Connecticut western news., 1872-10-04
COLLINS COMPANY WORKS, COL
 LlNSVILLE. CONN.

Hartford Post the 18th ot last February published a report of the works, which we find SO completely exhausts the subject, and Is in every respect so ably written and em- bodies not only all We could possibly write but much more, we have concluded to re- publish their account, giving much credit in so doing to that most excellent journal.
 SKETCH OF THE COMPANY.
 In 1926 Mir. Samuel w. Collins of Hart ford conceived the idea of manufacturing axes as a distinct business. Up to that time home made or unimported axes were very rudely made, singly, to order, and constituted no single branch of trade. There was no uniformity in the size, tenn. per, style or other desirable quality, and the work was done wholly by hand from very imperfect and unsuitable materials. | Associating himself with two others under | the name of Collins & Company, a water privilege and an old mill was purchased and the company began work at the place | where now stands the village of Coliusville | in the town of Canton. 1n 1885 the con urrn became an incorporated stock compa- ny, and now has an invested capital of a million dollars and large surplus, employ ing in the dullest times over lnree hundred aud fifty men, who turn out over two thou sand tools per day. The annual sales range from $75O, 900 to $l ,O00, 900, and the yearly consumption of materials amount, at low estimates, to six thousand tons of coal, three thousand tons of iron, six hun dred tons of steel, four hundred tons of grindstone and three hundred thousand feet of lur,ber. The monthly pay roll is about 82O, ,OOOA the works cover nearly twelve acres of ground, water wheels for driving yielding about l 1000 horse power, and steam engines and steam hammers requir- ing fully l5O horse power as aid to brains and hands in the production of goods, which find market ill every portion ot the Union, Central and Southern America, the West Indies, Australia, South Africa, the Dutch East Indies, Russia, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Mir. Samuel Collins, the founder of the company, died less than a year ago, April 3Oth, 1871. The present officers are B. B. Watkinson, president; w. J. Wood, vice president i; Elisha Colt, secretary and treasurer Chas Blair superintendent, and there is corps of thirteen inspectors. The directors are James B. Hosmer, John Olmsted, James Goodwin, Samuel s. Ward, John Beach, P. w. Ellsworth, Drayton Hillyer, H. s. Collins, E. B. Watkinson, W. J. Wood and Thomas Belknap.
 THE PRODUCTIONS OF THE COMPANY.
 1uSSG dIC SO ludlJ duO NolAOuo 1hoG SAA enumeration of all the varieties of articles would be tedious Of the common Yankee axe there are several sizes, although having only one shape. These sizes go by weight those for general home use being the light est, those wielded by the hardy lumbermen of Maine and Michigan being heavier, and those affected by the Californian and Aus tralan being heaviest of all, seldom weigh a iNs lcee than seven pounds. Then there axes for Cntflnp holes fhron nh fence posts and turpentine axes for nicking or blazing the pines to gather the sap, and numberless other styles, with local names. Some axes have no head but the eye is in the middle, and both ends are edged, or they are ':double bitted," to speak technic- ally, and are used by lumbermen in special localities. Of hatchets, adzes, and broad axes it is unnecessary to speak: every form and size to be found in the market is made here.
 The axes and adZes that. go to South America and other Spanish settled coun- tries are peculiar. The former are like those seen in old pictures, having appar. ently no head or "poll' but large amount of blade or ''bitt." This form may be called the historical and possibly deserves that of the artistic, as in some of the illus trations accompanying a quite recently a published article in which New England
 
 has introduced this anachronism. The Spanish adzes are of form indescribable without drawings.
 But the principal articles made here tC suit Spanish American tastes are known as ''machetes." We have seen this instru ment described in some book of travel as ''short, broad sword, or large heavy knife suspended by a cord from the neck, anC used equelly as an implement for agricul tural purposes and weapon for defense. But such a description lilly applies to thu collection ln the pattern room at the com panys office or the stock in the sample ant packing rooms in the works. There ar nearly five hundred varieties of the match cts made by these works, and no two alilz in the particulars of length, width or shap of the blade Of the uses of many of thes instruments only the purchaser Or consum er seem to be acquainted. The first orde for these implements came some thirt years ago for two dozen matchetes of particular form. This has been lsteadi followed by others, each distinct batter being numbered, until, as we have jus stated, they range nearly to five hundred These matchetes vary in length from ths of an ordinary carving knife to that of cavalry sabre, in width from a commo table knife to butchers cleaver. and form from an innocent looking bread knif to an untoothed hand saw, a scythe, Heaper's sickle, or a spade edged on on side. This Spanish department of the bu mess is an important one; but to that an the others before mentioned should be ado ed cast steel sledges, picks, mattock chisels, screw wrenches, cast steel blow etc., some of which will presently receive more particular mention.
 THE MATERIALS USED.
 The Collins Company is in the respect ( being self providing similar to that Krupp lof Essen, Prussia It makes muc of the iron and steel consumed by it, ar from the raw material turns out perfect al ticles. The only dependence it acknow edges for prepared material is the iron ft convention into steel and scrap for convel sion into iron. The company chooses make its own iron, as on that, especially
 axes, as we'll as on steel, depends the gre value of the article produced. The iron made from wrought iron scraps and dri ings. The process is similar to that pudding pig iron but is much more rapi There are two furnaces, each producin two "blooms," and ''heat" reuuirir only about half an hour. The bloom wht taken from the furnace is glowing mi shapen ball of white hot dripping fro weighing from hundred and seventy-fi' to two hundred pounds, and is passed ir meOlaCely uuueT an enOImOuS LTlp namme which at every blow drives out the meltt alag that runs in streams down the sides the mass, and makes thin puddle on u iron floor. While still glowing the bloo Is relentlessly turned out of doors to ava Its turn to become acquainted with one the three steam hammers which are
 transform the amorphous mass into shape ''billiets" ready to be rolled into bars. Tn hammering under the steam and trip han mer is far preferable to the use of ''squee CTS" or rolls, as by not confining the ma tt allows the worthless slag to escape. This establishment the iron is twice submi ted to the hammers before it is rolled, xrocess 1t is narhans nnnecnssaru to q