The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-07-31
Our Home Industries.

Among the most noteworthy OF our mechanical
enterprises is the Honolulu Barrel Factory, owned
and carried on by Mr.. j. \. Hopper. 1t was es-
tablnsbed some four or five years ago, and was
found to answer all purposes for furnishing our
plantations with the sugar kegs required for pack
ing sugars for the San Francisco market, which
had been previously all imported from Boston.
The factory was in successful operation, employ
ing some twenty hands and turning out n thou
sand kegs a week, when the contracts were made
with many of the planters by the san Francisco
Refinery, to furnish only dark sugars, which were
to be packed in bags. This unforeseen change
suddenly destroyed the demand Tor kegs, and Mr..
Hopper was compelled to close his establishment
and discharge his workmen, entailing thereby n
heavy loss Of stock on hand and capital invested
in machinery. Some idea of the business of the
establishment, at the time it was forced to stop
work three years ago, may be inferred from the
fact that It's labor bills alone were at the rate of
sixty thousand dollars n year. This was one of
tho ways IN which the refinery contracts damaged
the industrial interests of the country, without
any commensurate benefits.
After lying idle some three years, the termina-
ton of the refinery contracts and n return to the
old system of packing sugars, have again created
a demand for sugar kegs, and the establishment
was last week set to work. 1t starts under sew
cral disadvantages, the principal of which is the
entire absence Of the proper kind of timber re-
quired for making kegs. Oregon spruce has been
found to be the best wood, as it possesses the
requisites for working to advantage, and is fully
equal to the New England timber. But it has to
be ordered expressly for this purpose from Oregon.
In the absence of any supply. Mr.. Hopper is COIN
pclled to take ordinary northwest jOist, and saw
it up into proper lengths. 1t answers very well,
but does not make SO handsome kegs, nor does it
work so easily.
Each stavc, from the time the joist is taken in
hand to work up, has to pass through five differ
ent machines, before it is ready to set up in a
keg. So also, each head has to pass through four
machines before it is ready for use. Thus each
keg requires nine different machines to perfect it
for the cooper's hands. All these machines, cx-
cepting the common circular saw, have been
invented and constructed by Mr.. Hopper. When
the slaves are finished, they are packed in bundles
of one key each, ready for shipment. The estab-
lishment Is now turning out about eight hundred
kegs n week but when the proper stock is re-
ccivcd, and the full complement of hands is put on,
from one thousand to twelve hundred can be
turned out.
Another noticeable fact is that all the hands
employed are native Iiawaiians, who have been
trained to the work by Mr.. Hopper, and do tap
parently as skillfully rs foreigners would. by
employing them, he is enabled TO make and fur
nish kegs as cheaply rs the imported article can
be supplied and, with the proper material, as
good in every respect. Such an establishment rs
this. If kept in constant service, is n saving of ut
least sevcnty-iiye Thousand dollars a year to the
and capital of the country. We trust
that Mr.. Hopper will meet with success, and re-
pair all his former losses in this same enterprise.