Sixteen
HISTORICAL AND INUUSTRIAL EDITION OF THE GASTON PROGRESS
THE LORAY MILLS
Largest Cotton Mill Under One Roof in The World
Mr. T. E. Moore, the president and
treasurer of the mills, is a resident of
Welford, S. C., and is one of the most
prominent cotton manufacturers in
the country. He is also president and
treasurer of the Gaffney Manufactur
ing Company, which conducts large
cotton mills, Is treasurer and general
manager of the cotton mills at Taccu-
pau, S. C., near Wellford. He is a
native of Wellford. Mr. Andrew B.
Mcore is a resident of this city, and is
one of its most honored and esteem
ed citizens. In addition to being
secretary and assistant treasuiS? of
the Loray Mills, he is president of the
Citizen’s National Bank of Gastonia,
and treasurer of the Mayes Manufact
uring Company. Both brothers are
also interested in other large enter
prises.
It is not generally known even here
in Gastonia that the largest cotton
mill in the south under one roof, is
located in the suburbs of this city.
It is the Loray, and in addition to be
ing the largest it has the reputation
among those in a position to know, of
being one of the model mills of the
country both as regards the manage
ment of the plant, and the quality of
the product. The mills are located on
Franklin avenue, extended at its inter
section with Commonwealth avenue,
in that section known as West Gas
tonia. They are of red brick, 5 1-2
stories in height, and have a frontage
of 125 feet, extending to the rear 550
feet. Surrounding the mammoth
building the company owns over 100
acres of land upon which it has erect
ed 31&_cQmfortable houses of various
sizes and styles of architecture, many
of them having gardens attached
which supply the occupants with fresh
vegetables and fruit constantly in sea
son. A pretty flower-bed now and then^
makes the village more than usually,
attractive for a settlement of thisi
kind. Four churches, Baptist, Metho
dist, Presbyterian, and Wesleyan,
supply the spiritual needs of the 600
employees of the Loray Mills. There ,
is a public school house on the prop
erty, and just beyond its limits a
moving picture parlor furnishes an
evenings entertainment at a reas^-
able cost. The mills were incorpor
ated in 1900 at Portland, Maine, where
an office is maintained, and building
operations were soon begun. There
have never been any labor trouble,
and employers and employees have,
from the beginning, worked most har
moniously together. The nearly 400,-
000 feet of flour space contained in the
Lorary, is equipped with 57,000
spindles and 1,660 looms, which turn
out an immense quantity of sheetings,
print cloth, linoleom goods, and various
sizes of yard goods, which find a
ready sale in the great markets of the
world. Woodward & Baldwin, of New,
York and Baltimore, are the selling
agents of the mills. They are operated
by electricity furnished by the South
ern Power Company, the great system
backed by the Duke’s. The mills are,
however, equipped with steam power
and can be operated with it at any
moment. The Loray Mills were estab
lished and built by John F. Love and
the late George A. Gray, of this city,
who operated them until 1904. The
officers are: T. E. Moore, president
and treasurer; and Andrew E. Mopre,
secretary and assistant treasurer; S*.
M. McIntyre is the superintendent,
and has been for the past six yeai-»,
w'hen he came here from Georgia.
mm
THE LORAY MILLS—LARGEST IN SOUTH, UNDER ONE ROOF
THE CHRONICLE MILLS.
Manufacturers of Cotton Yarns.
Second only to Gastonia in size
among the cotton manufacturing cen
ters of Gaston county, the little town
of Belmont, 10 miles north of this city,
has made great progress during the last
few years. Its oldest industrial enter
prise is the Chronicle Mills, where fine
cotton yarns in warps, skeins, cones
and tubes in wet or dry twist are manu
factured on a large scale. When these
mills were established in 1901, Bel-
ment was scarcely more than a flag
station on the Southern railroad, but
the mills put the town on the map, and
it now boasts a population of 1,500,
most of the inhabitants being engaged
in the cotton industry. When they
first began operation there were only
5,000 spindles, but the demand for the
product became so great that an addi
tion was made in 1908, and there are
now 10,176 spindles constantly in oper
ation. The Chronicle Mills are two
stories in height, and have a frontage
of 50 feet, extending to the rear 300
feet, providing a floor space of 30,000
square feet. They are well 1
urer. Mr. Lineberger is one of the
largest manufacturers in this section
of North Carolina. He is a native of
Gaston county and has been in the
cotton business all his life, being presi
dent of the Imperial Yarn Mills and the
Majestic Manufacturing Company.
Mr. Rhyne is also a veteran manufact
urer and is also a native of Gaston
but now lives in Lincoln county, where
he is the principal owner of the Rhyne
Mill, the Lincoln Cotton Mill, and the
Laboratory Mill, all of them located
near Lincolnton. Mr. Stowe the sec
retary and treasurer was born a few
miles from Belmont, and is thoroughly
acquainted with every detail of cotton
manufacture having been engaged in
the business for years. He is also
secretary and treasurer of the Imperial
Yarn Mills of Belmont. Mr. C. E.
Tucker is the capable and experienced
superintendent. The directors ars
Messrs. A. C. Lineberger, D. E. Rhyne,
J. Q. Hall, R. L. Stowe and S. P. Stowe.
IMPERIAL YARN MILLS, Inc.
Manufacturers of Fine Yarns.
One of the most recently erected cot-
stories and the machinery of" the
latest improved pattern, it has a front
age of 75 feet extending back 300 feet
giving a large floor space in which are
located 10,368 spindles. This is splend
idly lighted and the open space about
the building permits the most thorough
and perfect ventilation. About 200
people are employed. The product of
the mills consists entirely of combed
yarns 60’s and 80’s, made from the
finest Peeler cottons and are in great
demand. The officers of the Imperial
Manufacturing Company are: A. C.
Lineberger, president; D. E. Rhyne,
vice-president; and R. L. Stowe, sec
retary and treasurer. All of these gen
tlemen are veterans of the cotton
manufacturing business, having been
engaged in it for a number of years,
and all are natives of Gaston county.
Mr. Lineberger, the president, is also
president of the Chronicle Mills and
the Imperial Yarn Mills, while Mr.
Rhyne is the owner of several mills
ne'ir Lincolnton. Mr. R. L. Stowe, the
secretary and treasurer, is one of the
owners of the Stowe Brothers Com
pany ra Belmont, one of the largest
general stores in this section, and is
also secretary and treasurer of the
Chronicle Mill.
mills from the day the machinery was
started. The officers of the Majestic
Manufacturing Company are A. C.
Lineberger, president; D. E. Rhyne,
cotton goods and the spinning of yarns
and twists, Gastonia and the county
has long held a leading place, in fact in
the number of its mills, Gaston county
MILLS OF THE MAJESTIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY
vice-president; and S. P. Stowe, secre
tary and treasurer. The president has
taken a leading part for years in de
veloping the cotton manufacturing in
dustry in the Piedmont region, and is
one of its leading citizens. He is a
native of Gaston county. Mr. Rhyne
was also born in the county, but is now
stands head and shoulders above any
other county in the South. Among
the mills none ranks higher for the
quality of its products than does the
Arlington Cotton Mills, located along
the tracks of the Southern railroad in
the western suburbs of the city. This
is one of the oldest mills in Gastonia,
large. The officers of the company
are: L, L. Jenkins, president; J. Lee
Robinson, vice-president; L. F. Groves,
treasurer; and L. L. Hardin sec
retary. Mr. Jenkins is a native
of Gaston county, and made his
home in Gastonia for many years,
and still has large interests here, be
ing president of the First National
Bank, the Flint Manufacturing Com
pany, and largely connected with other
corporations. Several years ago he
removed to Asheville, where he is
president of the American National
Bank. He has, however, always re
tained his confidence in the future of
Gastonia, In which he is deeply inter
ested, and in forwarding the growth
and prosperity of which he has always
taken a leading part. Mr. Robinson,
the vice-president, is connected with
the First National Bank, and is also
interested in other enterprizes. Mr.
Groves, the treasurer, has for years
been engaged in cotton manufactur
ing, as has Mr. Hardin, the secretary.
The latter is president of the Com
mercial Club.
^-carts, (!toc
rteSli-a'
MAJESTIC MANUFACTURIf'lG COM
PANY.
THE IMPERIAL MILLS
and ventilated and everything possible
Is done for the comfort and health of
the 225 people employed. The cot
tages occupied by them are unusually
attractive and sanitary, and there is
generous garden space which is taken
advantage of by some of the families.
The officers are; A. C. Lineberger,
president; D. E. Rhyne, vice-president;
and R. L. Stowe, secretary and treas-
ton manufacturing plants erected in
Gaston county is that of the Imperial
Yarn Mills at Belmont, and it is a
model for others to follow. Advan
tage has been taken of the mistakes of
other mill builders and these have in
every case been corrected when the
Imperial was built in 1906, making as
has been said one of the model mills
of the country. The mill is two
No concern has done more toward
n.aking the thriving and progressive
little town of Belmont a center for the
manufacture of fine yarns than has tUe
Majestic Manufacturing Company
which established Its mill there in
1908. These mills were to some ex
tent a new departure in mill building.
The company had plenty of ground and
instead of building two or more stores
it \vas decided to have only one, and
have a larger space. The mills front
125 feet and extend back a distance of
340 feet providing a floor space of
42,500 square feet. They were built in
1908 and are the most modern of the
three cotton mills located in Belmont.
The plant has 12,768 spindles. The
product consists of fine 70’s to 120’s
combed yarns made exclusively
from Sea Island and Egyptian cottons
which find a ready sale in the best
markets and about 200 people are
regularly employed. The cottages and
tenent houses belonging to the com
pany are comfortable, and in many
cases attractive and the employes
seem to be happy and contented, many||
of them having been employed in the
■ great
.♦s V
a resident of Lincoln county, wliere he
owns several mills and has other large
interests. Mr. Stowe is a brother of
Mr. R. L. Stowe and they are the own
ers ot The Stowe Brothers Company,
which conducts the largest general
store in Belmont.
ARLINGTON COTTON MILLS.
As a centre for the manufacture of
THE ARLINGTON MILLS
having first began operation in 1900,
and produces yarns exclusively. It is
equipped with the most improved
machinery that ample capital and
long experience could gather, and em
ploys about 200 operatives. Near the
mills is the little village of 55 houses
belonging to the mill company, and
these are kept in the best of condition.
There are about 12,500 spindles in con
stant operation, and the output is
W. L. BALTHIS & COMPANY.
Cotton Brokers.
Cotton is the very Me of Gastonia,
and the growth and prosperity ot the
city depends almost entirely upon the
great staple which supplies the world
to a great extent with its cheaper
clothing, and a great many other
things besides. Everyone in the city,
r
! 1'%
OFFICE OF W. L. BALTHIS—COTTON BROKERS
THE CHRONICLE MILLS