville street recently operated by A. J. Stembridge, who relinquished it only because of a lack of capital to operate it successfully.
The Eskew Bros., who are noted for their thrift, industry and enterprise will put the new branch under the charge of L. J. Randolph as foreman and Myron Frisbie as Master Mechanic, steel workman wagon builder and carriage maker. This certainly insures the patrons of this shop with work of the highest class and they can depend on finding here also a horse-shoer of national reputation.
The wagon manufacturing will be pushed. Their is room for it here. Marion above all things needs factories. Give Eskew Bros., the home support they deserve and they will surprise you in a short time with their new wagon work and machine shop.
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These are some of the happenings in Marion in the year 1913. One hundred and two years ago.
