The Hershey Press 1909-10-08

              The New Town of Hershey and Its Foujider
t Multi-Millionaire 's Numerous Projects-Narrow Gauge Railroad and lion-Sectarian Orphanage
Are the latest-Great Rise From an Humble Beginning
M. S. Hershey
"This is one of the show places of
Penn'a—the town of Hershey, founded
by the Chocolate King, " said the wri-ter
several days ago in a P. & R. car
to a group of Ohio people who were
making their first trip through t^e far-famed
Lebanon Valley, and the state-ment
was made when the train ar-rived
at Hershey, because of an inquiry
by one of the ladies in the party as to
"What are all these buildings?"
At first glance it is quite natural for
the stranger to suppose that the hand-some
edifices which line the horizon, as
seen from the car window, belong to
some public institution.- The thought is
likely to occur that the buildings were
erected about the same time according
to a general plan, and the newness of
them gives further ris-3 to the idea that
here must be some large establishment
(Prom the Reading Eagle)
of the great Commonwealth of Penn'a.
But when the tall stacks'of the Hershey
Chocolate Works loom up, with the
name "Hershey" appearing quite prom-inently
on each, with the letters ar-ranged
one below the other, it is soon
seen that the group of stone structures
to the east of the railroad station con-stitute
a manufacturing plant, and that
the other buildings of the vicinage are
in some way connected with it.
Town of Hershey and Its Founder
The Ohio party referred to above then
got into conversation with the writer
and were told the remarkable .history of
this hew town of. Pennsylvania and facts
concerning the life of Milton S.- Hershey,.
its founder.
"It must be fine to own a town, "said
one of the gentlemen of the party,
"where one can make laws to suit one's
ideas, and, in fact, be the Mayor, Coun-cil
and Board of Aldermen, all in one"
"Mr. Hershey is certainly 'tie whole
thing' here," said the writer, %ut it is
easy for him to govern the town, as
whenever he sells a .lot the deed con-tains
a stipulation as to the character of
the building to be erected on it, how far
it is to set back from the building line,
the curb and paving restrictions, and
everything else necessary to have the
property conform with the common
plan."
The Hershey Business Block
"What is that quitaj large building in
the foreground?" asked another of the
ladies, as she scanned the structure to
the south of the railroad. '
"That is the Hershey Block," replied
the writer, "and it is devoted to several
uses. In it is the Hotel Cocoa, the
Hershey store and the Hershey bank.
The bank is organized as the Hershey
Trust Company, and you will, perhaps,
be surprised to learn that it has over
$450,000 en deposit, and that its. total
assets exceed $600,000. This includes
capital stock, $125,000, and surplus and
undivided profits of probably. $75,000."
"I suppose Mr. Hershey has need of
a strong- financial institution, in order to
carry on his various, operations," said
one Of the men, somewhat inquiringly.
"While no doubt the bank is a. great
convenience to Mr. Hershey, " answered
the writer, "nevertheless it was estab-lished
for the benefit of- the town, the
people of the surrounding town, and,
especially for the advantage of the em-ployees
of the chocolate works. "'
Bank Has 1200 Depositors
"It may interest you to know," con-tinued
the writer, "that the Hershey
Trust Company has over 1200 depositors,
although it has only been in existence
four years, and th at it conducts a Dime
Savings Fund, in Which the chocolate
workers put their surplus money, inter-est
being paid -at the rate of 3 per cent.,
commencing every month. -It is due to
this admirable feature that the funds of
the bank have increased so remarkably^
although some of the wealthy farmers
of Dauphin and Lebanon counties have
considerable money on deposit, having
availed themselves of the Hershey Trust
Company to .have their surplus cash
earn an increment of 3 per cent."
By this time the train, which had
stopped at Hershey longer than usual,
as a number • of Harrisburg folks who
were bound for Hershey Park, had been
unloaded, was again speeding along,
and presently one of the women ex-claimed:
"Oh! see that magnificent
mansion, with its extensive grounds
and park. "
Hershey Mansion and Grounds
"That is Mr. Hershey's residence,"
said the writer, '.'built of limestone and
(Continued on page 2)
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Just a "Little " Atfou t You and
Your Neighbor
Mr. Harry Herr spent Sunday in Lan-caster.
Mrs. Herr returned with him.
Mrs. E. C. Black and the. baby are '
visiting friends and relatives in Lan-caster.
Miss Clara Hollingsworth spent Satur-day
afternoon in Harrisburg. • -
Mr. Harry Stoner, the photographer,'
has closed down on studio work and is
now busy taking views in and around
Hershey for illustrative purposes.
Mr. Ross Long, who. has been "our
ice man" during the summer months,
is back in the chocolate factory. Ross
says—I love my ice wagon, but oh you
chocolate factory! '
Mr. Elmer Erb, the popular young
man of Hockersville, left for . Ann
Harbor, Michigan,- on last . Thursday
evening. Elmer was well laden ; with-two
suit-case s, and one was filled with
good things—pie, and such ; like—the
kind of pie that made Hockersville .
famous. Elmer promises to write us a
Michigan letter from time to time, and
you can take it from us that it will be
interesting. ' —
Mr. Wm. Curtis" spent Sunday in -
Reading. . ' ' . - - .;
Mr. John Snavely was in Lancaster
on Sunday visiting parents.
Mr. Wm. Brinker was in Philadelphia
on Saturday., ;
Mr. Levi Hollingsworth, our Justice-of-
the-Peaee says-the .PRESS is all right
but the editor doesn't always tell the
truth. " ¦ . ¦ ; ¦ '_'
Miss Mabel Strine spent Saturday'
afternoon in Harrisburg. _ .,
Mr. Walter Ashenf elter spent Sunday
in MiddletOwn. ;
^Squire Landis, of Union Deposit, was
a caller at the Press on Monday. The
Squire says there is some hope for us;
V (Continued on page 8) ,
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