Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-08-05

individual improvements in NIuscatlns.


We publish below another of the letters of the in
telligent correspondent Of the Chicago AdrGtis9
fr m this place:
MuscATINE, July IA, 1853.
Agreeable to the promise made in my last, con-
linue my notes upon Muscatne by noticing some of
the individual enterprises going forward so COM
mendable in this city. Benefits steam mill from
the enterprising character of its and its own
reputation. deserves our first consideration This
mill is the ground so by So feet and stories high
built by Mr.. bennett in the fall of lS4S and winter of
49 it is built OF brick, and has most substantial ap
pearance with ur run OF stone the mill ground on
date January lst 1850, with the four run of stone
$40 bbs flour in a hours and on the 22nd ofFebruary
Of the year run Of stone ground in "a hours
l44 bbls -four. This amount, believe, has not been
exceeded by any mill in the West This mill is fin
shed in fine STYLE rising of $50 000 and has store
house attached to it with capacity to hod 10000 bbs
Of flour, and every other convenience necessary for
the successful operation of the business.
Mr.. Bennett had the misfortune last year to have
this mill burned and without dollars insurance upon
the property but nothing daunted by the lost he
immediately made arrangements for the rebuilding of
it and in the almost incredible short space of three
months time had it constructed and in full operation
Each evidences of ndomitabe perseverance are rarely
met with and Muscatine is indeed fortunate in secur-
Ing herself citizens of such energy and active enter
ibrise like Mr.. Bennett.
The next great Improvement recently made in Mus
catine is the building OF the Oglvie House-a hotel
that to Muscatine is what the fremont is to Chicago
IL was DDllL Dy MTogliNlc. Dl the
early history of Muscatine, in 1851, and opened last
year by Mr.. Clover, a most agreeable and obliging
gentleman in his capacity of host Ihave never stop
ped at any hotel above the rapids in Iowa. that was
better sustained and kept than this house. Mr. Clever
is most attentive TO his guests and peculiarly adapted
to the line of business he has engaged in The house
is built of brick four stories high and after the style
of the fremont, with stores the first floor and all
the improvements OF the age-hgh ceilings large airy
rooms, &c.
The next improvement deserving our particular at
tention, is Mr.. w. l.. Young's extensive stave manu-
factory. ] visited this establishment feeling the deep
est interest the machinery is greater portion the
invention of its proprietor The whole barrel slaves
heads and hoops, made by machinery so complete
is the arrangement, that any kind of timber may be
used for the purpose even the most miserable cotton
woods, &c.
The first process is the saving the logs into the
proper length for staves which is done by a common
mill saw attached to the machine, which has power
enough to!saw log in anoriinary l6 inches in SO
minutes The logs sawed in this manner are then
placed in upright position In machine similar to
our pile drivers and split into bolts by the falling of
large hammer, as in case OF pile driving The bolts
are then put through seamng process prior to cut
ting the timber into staves heads, &c. This process
is done in this manner-a large wooden box or bin.
constructed for the purpose, air tight is filled during
the day with bolts and at night the steam from the
boilers is conveyed by steam pipes to the box, and
having no way to escape is absorbed by the wood
thus the steam, otherwise of no value is made most
Cl in sotening the wood The material by this process
becomes soft and pabie and while in this state is put
through the cutting machine, and comes out in the
form OF stave From this it passes to the trimming
machine and by this is finished into the perfect staye
Bat the most curious part of all the machinery in this
establishment is, what they call the heading circular
invention Of Mr. Youngs for cutting the timber into
barrel heads The machine is SMALL consisting ofwhat
they term disctwo small circular blocks, in shape
like the barrel head has perfectly smooth sur
face the other is similar containing four springs
the edge to hold the head exactly in one position.
The blocks attached from the centre toron shafts
and when the material for the barrel head is placed
between the blocks, they come together holding it
firm in that position by the springs upon the surface of
the block. The machine in motion requires only a
single man TO attend IL, he holding in each hand an
iron bar attached to the machine with steel knives upon
the endsofthem which brought to bear upon the a
proprae spot ia the timber for the head by the mans
pressing upon the bars acting upon the simple lever prn
cple The knives constructed to give in cutting
the wood the ed of the head just the beyel required to
ft the barrel. Ole man can with this machine cut
out 600 head per day. So perfectly does this machine
Do its work. and simple its construction that could
not help wondering that useful an invention had
not sooner been brought out Much credit is due Mr.
Young the inventor for the originality of the design
He whose establishment turns cut upon average,
with Is men employed, 800 slaves and heads per
day. The saw dust and chips supply the engine with
fuel the year round and the carrying of the bust
ness throughout is remarkably cheap.
ITO be continued,1