The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1871-05-18


- tie coal kllu i apparently shout &.
become permanent Institution in ,hf
and lbo surrounding localities, pcfhap
a Slight description ~ enc pt these atue
,ums,lazplhel Nith a brief history Of tht
comparative modern invention, NAV no
be devoid VI Interest tg iAe curious Il
sncb matters,
According Go Use best information ob
aiuabIt 1a the subject this mode OF mau
uiaclurag charcoal dates po further bgu&
lhau 1923. Nj isaac Doulitllc. then re
siding in Bennington, iH lhi, county
made doe experiment iu ttlis direction ant
by common consent is given tie crcdi
OF The myeLi0n.
Mr. y. WAS man 81 liberal education
possessed au active mind and au iuyeu
tvc genius. and at that time was one a
the principal managers ofthe Wcl kuoWu
Bennington Iron Works, the busiucs.
then being m the zenith Of its prosperity
This was before other varieties Of coal had
come into such general Usc aud tbt
amount Of charcoal required bY these
works in the different processes Of con.
yeuing ore into iron was very large. At
ter thoroughly celebrating the plan In hi.
IltlfiAN +hls AfhNAlhtihF ~ way VI AAiftA T.
ment. built "a kiln of very limited dimcn.
sons having a capacity Of oJly four hun
drcd cubit feet. This proving success
the inventor soon after obtained patent,
"fur an improved method Of manutactur-
ing charcoal which continued IN force
until lsl3 When it expired By is own
+ limitation. During that period few or no
rights were sold, and tho benefit Of the
( improvement was mouupUized by The
/ Iron Works. An effort was made 10 ob-
tain an extension of the patent; but the
applicants failing in this, tho right to
F build aud use the kim became general
aud they are now TO be found through
out The eastern, middle and some OF The
western states.
Coal kjlns are constructed OF iirc-proof
brick; are invariably circular in form
presenting a great similarity in outline
and appearance They are built Of differ
cnt Dimensions, generally varying from
twenty-iOnr TO thirty-two feet IN diam
ctcr. The upright wall is about one foot
in thickness and from twelve 10 fourteen
feet in height. The roof or "crown" is
built in the form of an arch rising about
four feet from base 10 center, with the
foot resting against strong band inelos-
ing the Kiln, aud made Of heavy bariron
six inches wide, which also seems to
strengthen the main wall. IimberS four
teen feet In length, eight inches square at
the bottom and four by eight inches at
the top, are firmly set in the ground
twen;y-eight inches apart aud placed in
an upright position against the kiln.
These are grasped by two more iron
bands, which by liberal application of
/ the blacksmith's sledgc, are forced down
/ these tapering timbers, one to within four
/ the other eight feet of the ground Civ
! ing to the entire structure an appearance
of great soidity, strength aud durability.
An opening is left in the center of the
/ "crown" four and one half feet in diam
eter through which the kiln is mainly
| filled, the wood being brought here over
platform on barrOws which are built es-
pecally for that purpose. The wood is
carefully corded until the kiln is filed to
its utmost capacity, when the aperture at
/ the top is hernetically closed and it is
now fired in an opening at the bottom
near the centre. Fues or air holes are
/ left in the sides for graduating the fire
aud II requires from four to siz days TO
reduce the wood in kiln OF this dimcn-
sion to charcoal. The firt kiln erected
/ in this State north Of Bennington was on
/ the premises of X. r. lIurd in the west
4 part of Arlington, some ten years ago.
since that time they have rapidly multi
( piled all over the country, and large
amounts of charcoal are now manuiaC-
/ tured in this and other localities. The
AK Of the chopper Is heard on every hill
and the forests are disappearing like
grass before the mowers seythe. The
railroad coal burners and the various
workers in wood like the horse leach
are crying give give, and none say enough,
and we shall all need to exclaim soon
"Woodmau spare that tree
/ 1t may be properto suggest in this CON
necion that the manufacture of charcoal
/ Is, comparatively, but small item in the
various industries and enterprises of
/ West Arlington. In addition to merchau-
I dizing In all It's branches and the different
mechanical litradcs carried on in every well
/ to do community. there is an extensive
mauufactory of Marble, where some OF
( the finest specimens may be seen also a
mill for cutting out brush backs and han
dies giving employment to several hand,
and making liberal returns 10 the owners,
There are parties here too who make a
( speciality Of the sheep and wool trade and
/ large numbers Of the former and large
quantities Of the latter change hands at
. thi. p0iut every season.
/ But agriculture is the chief occupation
and some Of the largest, most desirable aud
best cultivated farms may be found here
and while in many parts Of the state
. farmers have ignored their old pet the
sheep and nearly abandoned the pfoduc-
I ton Of wool, in this valley they have not
bated one lot or little Of their interest in
sheep husbaudry; and their focks, with
few exceptions, have been fully kept az
( to the old standard and both grades and
I thorough brCds, viii compare tayorably
with any in Vermont
This locality can boast of other attrac.
lions besides its material interests. Ma
turc has not been stiugy in It's eHdow.
meuts. There is happy combination Of
I bin and vale, large springs Of Che coolest
and s0itest water are everywhere teemina
from mountain sides, the scenery, csS~1ci-
ally IN Autumn, Il unsurpassed, aud it {.
doubted whether The Baticukill River in
I all its meandcripg, In its long stretch from
I its rise among the evergreen hills q
where IL joins company with the broad
Hudson in its Journey to the sea, trayerzci
a plcaauier valley tlian this. T.
West Arlington, May 18Th, 1871.
Tie FIRST stove ever allowed IN the
dwelling house Of widow Hannah Ynrl
of North Stanington was set up April 20
1871. Ia which was kiAdled fire from
: ernhef. Iaknn n-nm Hnr GranInre "a hicl