Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-08-19
Conclusion from First pape. |

in reserve $50 horse steam engine,
for use in case of accident, or should
the river run low. There are 625 OILS
terms, holding 1900, 900 gallons. Three
miles of cutters are used to conduct the
ground starch, in its fullest form, to its
appropriate reoeptacles, 80 large force
pumps throw water to the highest point
of the factory, at the rate $3.50 gallons
minute. Here are in constant opera
ton Is pair of millstones, 6 pair of
heavy iron rollers, IL, $40 feet of shaft
ing, or 1T miles, connected by 1911
gear wheels, there are 65, 461 feet or
twelve miles of steam pipe for drying
the starch and warming the establish
ment. 900, 000 bushels of corn can be
ground in q year, and from them are
produced 6, 900 tons of starch, ton fIAhl
each 100 bushels; 5000 tons of hard
coal are used in year; 100000 feet
of lumber for making boxes, 10000
pounds of wrapping paper, and 10000
pounds of nails.
The wooden box factory is at present
wooden building, but the walls are to
be replaced by brick in the true Kings
ford style, when the work on the starch
factory proper is completed. In the
box factory as well, everything is redu-
ced to q perfect system, and the rapid
ty with which boxes are made would
astonish one unfamiliar with the pro-
cess. They have now in operation a
dovetailing machine, which by one
single operation, cuts off, mitres and
dovetails the boards, so that boxes are
made which hold together without
nails. This machine is unequal to the
task of supplying the boxes, and four
new ones are to be added.
Thirty women and twelve machines
are employed in the packing depart
ment. Instead of packing barrels OF
1876 pounds as is the case of milling,
here they pack a box which holds one
pound or one-half pound, but the pro-
cess is precisely alike in each case.
This packer is very ingenious ma
chine and very perfect one i'll its
operation and deserves especial notice.
It not only packs the starch solidly,
and perfectly in a case but it weighs it
as well. When pound, or half pound
as the case may be, is in its place, the
machine stops, and the weight is as ac-
curate as it can be dealt out on the
scales. There are twelve machines in
operation. and each turn ont, on an
average two thousand packages daily.
From six to eight million pounds of
extra quality of starch is thus disposed
of per annum.
In the paper box factory, the paste
board of which the boxes are made, is
all cut, creased, and prepared by ma
chinery. About the only thing they
do by hand is the little pasting neces
sary to fix the bottoms. About 1900
pound and half pound boxes are here
produced daily, in addition to 1000 five
pound boxes for different. grade of
starch. About twenty persons are en-
ployed in this department, seventeen
of whom are young women.
A new bell tower has been lately
erected upon solid stone masonry. 1t
is sixteen feet square at the base, eighty
feet high, and tapers to proper size
at the top. 1t is built OF pine clap
board, we'll painted, and as security
against fire is bricked up inside. It is
an elegant and complete structure and
is srrmounted by d fine tone bell which
weighs 1856 pounds. From this bel
fry Waterman can look over the
works, and every part of the "Starch
Factory District" or the territory
which the Starch Factory Fire Company
include within their jurisdiction. They
are provided with an ordinary hose
carriage and a great quantity of hose
For power, they rely upon the power
full force pumps Of the factory of which
there are about thirteen, at all times
ready for use, which at moments
warning will throw a flood of water
equal to an ordinary city water works.
When we have considered the men
employed to raise the corn, the ship
pers, the sailors and hands to bring it
from the west, the men to handle it in
getting it from the elevators to the mill,
the boatmen and railroad men employ.
ed in handling and getting it to mar
ket, the printers in printing labels, the
paper makers in producing the paper
for labels and packages, the men hand
ling and producing the lumber, the
wholesale and retail dealers who sell it,
it is not possible to enumerate the vast
number of hands kept busy and fed by
this one gigantic enterprise.