The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-11-12


twentv..wo to twenty.eight hands, besides
contributing extensively toward keeping up
a lively grain market. 1t should also be re-
membered that the large amounts of money
thus annually disbursed in our midst, are
drawn almost entirely from distant Cities
and are just so much of an addition to our
local circulation. The Rodman Mill are in
good hands, and bound to prosper.
In the year 1856, John Warner erected,
for the purpose of establishing barrel fac
tory, the building now known as the Warner
Mills, constructed of brick, and located on
the corner of Washington and Highland
streets. Altering his intention, he fitted it
up with the necessary machinery, and for
ty-6ve horse power engine, and leased 1t to
Baker Il Gilmore, who carried on business
for several years with tolerable success
| George T. Elliott, then of Davenport, but
now of Chicago, leased it in the spring of
1860, and operated only for year. 1t then
passed into the hands of l.. c. Burwell, who,
| it seems, met with better success than those
who had preceded him, and continued BUSH
| ness until October LIST of the present season,
when he sold out to his brother, c. A. Bur
WELL and John R. Warner, son of the pro-
prietor of the mill, and went to Marshall,
Michigan. The present firm is Burwell &
| Warner.
| In 1865, business becoming prosperous,
the original facilities were found to be too
restricted. and a two story brick addition,
80 by 40 feet, was erected on Washington
street, to be used for storing purposes, and
| also to make room for an Office. A frame
warehouse near at hand, two stories in
height, and 80 by so feet, was also being
used at the time for similar purposes. The
main building, built of brick, and two stor-
| les high, is 40 by 60 feet, and has a neat
and finished exterior The stones used in
| these mills were manufactured by d. L.
Cuukle, of this city, and have always given
satisfaction. Some time last winter the
boilers blew up, entirely demolishlng the en-
| CINE house, an account of which we publish
ed at the time. Within ten weeks the whole
| structure WAS rebuilt and with equipments
in running order, but with one important
variation The boilers previously used had
been manufactured abroad, and were substi
| tuted by sett turned out by Sam1 Green
well, of this city, which will prove quite able
| to stand the pressure, another evidence OF
the appreciation of home manufactures gain
ing ground among our business men. Eight
hands are usually employed. The average
amount of -four turned out per week is one
| thousand barrels, but when running up &c
full time and capacity it not unfrequenty
| happens that this number is swelled to thir
| teen hundred. In addition to this, about
are manufactured per week. Much trouble
is experienced in obtaining sufficient grain
| to keep the mills constantly RAINING. a
considerable quantity of wheat is purchased
| in Iowa, and much in Minnesota. Last win
ter Mr.. Burwell actually purchased wheat in
Chicago, and shipped it to this city, which,
however, will not probably again happen in
an age. Should the mills be kept running
the year round, they would manufacture 50,
| 600 barrels of flour, and consume a quarter
| of million bushels of wheat As matters
are, on account of the difficulty of obtaining
grain, mentioned above. only about half that
amount of work is done. The time will come,
| however, when these mills, with others in
| our city, will be crowded to their utmost ca
| pacity, and the benefit thus rendered our
community, can be loosely computed by ref
| erence to the above figures.
In the year 1859, ]. A. Biddison Il Co., o.
the Planning Mill, conceived the idea o
| using their engine, not only in the lumber
line, but also for the manufacture of corr
meal This resulted in the fitting up of the
| Novelty Mills, an adjunct of their other es
| adjustment. These are 30 by 35 feet in
size, and three stories in height. The stone;
we're manufactured by ID. l.. Cunkle. of thi:
city, and the machinery by c. c. Weber,
Both work without a fault, and are standing
and conclusive arguments in favor of home
manufactures. The amount of meal manu-
featured is seventy-five barrels per day, o,
| iOuE anu my "cch' III SOi
nection with the establishment is a kiln fol
drying corn, which was gotten up in 1860 by
Mr.. Biddison, on an entirely original idea
and in style wholly different from any other
in this section. 1t is constructed in circu
lar form, is twelve feet in diameter, fourteen
feet high, and contains four floors. 1t j.
heated by hot air. The corn is poured il
at at the top, and by means of long arms
constantly moving around between tn,
floors, is stirred through to the bottom unit
in q perfectly dry condition. 1t is ther
cooled, and ground, making the finest mea
extant. About five hundred bushels of corr
per day are dried in this manner, and it ii
said that no barrel of meal manufactured
from this dried corn has ever been known tt
spoil. During the war the government pur
chased all of this quality it could get, il be
ing warranted to keep three years in any eli
mate. Large quantities of it, manufactured
in this city, have been known to be shipped
as far distant as the West Indies. As is the
case with the planning establishment, the
Novelty Mills are now owned by j. A. Bid
olson. The amount of corn purchased and
manufactured there in the course of year
is quite large.
| In connection with the above subjects We