Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-02-16
Industry of Burlington.
Occupants Of the Pioneer Mechanics Shops
chase & SMITH

chase SMITH.
This enterprising firm consists OF l. W. OnA'e
and Lyman E. Smith. Its businessi is the manu-
fscture of window sash, blinds, doors, mouiu-
ings. house and steamboat finish, &c.,-in pine
and other natiye woods Mr.. Chase may almost
be called the father of the Business OF making
sash and blinds by machinery in this state he
bouvbt out the man who fret started the busi-
ness in small way at Winooski Falls, but VINO
gave it up before it had become fairly estAo-
l;shed. Mr.. Chase took it, and made 1t sue
cessful. There vas then, aud for many years
after, great prejudice among carpenters
.,sir,t machine work Of that kind. It WAS de-
cried as poor, shAky, unfit for use IN any but
the cheapest jobs. But the machine work. Is
tablishins itself fret by reason Of its chespness'
in time came to be recognized Rs superior IN
every respect to the average Of hand work. and
it is now in well nigh universal use. Mr.. Chate
began, in a very small way, working at hrst
alone. and adding machines and men as his
business increased We understand that ne
bought the first " sticking machine" for msk-
ING sash. manufactured il the United States,
and has always kept up with the times by the
introduction Of improved machinery, as fast as
it WIS brought cut His enterprise has had its
times Of misfortune He was twice burned out
At winoosk and again il 1868, in the Pioneer
shops, losing everything, and with no insurance.
But he has perssye-ei against 81 obstacles, and
nov, in his fourteenth year in the Pioneer
Shops. he and hi, partner are doing larger
business thsn ever, AMI more than any concern
in this line in Vermont. They occupy the lower
stories Of two compartments in the Pioneer
Shops. giving then space Of 100 fee, By 90,
toqetber with the lower flor Of the build
ing south Of the main shops, 90 by 30
feet. They have also : store house OF two
stories. s0xsO ieet, dry house, lumber sheds,
&c. They employ forty-fye hands, in the active
SESSION, and nearly that number the year round,
most OF them being skilled Workmen. They run
Fifty machines Of various kinds, doing almost
everything. even to the sticking Of the wire
stspl,s in the bliai-slats sui the eating Of the
mitres Of door mouliings, by machinery.
They have recently added stair-builiing to their
business, employing an experienced man brought
~ to the trade Of making stairs and stair
railing, They ship large quantities Of sl'h'
doors, blinds and nouliings to marke; il Bos-
ton aud ether New England cities. Their work
is known acro,s the continent They are now
getting out all the wood vo-k for new church
in Duluth, thousand miles away. They hsye
the contract for the wood work for the large
new Methodist College building in Montpelier,
and for the new Cous, House IN this city. The
wood work Of the Vermont Central depots 81
Burlington sai ST. Adams, aad Of the cleaners
Adirondack sni Vermont, sbouniing in cary
ings aad srabasque open work in black walnut
sul Chestnut, are favorable specimens Of their
work They buy their lumber chiefly in this
market, and DO a blsiness Of from 100000 to
Sl25, 900 ye.r.