The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-02-25
The Ottawa Starch Factory.


tie sheet, the Enterprise of this city, the
following interesting notes on the Ottawa
Starch Factory:
The great majority of our people know
little or nothing of the various manufacto-
ries in town, beyond the mere fact that
they exist and are supposed to be devoted
to certain specific objects.
Nothing is known of the process of ma
nufacture, the number of men employed,
the quantity or value of articles made, or
even the size of the various buildings in
use, and of course, nothing of the value of
our manufactures, commercially speaking
And this arises, not from a lack of intel
lgence-for the people of Ottawa are
known to have "cut their eye teeth" some
time ago-but from the fact that they are
too busy with their own individual bust
ness to devote the time necessary to be-
come posted on these topics.
We therefore propose to write a series of
articles on such subjects, as we believe they
cannot but be interesting to all our read
ers And first, we shall begin with the
! STARCH FACTORY. as that is the most ex-
tensive, if not the most important manu-
| featuring establishment in town.
Having this design in view, we went
over to the Starch Factory the other day
called on Mr. n B. BRrsroI. the gentle
manly Secretary of the Company, who very
| iocularly introduced us to Mr.. MAGINxIs,
the manufacturer, something in this wise
Mr. Maginnis, put DR.. Harris through
the establishment, and see that he comes
out first rate quality of golden gloss. u"
Mr.. Maginnis very politely fulfilled the
| injunction-a part of it, at least-aud
showed us through the whole huge build
! ing from attic to basement, detailing the
process of starch making and giving us
! the facts and figures which here follow.
| The size of the main building is 232 by
/ 40 feet, seven stories high, each story be-
| ing from II to l6 feet high
! There are also two additions, one LOBBY
| y feet, and another, the kins and scrap
ing room, which is Il by - feet, and three
stories high.
The land occupied by the Company for
the starch works and out buildings is over
three acres-from this and the paragraph
above, some idea of the size and extent of
the buildings may be formed
| Within the building are 209 gear wheels,
about t,co miles Of cutters andspouting, l25
cisterns each Is feet long feet wide, 4
feet high, three pairs of rollers, each
weighing three tons, set of burr stone,
| 300 feet of main upright shafting, with p
| UUO 1e0t OF Drancn Sudltlus,, set OI eleVa-
tors, making about $50 feet in length, 1000
eet of water pipe, 3 force pumps, 3 starch
pumps, 10 drying kilns, of a capacity suf1i-
Gent to hold about 3, 500 boxes of starch,
1000 feet Of hose, which can be attached
| to the force pumps in case of fire, at one
moments notice.
When the factory is in full operation,
about SO men'are employed, 800 bushels
of corn is used per day, and some G,0OO
lbs. starch per day is made.
1t Is proper to state, however, that the
grind machinery is sufficient toand use
about 700 bushels of corn per day, an6
this would now be done were there not a.
lack of cisterns This deficiency. we are
told, will be supplied at no late day.
when, as will be seen, the amount of
starch manufactured will be more than
doubled.
We intended to have described the pro-
cess of starch making, SO far as the unini-
tiated are permitted TO know it; but the
length of this article makes the thing inn
possible, and we can only state that from
the time the corn is taken into the build
ing until it is made ready for market, it
passes through not less than ,erenbtfre diff
ferent stages or processes!
Since Masinnis has had charge of the
Ottawa Starch Factory, not one bushel OF
damaged corn has been used, and this will
in part account for the high position which
this starch has of late taken; though OF
course much credit is due to the skill and
intelligence of the manufacturer. as well
as the energetic and thorough manner in
which the business proper is managed.
We return our thanks to Messrs. Bristol
and Maginnis, for their urbanity and the
qualification they have afforded us, and ir
, return, if they will visit our office we will
show them the whole thing. chemicals ano
all, but we cannot warrant them to come
! out golden gloss"