The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-03-27

ended as may be necessary to foster shen
enterprises during their infancy. : &, Il
But in doing so, let Us not forget % awsfo
the due need Of praise to those puo'c
apirited men, the pioneers in western In
ufacture, whe, wbe have already esssohl
factories ana work shops in Our midst. Let
us not forget what is due them IN orce'
that their work may be introduced 10 the
r,,h,;c and thus be made profitable. For
the purpose of contributing our humble part
to this end we propose to give brief des-
cripton of the establishment whose name
stands above. T
One year ago yesterday, Messrs. VIM.
Eggleston, Fred. Weyerhauser, Charles
Denckman, Alfred Taylor, and Sam1 Ste
venson, under the name of the Rock Island
Wooden Mill and Manufacturing Company,
purchased what was known as "Buford's
Foundry" situated on the corner Of Missis-
sippi and Buffalo streets, in this city. The
latter two gentlemen soon withdrew from
the company, leaving the three hrst
named as sole proprietors. with MI
Epgleston as President. The foundry
was one of the oldest establishments
of the kind in the west, but nad dieo
out and was at this time scarcely more tnan
than a mass of Rubbish in decaying build
ing. The above firm at once went visor-
| ously to work clearing up the DEBRIS re-
pairing the building, making it hre-prool
throughout and fitting it up for the intro-
duction of wooden manufacturing machinery.
They also added new wing to the building
giving the entire establishment front OF
| l6o feet on Mississippi street and the same
on Buffalo street, with depth of 45 feet
| on each street. The building is OF brick,
/ very substantial. and the eastern wing Is
three stories in height. There is also an
other building in the rear, facing an alley
5ox60 feet, which is partially used foi
the dive works and can be made available tor
other purposes.
The engine is in the eastern wing oil the
main building and is model OF mechanica
perfection. 1t was built in the old foundry
on the spot where it is now at work. 1t II
of the kind known as the walking bean
engine" such as most river steamers use
Its power is eighty horse, with stroke o
thirty two inches, diameter efcylinder, SIX
teen inches. The power is applied TO
, shaft running the entire length of the wing
= to which all the machinery Is attached
4 double-acting force pump draws waite
fiom the river, distance OF about 400 feet
! through an iron pipe two inches in diane
ter, for the use of the engine, and ais
pumps the water into the boilers after bein
heated by the exhaust steam. There
also a separate pumping engine, who
looks neat enough to be toy or pario
ornament, for supplying water for washif'
,, wool and the general uses of the mill III
. boilers are two in number, twenty-slx ie'
in length, three and half in diameter, wit
&c tive fiues' each. This department is
"a charge of Mr.. E. D. Cockiey, of the firm
4 Cockley & Bard, grocers, on Illinois stree
= who keeps everything about him in SUI
good order as to be remarked by every vi
st itor.
,e Nearly all the wool used is bought at tt
,e mill from formers who bring it in, at iro
ID 40 to So cents per pound. The first pr
IS cess is sorting and grading, which is dol
,e by Mr.. A. W. Corbin, and is an operate
re requiring experience and good judgment,
in every fleece there is wool of ditfere
ROD and t-<,lor
he such as is wanted colored-dried and hoi
10 ed to the third floor. When the goods
i to be of mixed colors, the wool IS INTERIM
in gled in the proper proportions and r
IT. through the picking machine. This Il
a chine has q toothed cylinder, twenty &c
p inches in diameter, revolving at the rate
d. / ,Ooorevolutions per minute. After bel
of thoroughly picked. the wool is oiled
dropped to the floor below through shut
in where it is subjected to the carding pToce
mt This operation requires three machl'
RS, and set of cards The wool is carried
ers the first machine by an endless feed apr
'er made of wooden stats. At regular inter'
III of about two feet, recurs a Stat ditferen7
the color from the balance. Between these s
TER an equal quantity of wool is evenly spre
gS- as the apron revolves, varying in weight
nc cording to the quality and fineness OF
ke' intended goods. 4 cardins. machine n
INC be seen in operation to be clearly un'
'no stood. 1t Is accomplished and yet so
,u' feet, that it is to us a standing curlo
:. n' and one of the highest triumphs OF IN
ton genius. 1t consists of a revolving
VI ,nder forty inches in length and forty
'yu' inches in diameter, with some dozen sn
'n or cylinders revolving on its outer surf
each furnished with short wire teeth OF
fercnt degrees of fineness at different
on o.
W of speed.
re- The first machine turns the wool
we soft, loose roll, neatly wound on a
e. spool, and in this form it is called I'd
ings" Forty of these spools are alta
'h' to the SET, md machine at the same
This machine is similar to the first,
the which the wool evolves in, the same s
date only finer and more regularly distrib
,essi- The third machine is similar to the
wing two and is called condenser or fini
h by From this the wool comes out in loose
tural smaller in diameter than before {