Western Glass Manufacturing Company, Denver, Colorado

A New Enterprise.

To the Editor: Reading your recent editorial regarding new enterprises in which you give credit to several of our leading citizens for loyalty to Colorado in starting the new beet sugar factory, I notice that you say it would be very commendable if some of our young men would take up such enterprises.

There is one of recent conception and controlled by young men which might be mentioned that is assuming very large proportions and which promises to be one of the leading manufacturing enterprises of Colorado. This is the Western Glass Manufacturing company, located at Valverde. The directors are F. R. Ashley, Merritt W. Gano, Harry C. James, Gerald Hughes, J. H. Porter, S. F. Palmer, and Michael Nester. The business management is in the hands of Merritt W. Gano and the factory management is assumed by Michael Nester, who is a glass man of many years' practical experience with the largest factories in the East. There are now about 175 employees and the factory is running night and day. Already upwards of $100,000 has been expended and improvements and enlargements are constantly being made. Bottles, insulators, battery jars, fruit jars, and milk jars are being made.

The field is very large for this class of ware and large contracts have been made with such people as C. A. Lammers, Adolph Coors, Neef Bros., Beebe Gruel Pickle company, Colorado Telephone company, Manitou Mineral Water company, Anheuser-Busch, Standard Bottling company, Harrigan Bros., City Bottling company, Empson Packing company, and others. These firms appreciate the convenience and desirability of having their ware made at home and are very loyal in their support. The labor employed is of the highest order and must necessarily be brought from the East. They make a good class of citizens and are in every way desirable members of the community. The directors are young men and should be supported to the fullest extent by the public, who can do great good to aid local enterprises by seeing, so far as possible, that their wants are supplied by home factories.

It hardly seems that this point has received enough thought by our citizens, and if attention were paid to it, before long Denver would assume her proper place among the Western cities in a manufacturing way. Glass blowing is an interesting sight and something never before seen in the West. Colorado sand has proven excellent material for the making of glass and there seems no reason why this new institution should not be all that is expected by it promoters.

AN INTERESTED CITIZEN.