Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-05-17

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his business and finally he conceived the idea of
erecting the factory Of which it is my purpose to
speak, but before its completion he died. He
left three sons who are the owners of the estab-
lishment. Tho building is the largest in the
country except the Capitol at Washington, and
is the largest mandatory in the world owned
by single firm.
You perceive that it is in tho plan of hollow
square, inclOsing quite spacious court in the
center. The front extends 245 feet on fremont
street, and the wings 262 feet in length
The width of the building all around the hollow
square is so feet. On the street it is five stories
high, and six from the hollow square, which is
lower than the level Of the street by one story
There in this building 900 windows, contain
ing 1000 lights of glass, and not small ones at
that 1000 perch of stone, and 100000 bricks.
About $500 casks of lime and cement were con.
sumed in its erection l,650,000 feet of lumber
were used, and nailed with over 300 casks of
| nails. There are over five acres of hoor-room in
the building, and as most Of the floors are double,
about nine acres OF flooring boards were used
Think of these figures little they are large.
We enter the building at the principal ente
rance, which is in the Octagon tower projecting in
front, and find ourselves in an elegant lobby or
ante-room. From this, rich black walnut doors,
with large plates of glass, lead on one side to
the counting room of the establishment, and
the other to the Office of the superintendent of the
building. broad staircase before US gives
easy access to the lofty and spacious sales-room
above. We however pass through side door
and around to the of the building, directly
opposite the point at which we entered. 1t is
small journey. This is the englEe-roOm, and
here one hundred and twenty hOr les, in the shape
of one engine, fed on nothing bu water, but very
hot water-steans in fact-are working away
most industriously, requiring neither whip nor
spur, and ali driven by one man. The engine fur
nishes power for the whole building. The fur
naces and boilers are below, and besides supply
ing steam for the engine, furnishes sufficient
quantity to heat this immense establishment. 1t
requires eleren miles of iron pipe to accomplish
this. Directly in the rear Of the factory is the
lumber yard, in which is now piled up some
$50, Oo0 worth of lumber. This lumber enters the
building through the loom in which we are, and
these machines which are vhzzing and buzzing
and scratching and scraping on every side, are
saving and planning and turning it into shape for
the frames of pianos. The legs and heaviest part
of the frames of the pianos made of oak and
ock-maple. Pine is used for other portions of
the cases. After the toughest part OF the work
is done, the destined be piano cases pass into
the lower room of one Of the wings, where another
set of workmen, and another set OF machines get
them a little more into shape. 1t would be I'M
possible, though it would certainly he interest
ing, for to follow the Incl pient piano-ferte de-
scriblng all the thousand operations by which 1t
grows to the usefulness and beauty OF perfect
instrument. We have only time to pass rapidly
through the immense establishment, noticing here
and there little. The rough material enters the
building at the rear, We have said; thence 1t
passes into the lower room OF the left wing
thence into the next room above, and so on to the
app of the building now it trave,s over to the
other wing. and thence down from one story to
another, gradually assuming shape as it goes, UNI
hos rOryn md TOa n
sales roem ''genuine Chckering piano forte"
Over this long distance (about mile) which the
instrument travels, we can only pass rapidly
We notice that ey cry thing is orderly, every thing
is convenient. At the end of each wing is the
''elevator, platform which comfortable
sized dinner party might sit ut Move that
lever, and by the power of the hundred and tweD-
ty horses we left in the basement, this platform
moves up or down, steadily and evenly, and just
as easily with tons upon 1t AS If 1t were empty.
very simple operation cause s it 10 stop at eth
story required. AT each end Of every Of
the immense rooms you may notice something
that looks ike bell pull. These are connected
with very mysterious clock long way Off in the
lower room, which Mr.. Chickcring keeps under
lock and key, and which accurately reports to
him every morning whether the night-wdtchmen
have been faithful during the night, passing
through each room every half hour. Two of these
watchmen are employed, who keep walking all
pull these bell pulls at each end of each room,
every half hour in the night, or the omission will
be duly reported to MIR. Chckering in the morn
ing by the tell-tale clock below. All this pre-
caution is rendered necessary to guard against
fire. Moreover. there is in every room hydrant,
to which is attached a three-inch hose and pipe,
by which the famous ''Cochituate" (whose ishy
taste grieyeS and perpexes the Bostonians sadly
just now,) can be thrown to any part of the
room.
The upper room which we have now reached,
and which you find warm, is the drying ROOM
In which the sounding boards are seasoned. You
perceive them arranged in these racks, Ell ough
one would think, to make all the pianos the world
will need for twenty years. This room is kept
as nearly as possible ut heat of 80 degrees Fab.
THESE boards are all made out of spruce, which
comes from IIerkimcr county, n. Y. 1t has to
undergo probation of whole year in this hot
atmosphere before it is admitted into the piano.
forte.
You will notice. in passing through CHECKER
lngs' factory, that the wOrkmen are not of the
common sort. They have an air of respectable
ty, and as though well-to-do in the world. No
wonder; for seine of them have been with the
Chickering's many years: one, at least, Ocer THRU
gears. AS these men do the same thing from day
to day and year to year, would think they
must attain perfection in their department.. if it
be attainable. The Chickering's employ now over
four hundred workmen, and will increase the
number when they get their present establishment
into full activity. Ii is mighty matter to get an
establishment like this under way, and though the
external of the building has been some time fin
ishcd, the internal arrang ements are even now
hardly completed.
1t takes about six months to complete piano.
forte. In this the time employed in seasoning the
wood is, of course. not included. Years are re-
CURED for this. This establishment now turns
out about thirty-fve instruments per week, or
something more than every two hours vet
they cannot supply the demand for their instru-
ments. So far room and ether conveniences
are concerned, this new factory will afford facili-
ties for turning out one hundred per week.
And all this for Music! Think of that Should
not the world be better? and does it not prove
that it is really moving onward in the great plan
of Reformation, guided by the unerrng finger of
Time? Who, twenty or even ten years ago, would
have dreamt that such vast amount of money
would have been invested in the manufacture of
one kind only of Musical Instruments, and vet
each year demonstrates that the demand is great
er than the supply. Let us hope that the time is
coming when weapons Of war and bloodshed will
be known only in history and their places sup
Piled by the various musical instruments that tend
so well to calm the passions, harmonic our ma
lures and add to the refnements of Home.