304 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
were made. A remarkable development of the business was witnessed in 18!IS, no 
less than 3(1 faetorie^ being established during the first si-x months of that year. 
It is reported that some time before the establishment of a permanent industry at 
Muscatine, an effort was made to maintain a factory on tlie Tennessee River; this, 
howevei, was unsuccessful and was soon abandoned. 
Button-making is one of the principal businesses along that part of the Missis- 
sippi between Iowa and Illinois. It gives emifioyment to large numbers of peo^de, 
who would otherwise be idle, at what are considered good wages for such labor. It 
also supports a very imiiortant fishery, at which many hundred persons make a living. 
Besides the jieople thus directly connected with the business, many others in more 
than a score of towns are benefited, including merchants, machinists, boatmen, di ay- 
men, and transportation companies. 
Other important features of the Mississip])i River button industry are the trans- 
formatiou of a hitherto useless product into a valuable commodity and placing it on 
the markets at reasonable prices. 
NUMBER, LOCATION, AND DESCRIPTION OF THE FACTORIES. 
During 1897 and 1898 (to July 1) button factories were located at the following 
places on the Mississippi River, in Iowa and Illinois, the lowermost point being Fort 
Madi.son, Iowa, and the uppermost Sabula, Iowa: 
Iowa: Buffalo, Clinton, Davenpoit, Fort Madison, Muscatine, and Sabula. 
Iliinois: Albany, Andalusia, Cordova, Keithsburg, New Boston, Oquawka, and 
Port Byron. 
The following table shows the growth of the button industiy of the section of the 
Mississippi in question, the number of factories established each year being given: 
By far the larger number of these factories are small establishments at which 
only “rough blanks” are sawed; many of them should hardly be dignified by being 
called factories. In 1898 only 11 of them, located in Muscatine, Davenport, Clinton, 
Sabula, and Keithsburg, were plants where finished buttons were made. 
At Muscatine there were 8 button-making establishments in operation in 1897, 0 
of which began work in that year. By July 1, 1898, there were 33 factories in opera- 
tion, and in the latter half of the year a number of others were opened. At other 
places named there were 5 factories in 1897, and 10 in the first half of 1898. 
