1906

May 4-BRICK PLANT-Messrs Parkins and Cleveland were here
again this week and made the people a very fair proposition
to put in a brick plant.  The Moline citizens will gladly
take hold of it and the enterprise is fully assured if a
suitable site can be had at a reasonable figure.

May 25-BRICK PLANT-Temporary Organization-Site Bought  Plant
Being Shipped and Work Soon to Commence A meeting of the
stock holders of the Moline Brick company was held last
Saturday night, and a temporary organization was effected
with John Cleveland, president, and E. A. Chaffin secretary
and treasurer. A charter for the company is being secured
with capital stock of $25,000. The R. D. Miller 82-acre
tract southwest of town has been purchased and work will
begin laying side track out to the proposed location of the
plant in a short time. The machinery and a million brick
have already been purchased, and is now being shipped to
Moline, three cars having already arrived. The following
have subscribed stock; John Cleveland, S. Z. Ellsworth, O.
S. Stevens, Frank McKey, H. R. Ellsworth, Dr. J. W. Farrow,
Rettig & Johns, Chaffin Bros., J. E. Foulston, J. J. Webb,
L. A. Copeland, George H. Turner, John Lovett and U. G.
Sutton.

June 8-The Moline Brick Co. has let a contract to an Iola
construction company to move the buildings and machinery of
the brick plant to Moline and set them up ready for
operation.  Work has already begun on the contract.

June 29-First shipment of the machinery for the Moline Brick
Co., will be here (Friday) tomorrow.

July 26-THE BRICK PLANT-The machinery and other material for
the Moline Brick Company's plant is now all on the ground.
A force of workmen is engaged in placing the machinery and
preparing to erect the buildings.  It will require a month
or six weeks to get everything in working order.

1907

Feb. 1-THE BRICK COMPANY-Last Friday Messrs. Lubenck and
Botts of Iola, who had a contract to move the brick plant
from that city and put it up in running order at Moline, met
the board of directors and Mr. G. W. Mahan, the new
superintendent of the company.  It was thought best to
settle up with the contractors who had not completed their
work, and have the plant put in running order by Mr. Mahan,
as some changes seemed desirable in the original plans.  So
this was done and now Mr. Mahan has commenced work and will
soon be able to start up the machinery and make brick.
Moline is going to have some valuable enterprises and is
making a good start to get them.

April 5-BRICK MAKING IN MOLINE-The Moline Brick Company
plant started up this week and brick is being manufactured. 
Everybody is glad to see another home industry started up.

April 12-G. W. Mahan, the superintendent of the brick plant,
who had his hand hurt in the machinery at the plant last
week, is back at work again this week.

July 26-THE BRICK PLANT-A visit to the brick plant Monday
showed about fifteen or twenty men busy making brick and of
the shale of the hill on the old R. D. Miller farm.  The
shale is blasted loose from the hillside shoveled into cars
and drawn by a cable up into the upper part of the building
whence it is let down into a "dry pan" which is a large
circular revolving pan with a screen bottom.  In this are
two large "muhlers" or rollers which crush the shale up into
a fine dust or powder.  It is then elevated up to the top of
the building and let fall on a revolving screen so that the
finest of shale goes into the presses. The two presses are
heavy solid machinery and exert a powerful pressure upon the
dust so that there comes out at each revolution three bricks
perfectly shaped and colored a bluish yellow, hard enough to
be handled and placed in the kiln, where day and night for
ten days it is subjected to intensely hot gas fires.  When
done the brick comes out in several shades of cherry red,
and are solid, well formed with a ring when struck like fine
pottery. There now seems no question but that the industry
of brick making is established in Moline, and will result in
a profit both to the town and to those who have invested
their money in the enterprise.

August 16-THE BRICK INDUSTRY-The Moline Brick company have
the second kiln of brick filled and are now commencing on
the third.  The brick they turn out are highly praised
wherever it is known.  They are burned a beautiful cherry
red color, have fine texture and being free from lime remain
in good condition after exposure to the weather.  The
company is fortunate in having first-class shale to use at
their plant.  The demand for brick of this kind is good and
the company has a good many buyers, so its affairs are very
promising at this time. The company has sold quite a little
to local consumers and having them ready for delivery wish
that the purchasers would come and get them so that the kiln
space can be cleared without extra cost of handling.

1910

June 3-BRICK PLANT BEING REBUILT-Mr. Houck of the firm of
Houck Brothers of Springfield, Ohio, that has the contract
for rebuilding the brick plant and installing the new
machinery has been here this week and has a force of men at
work dismantling the old machinery at the plant.  The new
machinery has all been purchased and will be shipped at
once.  The plant when done will have a capacity of 50,000
per day. Negotiations have been commenced with the Santa Fe
for a switch from the main track to the plant.

June 3-MOLINE'S NEW BRICK PLANT-Moline, Kans., June 1 Work
has commenced today on remodeling the Moline Brick company's
plant.  Recently the company has been reorganized.  Beside
the stock held by local, L. Dietrick of Kansas City, Mr.
Ditzenberger of Pawhuska, Okla. And others are interested.
Houk Brothers of Springfield, Ohio have the contract to
rebuild the plant and to install the machinery.  The
machinery has all been purchased and will be placed as soon
as it arrives.  The Joplin Bond & Stock Co., of Joplin, Mo.,
Is the financial agent and reports good progress in selling
the securities.  The capital stock is fixed at $60,000---
WICHITA BEACON

June 10-(from an article highlighting some of Moline's
growth)-Moline brick industry like the lime industry has a
sure primary foundation.  The shale out of which it is
proposed to manufacture brick is the real thing, the best
shale in all the brick making territory.  It is capable of
producing brick of a finish and quality that can not be
excelled.  The plant is in the hands of men who understand
what is necessary to set it on a paying basis and the
necessary capital is fast coming in to procure the means of
making brick.

June 24-THE MOLINE BRICK COMPANY-Work is still progressing
at the brick plant.  There is immediate use for a railroad
track from the main line.  There has been arrangements made
for the installing of the machinery and starting the plant
but the company needs to sell enough more stock to cover the
expense of this switch.  The public has been invited to
subscribe for this stock and at the latest report
subscriptions were coming in lively.  There is some more
stock to sell and will be for a short time.  If anyone wants
some brick stock now is the time.

July 8-BRICK PLANT PROGRESS-The Santa Fe Surveyor has been
here this week laying off ground for the switch from the
main track to the brick plant.  The Brick Company will put
in the track after the survey is made. The contractors for
rebuilding the plant have made good progress lately.  They
have cleared away the old machinery and are working on the
foundations for the new.  Work will progress very rapidly
from this time on.

July 22-BRICK PLANT PROGRESSING-The Moline Brick Company has
let the contract for grading the side track from the main
line to the plant.  Andy Peterson has the contract to do the
work and as he has had much experience in this sort of work
a good job may be expected.  The work of preparing the
ground for the kilns is going ahead nicely.  Moline has
something doing all the time.

Aug. 12-The brick company is pushing the work of rebuilding
its plant as rapidly as possible.  The grading for the
switch has all been done, part of the material has arrived
for the track and more is expected every day.  At the plant
the contractors are getting ready for the machinery and are
working on the kilns.  In a short time the plant will be in
working order. 

Aug. 19-L. Dietrick, one of the Moline Brick Co promoters
returned last Friday evening from a trip to his home at
Kansas City.

Aug. 26-THE BRICK PLANT-Work is progressing at the brick
plant.  They are now building the drying kilns.  There are
about 100 feet long and are eight in number.  As the brick
comes from the cutting table it is stacked on cars and these
enter the drying kiln and pass through it in twenty-four
hours, first encountering only a little heat and then more
and more until they come out and are placed in the burning
kilns. The grade has been made for the spur from the
railroad.  It is the work of Andy Peterson and is as pretty
a piece of grading as one may see in a long time. The track
has been ordered laid and ill be completed in a short time. 
Then the machinery will come for the plant. All the expert
brick men who have seen the outlay say that this is an ideal
place to erect a plant as the shale is the best possible to
find and the demand for the product is great.  The machinery
ordered is the best to be obtained and the men who have
charge of the practical operation of the plant fully
understand the business.  The future of the Moline Brick
Company looks bright.

Aug. 26-L. Dietrick, the brick plant man, spent last Friday
on business in Independence.

Sept. 30-THE BRICK CO.-The Santa Fe railroad has begun work
on the spur leading from the main line to the brick plant.
The Moline Brick Co has had the money up to pay for this for
some time and at last the work of laying rails has begun.
As soon as this is completed, Houck Brothers, who have the
contact for rebuilding the plant and equipping the same with
new machinery, will begin to ship in material to finish the
job.  This work has been delayed by the track being
uncompleted. The Moline Brick Co. has recently been
reorganized and a lot of new stock holders have taken stock.
The new board of directors are Philip Walker, J. J. Webb, E.
A. Chaffin, Chris Beu, J. H. Houck, W. S. Houck and Mr.
Ditzenberger.  The board organized by electing Philip Walker
president, J. J. Webb, Vice president, J. H. Houck,
Secretary, E. A. Chaffin, treasurer and W. S. Houck, general
manager.

Nov. 11-THE BRICK PLANT-Considerable progress has been made
on the work at the brick plant.  They have been constructing
a reservoir this week and as weather has been favorable a
good one will be made.  The drying kilns are about done and
the machinery is expected every day so that it will be but a
short time until the work of making brick will begin.

Dec. 2-THE BRICK PLANT-Progress has been made at the brick
plant in the last week or two.  The reservoir is completed
and a good well to supply water.  A car load of machinery
has been unloaded and the drying kilns are completed.  Work
is now progressing on a water line and the foundations for
the heavy machinery.  In a short time everything will be
ready for the making of brick.

Dec. 9-L. Dietrick of the Brick Co spent a short time at
Humboldt.

Dec. 16-The writer made a trip to the brick plant Tuesday
and found the contractors the Houck brothers and their
assistants at work setting up the heavy machinery.  They are
making good progress but the shortage of water may delay
operations some.  There is another carload or two of
machinery yet to arrive and be placed.

1911

Jan. 6-(from an article describing Moline's improvements)-
The brick company has been reorganized and the plant is
being rebuilt at the cost of many thousands of dollars.
Most of this money has been raised locally.  It will bring
returns in the near future which will be distributed
locally.  It will give employment to a great many men and
contribute greatly to the prosperity.

Jan. 24-THE BRICK PLANT-The new machinery for the brick
plant is all in place except the setting of the boilers and
engines and laying tram ways for the cars from pit to dry
pan and to the kilns.  As soon as the heavens shed
sufficient tears to furnish moisture for the work brick
making will begin.

April 24-The new boiler for the brick plant arrived this
week and put into place.  Most of the material for the plant
has now been received.

June 2-BRICK PLANT TO START-The construction work on the
brick plant has been completed and the machinery has been
run tO try it out.  After a few minor alterations are made
brickmaking will commence.  Everything about the plant is in
first class shape and the company will have a nice plant.
They expect to begin tO move shale the first of the week.

July 14-J. H. Houck of the Moline Brick company made a
business trip to Emporia Wednesday.

1912

May 2-TAKE NOTICE-As certain parties have recently been
trespassing on the property of the Moline Brick Co. and
handling the machinery and destroying property  Let this be
a warning to all persons not having authority to go on the
premises that if they do so they will be prosecuted
according to law       MOLINE BRICK CO. By J. J. Webb V.P.