144                     HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

vigilant and watchful for the safety of his men, but himself fell an
untimely victim to the dangers against which he guarded them.
    In the year 1884 the clay plant for the manufacture of brick and tile,
on the south side of the town, was established by William Graber. Build-
ing brick had been previously produced on the site of the town by the
Conley Brothers and about the year 1890 James Burnham began the
brick manufacturing industry on a yard located on the north side, near
the Andrews coal shaft. Succeeding the death of William Graber, three
years later, this plant was operated for a time by James T. Buck, then
by Frank Adams until purchased by William Watts, from whom it was
bought by the present proprietor, George G. Kaiser, in 1896, who con-
tinues to operate it, manufacturing only drain tile at this time. About the
year 1895, the “Clay City Brick Company” established kilns and engaged
in manufacturing building brick on the site now occupied by the “Clay
City Brick and Clay Company,” which was carried on for the period of
several years.
    The “Clay City Brick and Clay Company” was organized in 1902 by
Lafferty, Willen and Simons, Willen president, Lafferty secretary. This
plant manufactures building brick and farm drain tile, having a capacity
of twenty thousand brick a day, with an abundance of raw material of
superior quality underlying the grounds occupied and those immediately
surrounding. An exhibit of the workable mineral strata underlying the
surface covering at this point is as follows: 12 feet of red clay for
brick, including 3 feet of potter’s clay; 16 feet of shale; 3 feet of coal;
8 feet of fire clay; 40 feet of shale, a total depth of 79 feet. The output
of this manufacturing plant, unexcelled in quality, does not come up to
the market demand for its products.
    The first flouring-mill here was that which Oberholtzer & Silvius
brought down from Bowling Green in 1878-79, rebuilt and put in opera-
tion at some time in the latter year. When built at Bowling Green it
was the first steam-power mill in the county. A year or two later they
sold this mill, to Daniel Champer. This mill-house burned while occu-
pied by Philip Leberer as a poultry market.
    In 1881 Motter & Klingler moved their flouring-mill from near Mid-
dlebury and located it on about the site now occupied by the three-story
brick mill, which they repaired and operated for some months, when
Klingler sold his interest to Fred Burger, who, in turn, sold to Daniel
Harris, when Motter sold to T. W. Toney, who also bought out Harris.
The Ames Brothers and 0. H. Markle, having come into possession of
the property by purchase at commissioner’s sale, remodeled it, putting in
the roller process, and operated it until the 19th day of May, 1887, when
it was wholly destroyed by fire. Two years later, the Black Brothers and
Bryson built what is known as the Peerless Mill, which began work on
the 19th day of December, 1889. It was afterward purchased by Moyer
& Willen, then Willen & Son became proprietors, and it is at this time
being operated under lease by Davis & Taylor. The Hoosier Mill, in
the northwest part of the town, which was built by Henry C. Fravert,
after having passed through several hands, was moved by H. 0. Markle
to Saline City, where he rebuilt and has been running it since 1905.
    The first lumber mill was that of T. W. Toney, which was located
near the railroad, north of the stock pens, at some time in the seventies;
then, in 1879, John W. White moved his mills down from Middlebury.
Soon thereafter White transferred to Warner & Klingler, and they to