The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-09-19
Portland shovel Manufacturing Co.

able auspices. III was the lntentloh Oh the
agent, Mr.. A. d. Brown, to have been ready
to manufacture on the LIST day of the present
month, but unforeseen circumstances, beyond
the control of human agency, caused a delay
of few days. O.
This mandatory is a continuation and ex-
tension of the business that was commenced
by DR.. II. Hill, at Augusta, some twenty years
ago, and has since been carried on by Messrs.
A d. Brown & CO.. until the present season,
when inducements, such as the owners did not
consider it wise to disregard, were offered to
remove it TO Portland.
In March last charter was presented by the
Legislature to Samuel E. Spring, James I. Nc
Cobb, Moses Gould, A. d. Brown and Benz
Kingsbury, under the name of the Portland
Shovel Manufacturing Company, with CAPT
tai stock amounting to $4,000 with the privi-
lege of increasing it to 100000 Since the
charter was granted several Of our most prom
inent citizens have been added to the company
The company was organized by the choice Of
the following officers: Directors; Samuel E.
Spring, A. d. Brown, n. o. Cram, J. b. Coyle,
j. T. McCobb. President, S. E. Spring; Treas
urer, N. o. Cram; Superintendent, A. ID.
Brown. ssr,.+
Immediately upon the organization of the
company, site was purchased of Nehemiah
III. Rice at the foot of Clark and Commercial
streets, comprising an area of 1900 feet of
land, for which was paid the sum of nearly
$1,000 The work of erecting the necessary
hnildinus anmnaanoad fbp first work IN Nav
since which time workmen have been steadily
employed and now the building is up and the
machinery in operation.
The building is built of brick and granite
and stands on firm foundation. The walls
are 20 inches in thickness and are built in the
most substantial manner. 1t is 3 1-2 stories
high on the front, runs back 160 feet to Beach
street, thence 10 feet west on Beach street,
thence runs to Commercial street, decreasing
in height 10 one story which is designed ex-
clusively for trip hammers for the manufacture
OF plated shovels. There is in this apartment
tip hammer, which was made by Lyman
Kingsbury OF Cambridgeport, Mass, and cost
ing about $500. Iii ponderous affair weigh
ing or tons. The anvil block alone weighs
$500 lbs. 1t is intended when in full operation
TO have in this apartment ten or twelve trip
hammers OF various sizes and degrees of
power. rr or vraf
In the same room with the trip hammers
are two large boilers with FORCES so arranged
that the heat from them can be used in gener-
ating steam, and thereby making considera-
Bile saving~in fuel. Tie main chimney which
goes from1this room is six feet square at the
base running up s. feet. Thesteel from which
the shoyels are made, comes in strips Of the
requred,widthlor the various kinds of shovels
manufactured. 1t is cut into pieces Of the
proper length, and with powerful presses and
dies very soon put into the desirable shape.
There are to be ten presses besides 3 drop
presses on the first floor for this work. This
department is under the immediate direction
of Mr.. w. N, Shaw, an experienced and faith
full workman. In the same room, are 2 erasers
for beveling the straps, forge &c. In room
on the same floor, well arranged for the pur-
pose are ten polishing wheels where the blades
are polished. They are then put on to a steam
elevator and taken to the second floor where
the riveting, rolling down and shaping the
straps is done.
These various processes of hedging, filing
the handles, polishing the straps &C., are en-
ployed in this room. On the same floor is the
office, entrance on Beach street. There is
also q large room with lathes and such tools as
are needed for the repairing and manufacture
ing various kinds of machinery and tools for
the establishment. In the third story the ham
dies, which are brought up by the elevator on
the outside of the building, are steamed. shap-
ed, SHIPPED, dried and riveted. The attic is oc-
cupied mainly for manufacturing boxes and
for storing, as well also as a portion Of the
third floor.
The polished shovels are taken from the
forge room where they are shaped, into the
apartment where there are five grindstones,
some six feet in diameter and about a foot
thick, weighing from three to five tons each.
The machinery of this establishment is driv-
en- by an engine of 100 horse power manulac-
tured by Messrs. Charles Staples q Son of this
city, and we hazard nothing in saying that it
will compare iavorably with any engine ever
built in New England. The ny-wheel is about
Is feet in diameter. The cost of this engine
was about $4,000. The engineer, Mr.. Henry
Holland, is very careful and intelligent man
and keeps everything about his engine room
looking as neat as Portland Co. Shovel.
The mechanical department is under the SUI
perintendance of Mr.. III. P. Fairfield, whose
experience in the business and devotion there
to fully qualify him 10 discharge the duties OF
the position.
The general agent, Mr.. A. ID. Brown, is an
energetic, enterprising man, who thoroughly
understands every department of the business
and will spare no labor to make it remunera-
tive, and to establish permanent repu ia ton
and to secure an extensive sale. of articles
manufactured.
The general arrangement of the building
and connection of one department with an
other is as well adapted to the saving of labor
as is possible. Water is carried into every room
from never-failing spring in the cellar. The
machinery is of the latest and most approved
construction and every improvement has been
secured by this company, that is to be found
in any establishment of the kind in the
world. GA
When in full operation it will turn out two
hundred dozen shovels day, for which there
is a ready market, in California, Australia
SantI, A M 10 wall as NJ homo II, Al