The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-07
OUR MATERIAL INTERESTS.
TEE WANDo MINING AND MANUFACTURE
ING COMPANY.

Orga anizntion Of the Enterprise-Its Inn
portancc and Success-The Mines on
Ashley River-The Works at the Foot
of IInsel-street.
The present Waado Mining and Manuiactur-
ing ,mpany is an incorporated company, with
paid up capital Of 500 600, and the privilege
of increasing it to $500. 600. 1t is the successor
to the ola Wando Company, organized more
than year ago, and has proceeded steadily
with the work bcgun by that company, adding
greatly however, to it's mining and manufac-
turing facilities, and largely and rapidly IN
creaslng the business.
The reason OF its success, probably, IS to be
fu1nd in tho fact that the managers arc all
active business men, alive to the cxisencies of
the times, and all Charlcstonians, with theirin-
divilual welfare bound up in the veal OF the
city. In fact, it is entirely Charleston enter
prise, every dollar of the capital being owned
in this city. Mr.. John Il. Dukes, the presl-
dent of the company is at the head OF the
welg-known firm of W. C. Dukes & Co., and the
direc.or .Iessrs. L. d. Mowry, F. j. Pc lzer,
w. G. Wtilden, J. D. Aiken and George l..
liibbon arc worthy rcpl oscutativcs OF the com-
mcrciai enterprise OF Charleston. The super
intcndcnt, Mr.. Thomas D. Dottcrer, is an eS-
pericnced.and skillful machinist, and Mr.. +. u.
Hacker the secretary and treasurer, is prac-
tical boukkccper and accountant OF acknow.-
| edged ability.
The mines OF the company arc situated on
ihe Ashley River, about nine miles from
| Charleston, on the old Brisbane plantation.
| They cover great extent OF ground IN the
richest region of those immediate deposits
which arc known as tho Ashley beds, and
large number OF men ale kept constantly en-
poyed in working them. There is fnc
wharfa at the mines, at whioh sloops, schooners
and other river craft are loaded with the
phosphate rocks, which they transport to
| Charleston and land at the wharf Of tho COM
pany, at the foot Of Hasel-street, where the
| mandatory is situated. The wharf, the land
on which the works are built and the mill it
self, q fine large wooden structure of three
and half stories all belong to the company,
forming very valuable piece OF real estate,
centrally situated on the eastern water front
OF the city, and within convenient distance OF
all the principal business localities.
The process OF manufacture rs seen at the
mill appears to be very simple. Tho raw ma
terial, or rough phosphate rock, as it is land
ed from the vessel, is thrown into large kiln,
where it ia baked until all the moisture is e1-
PEELED. Ii is then carried up an inclined plane
to the second story of the mill, where it is fed
to the cracking machine, which discharges 1t
below, where it is taken by elevators to close
room, and thence it is carried to the crushers,
or large mill stones, which grind it to an al
most impalpable powder. This powder is TAX
en- By means of elevators and screw to huge
bin which has several openings at the bottom,
whence it can be taken rs wanted. Adjacent to
these openings is large mixing machine, and
near by tank to hold the acids with which the
phosphate must be treated before it becomes
q valuable fertilizer. The chemicals, animal
matter and the phosphate powder are mixed
together by machinery, and then discharged
to the ground floor, whero it Is put up in sacks
ready for shipment. AL this work is done by
machinery, the only handling necessary being
in taking the phosphate from the kiln to tho
mill, which is at present done by wheebar-
rows, for which, however, machinery will short
ly be substituted. The animal matter is car
ried to the upper part OF the building by
means of O seE-regulatins hoisting machine,
which, when connected with the driving
power, goes up and down in given
time, the only handling required being
to load and unload it. This machine was
manufactured, and, we believe, Invented by
Messrs. James N. Eason & Brother, machin-
lists and iron founders, corner of Columbus
and Nassau streets, whose enterprise and in
genuity are more adapted to what Charleston
is to be than what she has boon. The whole
machinery of the mill is driven by forty
hors, power horizontal engine on the ground
floor, which is supplied with steam from
large new boiler manufactured by Messrs. j.
T. Taylor & Co., machinists and boiler makers,
foot of Pinckney-street. The building was
erected and the machinery put up by Air. D. c.
Ebaush. who has displayed both architectural
and mechanical skill i'll all tho arrange
ments The mill is'very rsomy, the compact
machinery occupying but little space, and
everything is keptin perfect oder. The clean
liness of the premises is remarkable, espe tally
when the nature Of tho manufacture is con-
sidered. Every part of tho process is open for
inspection, 80 that any doubt as TO the genu-
incness of the article produced may be at once
dispellcd. But even without inspection, such
o doubt could scarcely arise, fol- the land OF
the mines belongs to the company, and phos-
phate rock is just as cheap to them as ordinary
earth, SO that there is no inducemcnt for them
to adulterate their mauures with that
article, as is often done in tho manufacture of
fertilizers. Indeed, there is great reason to
believe that the Wando and kindred companies
will shortly supply, exclusively, the fertilizers
for the feds of Carolina and a great portion
Of the South. Owning the lands end manufac-
turing almost on the spo. whero the rawmaterial
is dug. they have no heavy freights TO pay, and
are free from many expenses incurred BY
Northern manufacturers, so that they can sup
ply the best article at The most reasonable
rates.
TIE SrITE IND OUE RIILRO-dD
SYSTEM
IN rnr TDIyop cE TIJE NFWc