The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-04-29
A Leading Ottawa Mandatory.

Der OF manufactures, the impression seems to
have gone abroad that We have no manufactures
now, and no utilized water power. Yet We have
many extensive manufacturing establishments
in constant operation, giving steady employ ment
to hundreds of men and producing hundreds of
thousands worth Of articles of variou. kinds
yearly. Among these are the Telegraph Instru.
ment Factory, the only one In the west the
Glass Works. the numerous planning mills furni-
ture factories, agricultural implement factories.
&c. Among these is the extensive institution
known as the
OTTAWA MACHINE SHOPS AND FOUNDRY.
These workshops, formerly Cushman's, have
been in operation over rs years, and each year
additions and engagements have been made.
keeping pace with the growth of the country
around, until now they have reached mammoth
proportions. The present shops, embracing five
large buildings, with numerous additions and
sheds, cover a space of over two acres, and still
there is not sufficient shop room for the extern.
sive business that is done here and this eassn,
Is soon IS the pressure is over, new buildings
will be erected aud the capacity of the present
buildings doubled. A railroad track will soon
be built by the railroads for tho accommodation
OF these Machine Shops, crossing the side.cut at
the lock and running down Fulton street. This
aide track will run into the shops. so that goods
can be loaded without the expense OF hauling on
trucks and wagons, As 10 necessary now.
Much OF the success of the Ottawa Machine
Shops and Foundry, in thus 80 largely increasing
their business is duo to the efficiency and energy
Of the Superintendent,
COL. A. b. MOORE.
Ono year ago, when he accepted his presen. re.
'ponsible position, everything about tho works
vas running at loose ends Work was done in
A indifferent manner, and never when promised.
Everything had run down, and general dil.pids.
ton and confusion reigaed. He took hold in
earnest, rsmodsled and improved much Of the
interior OF the buildings, introduced new and
greatly improved machinery, and prepared for
doing heavy work for railroads and other euter.
prises requiring extra heavy castings. Az An
evidence Of his suooess IN adding 10 the business
Of the establishment, We may mention that ono
year ago, when he accepted the position Of Super.
inteadeas, only sixtssn hsuds were employed
Aow seventy men and steady employment, and
At good wages
The capital stock now 10 about So, 900, sxclu.
sivs OF grounds and buildings and the yearly
productions are $4,000.
The oflcs 10 st the south.ssst corner O, the
building known generally - tho "Cushman
Foundry" up stairs; and room 70 the north Of
this lie filled with large and valuable patterns.
such - bsvsl, nitsr and core, or nsisesss wheels
Below 10 room full Of odds and ends, in the
way Of castings. Adjoiaing this are rooms
crammsd from floor to ceiling With patterns Of
every manner Of casting one can think o. IVES.
Of these rssms 10 the large molding and cssting
room. where from ten to thirty men work at
casting from the patterns. Here is the great fur.
mace whore iron 10 boiled, and whence it come.
splut:srins and glowing hot, and is poured into
the molds. Charles Snow 10 tho foreman OF th.
department, and from his we'll established popu.
larity and thorough knowledge of his business,
We judge he must b. . valuable aid to Colonel
Moore. West Of this room We enter the machine
shop proper. large, lofty room, with steam
engine smoothly working away, u.tering sub
dusd CALCULATIONS, as If conscious of its mighty
power, aad yet disdaiainy to trumpet its merits
to the world. La.hss are busy, men are turning,
boring, hammeriny and fitting machinery, and a
busy hum prevails suggestiva 10 the visitor that
he alone is idle, and should be at werk. Alder
nan Mark Duffy is the foreman Of this depart
ment. and very efficiently dses he attend to his
duties. Here we discovered the youthful but
correct form Of IRAN" Moore, who was in work.
ing harness, at a big lathe, and very unosten.a.
tiously he iran" that machine, wholly Indifferent
to the fact "that u diamond glittered on the
buzzom" of his other shirt through an opening
ing out heavy work, having, among other ma.
chimes, punch and shears machine that cuts off
an iron plate one inch thick and SIX inches
square, or cuts off at single clip n bar of iron
an inch square, bores hole in it, as easily to
all appearance as you can tear this PAPER or stick
pin through it, On the floor above is the wood
work shop, where plows, reapers and the like are
dressed and fitted ready for the blacksmith
About twenty men work here, planning SAVING
smoothing, boring and fitting together wood
work of every description. T. II. Medell is the
foreman Of this room. North of this building
are the blacksmith shops, of which Dan Meagher
is foreman of one room, and Nelson Tryon gen.
eral foreman. Five FORCES are kept in daily use
here. South is the old Ruyg building, now
part Of the Ottawa Machine Shops and Foundry
This largo brick structure ia used IA a store