Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-04-05
Manufacturer Of Wilmington, n. &.
ARTICLE NO. VII.

WOODWORK MANUEACTOR1ES.
The works of the Cape Fear Building
Company, to which we yesterday referred
next claim our attention. Their business
comprises the manufacture Of lumber, the
erection Of buildings, the manufacture of
doors, blinds, sash, and the decorative
finish which gives such a pleasing effect to
the exterior and interior Of our dwellings.
The Company have lately added suitable
machinery for building freight cars, and
will soon commence that branch of ollsi-
ness.
The principal office Of the Company is
in this city, located nearly opposite the
JOURNAL office.
THE SAW MILLS AGD WOODWORKING
FACTORY
are at Abbottsburg, thriving little station
on the Wilmington, Charlotte & Ruther-
ford Railroad, distant from Wilmington
about fifty miles. AbbOttsburg has apopula-
ton of about six hundred persons, with three
churches and several stores. In addition
to the works Of the Company, several tur-
pentine distilleries add to the growth and
prosperity of the place.
On ah9hting at the station, we were met
by Mr.. II. s. ServOss, one of the partners,
and in charge Of the Abbottsburg branch
of the business, who showed us around the
THE SAW MILL,
which is very much like the other saw mills
we have described, in its Tapidity of pro-
ducing lumber, but the log pen is missing.
Here the logs are brought to the mill by a
railroad running out into the uncut timber
lands. The logs are cut and hauled to the
log-beds by mule teams, then loaded on
the timber cars some three miles from the
mill, from whence they are drawn by an
engine and rolled off the cars just within
reach of the log-chain. a few turns of the
wheel, the log is in the carriage, and the
great saw goes tearing its way through, and
in few moments, the tree is passed out of
the other end of the mill ready for more
useful purposes. We noticed the same
economy in using every portion Of the log
as a: :, ilmin2tot Th slabs are made into
laths, fence pickcts, brOom-handles, and
for other uses the sawdust goes to feed
the fires under the boilers, and the only
waste that seems to us likely to occur is
the last sawdust from the last log when
the great forests lying all around Abbotts-
burg are extinct.
From the saw mill we were taken to the
WOOD WORKING FACTORY,
which is in another building and run by
separate engine. On entering the building
an immense profusiOn of machinery greets
the eye; circular-SaWs tor all kinds of
work, light and heavy; two large surface
planning machines, side by side, which, if
constantly at work, would plane 10000
feet Of boards per day; long ''Daniefs"
planer, that will make a piece of timber forty
feet long as true as a spiritlevel ; a mould
ing machine, cutting four sides, at one
operation, into any desired shape; a second
moulding machine, with cutters only on
three sides; morticing, tennoning, sash,
blind, turning and shaping machines in
almost endless profusion. So complete and
perfect is the machinery, it seemed that
hand tools had lost their usefulness.
In one end of the building is
LARGE MACHINE SHOP,
having all the necessary machinery and
tools to do all kinds of iron work. In a
separate building, but little distant, is the
blacksmith shop. In this and the machine
shop all the iron repairs are done to the
machinery and wagons, and for all other
purposes of the Company.
The lumber for building purposes is all
prepared by machinery at the factory, fit
and ready for the use designed, every piece
being cut to the exact length, mortices cut
and lemons made, so that
THE ENTIRE FRAME OF A BUILDING
can be sent to any place and set up with
all the parts accurately fitting Employ
ment is given to 80 men, including those
at work for the Company in this city.
The success Of the Company as builders
is attestcd by the many fine residences
erected by them in Wilmington during the
past year. Their contracts for the coming
season are already large, as we are in
formed, and we are gratified that the heavy
outlays of money incurred in establishing
their business has met with satisfactory
success.
The people Of Glenwood, Mimi, have a