The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-03-27

preparatory to the second operation, which
is that of dipping and casing" The dip
ping consists in plunging the leaf into a
strong solution of licorice, or other sweet
ening preparation, while what is called
easing" is process of sprinkling the
Leaf with similar preparation Of licorice.
After dipping, the leaf (still tied in small
bundles as it comes from the grower of
the weed is strung on slender sticks about
five feet in length and hung up on racks to
dry. The entire fourth story of the build
ing is used as drylng-room, as is also a
portion of the third story and, when the
weather is favorable, the roofs to the wings,
in the rear part Of the building, are largely
used for sun-drying-"Old Sol" smiling
more benignly on the tweed" and giving it
finer flavor than can be impaired by any
artificial process of drying. The leaf for
the wrappers is also prepared on the third
iloor Tor The stemmlng process, which IS
mostly done by boys and girls in the
LUMP-RooM.
In this room large force is employed in
stripping the leaf from its stems, and in
Jumping and twisting the tobacco for the
press-room. These Jumps and twists are
of different sizes, according as they are
designed for the different sized shapers,
some being small enough for pocket pieces,
others weighing quarters, half pounds and
pounds. When the humps and twists are
thus prepared, they are sent to the
PRESS ROOM.
Here the Jumps, which are leaf-wrapped
much in the same way as are cigars, but
less perfectly, are placed in what are
called the "shapers," which consist of
racks or forms, called "shaping mills"
containing greater or less number of
compartments according to the size of the
plug to be made, each rack fitting into the
other like so many pieces Of doye-taied
box-worll, so that each lump may receive
its due share Of pressure from the retainer
presses. This is the first process the
Jumps go through in the press room. Af-
ter they have gone through the ''retainers"
or the process Of shaping, in which they
receive a pressure Of from 200 to $50 tons
weight, they are passed into the
pots or 'iinishers," where they are
subjected to still another pressure of from
100 to 200 tons weight, when they are
ready for packing. The process of finish
ing consists in placing one layer Of plugs
above another in the pots, for strong iron
press-beds) with tin or iron plates between
each layer, until the pots are filled, when
the whole is subjected to the additional
pressure we have named This pressure is
effected by means of a large hydraulic
pump, made stationary at one end of the
building. from which o pipe connects with
each of the pots, and by the use Of cut
offs, the whole force of the pump may be
given to any single pot at a time. A pres
sure of 200 tons may be secured in this
way in few minutes time.
In securing the required pressure to the
retainers movable hydraulic ram is used
of still greater power. In fact the power
obtained by one of these rams is 50 enor-
nous that any one of the presses may be
easily rent by them, breaking iron bed-plates
ofsix or eight inches thickness in two, or
rending iron bars of three and half inches
diameter as if they were so many pipe
stems. When the plugs have gone through
the finishers they are ready for packing
This is done in what are called the 'box-
screws" or powerful iron presses in which
the power is secured by an iron lever
These box-screws are large enough to pack
four of what are called six-inch boxes at a
time, that is, boxes eighteen by six inches.
The packing is done quite rapidly ,and pres
sure of many tons is given to the tobacco
as it is packed in layers in the boxes. There
are in the Castle Thunder factory thirty-two
Of these box-screwsf for packing fourteen re-
tainers and fourteen pots or finishers, or
machinery enough to easily turn out 6,000
pounds of tobacco day. The full force of
factory hands at this establishment is 25O.
The process here described is that of
making the common plug of different sizes.
In the manufacture Of what is called
"bright work." there is the process of dry
ing the Jumps after they are rolled, This
is done by placing the Jumps on dryers and
giving them sun or heat enough to draw
the tobacco, so that when it is pressed the
licorice or sweetening will not show itself.
When the rolls are sufficiently drawn they
have sort of kid-glove feeling indicating
the requisite dryness. When boxed the
tobacco is passed to the lower Roor of the
building or the
sHIPPING-RooM.
Here the smaller boxes of tobacco are
cased, and the whole work is inspected by
the proper internal revenue officer, to see
that "Cncle Sans" rules and regulations
Ia little inquisitorial at the present time
and necessarily so by reason of the big
debt he had to contract in putting down the
rebellion, and which he is trying to pay of
like an honest man by the help Of Rusi
Burgess) are fully complied with. Here al
tax-paid tobacco is properly stamped by the
manufacturer with tax-paid stamps. Tha
shipped in bond is inspected, and the proper
inspectors stamp affixed, with bond from
the manufacturer holding him to the pay
ment Of the required tax when the tobacco
shall be Withdrawn from bond. Wher,
the tobacco is shipped abroad, it pays nj
duty except an export stamp of 25 cents
but still a bond is required of the manufac
turer, as in the case Of tobacco shipped il
bond, which is cancelled by the prope
ConsuPs certificate that the tobacco ship
ped to the foreign port has been received b,
the consignee, in the identical packages il
which it left ''Castle Thunder in Rich
mond. All this is little annoying to tn
manufacturers here, but they phil
osophically make the best of it, and uni
versally agree that while our Collector c
Internal Revenue does his whole duty t
the Government, he does it simply "ac
cording to law" and by no means offen
sively. This is the universal testimony {
the manufacturers in Richmond, and W
have no doubt that tho Inspectors her
would bear equal testimony to the intes
rity and honor of the manufacturers, tha