Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-06-09
CONDENnED MILK.

CONDENSED MILK.
one OF the interesting manufactures Of
Elgin is that of condensed milk. Milk
contains S. per cent of water. OF this 70
per cent is removed by condensing. The
modus operandi of the process pursued by
the Illinois COndcnsiug Co. here. is as fol-
lows: The milk passes into an 500 gallon
receiver From this it is drawn into large
cans, which are placed in vat, when the
milk is raised to 1900 Fahrenheit. At this
temperature the albumcn of the milk coag-
ulates and adheres to the sides of the cans.
The milk is then poured into milk we'll"
where II is boiled. In this well the sugar
is added, pure crystalized sugar, as good as
the market afiords-a pound of sugar to
gallon Of milk. The milk is then drawn
into copper condenser holding 700 gallons.
In this the milk is evaporated in vacuo, the
air being exhausted by two air pumps. In
vacuo milk will boil at GOo, but the temper
aturc is kept at 1909, and the evaporation is
very rapid, without danger also of burning
the milk. After the milk is sufficiently
condensed, ii is drawn into large cans, cool
ed taken to the finishing room and put in
to cans holding pound each. These small
cans are all made in the factory, and so well
is this department organized that sixteen
hands are able TO make 10, 900 cans day.
! saw for the first time women here using
the soldering iron. They do their work
well, TO the satisfaction of their employers.
The best material, sweetest milk, purest
sugar, is used in this establishment. In
deed, absolute cleanliness and perfectly sweet
milk are Indispensable conditions Of sue
cess in this art, so that virtue is really a
necessity in this business.
1t is now fourteen years since Gail Bor-
den discovered thisart He claims that his
condensed milk is better as an article of
diet than milk directly from the COW; bet
ter for infants, for adults, especially those
of intirm health. His process cooks the
milk, and so renders it easier of digestion.
The company here are making 5000 cans of
condensed milk daily. They are also max
ing annually 1000 pounds of "Borden's Ex-
tract of Beef The process of manufacture
is the same in principle as that of condens-
ed milk. Twenty thousand pounds of beef
in the quarter are used TO obtain the thou
sand pounds of extract.
THE NATIONAL wArCH COMPANY.
OF course every stranger must visit the
watch factory in Elgin. The organization
OF the company dates back only seven years,
and II is only four years since its first watch
was made. The factory is some 200 feet in
front, three stories high, and built of stone.
a.
in all Il very substantial and commodous
structure. Several of the leading spirits in
this enterprise were formerly connected
with the watch factory at WalthanI, Mass.
The cream of the Waltham mechanics come
here, such men ms Charles :. Moseley and
George Hunter, the former of whom did
more TO make the american Watch q
first class watch than any other man.
The machinery used by the National
Company was all built here under the di-
rcction of these men, and is the finest in the
world. All parts of the watch are made at
the factory except the eases and the hands.
| The raw material. prass, is obtained from
| Connecticut; steel from Pittsburg-theb best
/ from England. The plate Of the watch, in
/ ii is anerward subject to endless manipula-
tons. In one room, before gliding, the
raymond plate passes through no less
/ than IA different processes, and probably
/ through half as many different persons
| hands. The wheels are cut from the brass
sheet with dies. The teeth are made by a
rapidly revolving saw, which does the work
] "a I, Ixsh
fourth" wheel goes through lG different
| operations, the pinion to which 1t is attach
ed 81, in all SO, requiring the incest machin-
cry and manipulation.
| The making of the screws of the watch is
a most delicate process. The jewel screw
! is so minute that it takes 10000 of them to
make pound, Each of these screws must
have a perfect thread, perfect head and
a perfect slot for the screw-driyer in the
head The additional value which labor
gives to an article is well illustrated by this
little screw. The steel for pound Of them
costs 81 the manufactured goods are worth
$1,000 pound.
The "pallet arbor' of the Lady Elgin"
watch Is also a microscopic thing. II takes
| u of them to make grain in weight, or
more than 100, 900 for Il pound. Each one
Of them is turned in the lathe ten times.
To do this kind of work the incest machin-
cry is required. The slotting machine can
be adjusted to cut within l-360Oth of an
inch. This would divide the finest hair in-
to many pieces.
All the brass work of the watch is gilded
in detached pieces. This is done by the
olectrotyping process, The gold is held in
solution in bath, through which passes q
current of electricity. The submerged
metal receives coat of gilt in 80 seconds