The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-12-20
THE MARLEY PAPER MILL.

For The Cecil Wing
THE MARLEY PAPER MILL.
The property on the Little Elk creek, in
Cecil county, known as the Marley Mills,
was long the property of the Hollingsworth
family, probably earlier than the American
Revolution, and continued as their property
until about the time of the embargo prior
to the war of 1912, when the owners, who
then lived in Baltimore, sold it to the Elk
Forge Company for certain quantity of
bar iron.
When Col. Hollingsworth owned the
property there was grist and saw mill on
it. The late Andrew Harvey had dis
tinct recollection Of this property at the
beginning of the present century, and he
saw the flames of the old mill when it was
barning down. A new grist mill was after
wards built at the same place, as well as
saw mill, and oil mill. Flax at that time
was common crop, grown on almost every
farm, and dressed, spun and woven into
articles Of common wear, and of great
service. The seed was taken to the oil
mill and manufactured into linseed oil.
Afterwards nail factory was established
there by Mr.. Cleaveland,-t nails were
cut by water power, and headed by hand.
Further up the stream at the place now
known as Pulling Mill Hill, there was in
early times mill for fulling cloth. and the
old buildings are remembered Ivy persons
now living,
The old nail factory building is still
standing. 1t was carried on some years
by jeremiah l.. Leslie, commonly called
Larking Leslie, OF Lark Leslie, an in
genious mechanic, who afterwards moved
to GAINESVILLE, and few years ago was
killed on the railroad at that place, by step
ping out of the way of one train, but into
the way of another which he did not see.
He was among the early Methodist about
Marley, and continued local preacher
after he went to GAINESVILLE until the time
of his death. and left many friends behind
him. He published work against Uni
versalism. One Of his sons has been sheriff
of GAINESVILLE.
After the Marley property came into the
hands of the Elk Forge Company, the
mailing business was carried on some years
by John Hayes, and was quite profitable.
The grain mill was also in operation, and
during very dry season farmers were
obliged to bring their grain to this mill
from as far as Turkey Point. the Little Elk
being then less affected by dry season
than the neighboring streams.
About 1927 the Elk Forge Company
built forge at this place for the manu-
facture of bar iron, by the use Of charcoal.
The blast was produced by wooden bel
lows operated by water power, and some
very good iron was drawn at this forget
continued in operation some ten years
The Elk Forge Company had their princi.
pal works on the Big Elk creek at the
place where Lords Factory was afterwards
built. The proprieters, David Thomas
Jesse Hollingsworth, John Roberts, David
Davis and Thomas May, held 100 acres of
land at this place under writ of ad guod
6amaam granted under the ProviE cial
Government in pursuance Of the Act of
1913, CHI, Is, for the encouragement of
iron manuiacture-the precept is dated
1TG2 and the patent Jan. 2j, 1865. The
last operation of the Elk Forge Company
were under the name of Samuel Stevens
& Co. Samuel Stevens belonged to Talbot
county, and was generally known as Gov.
Stevens, he having been Governor of Mary
land. His son Edwin j. Stevens was ap-
pointed Trustee under proceedings in
chancery To sell the real estate of said
Company which consisted of some four
thousand acres, most of it woodland, which
had been kept for the production of char
coal The Marley property consisting of
about 10 acres was sold by the Trustee to
Robert Carter
! Robert Garter was native Of Delaware
county. Pennsylvania, and bought the
Wallace Mill property on the Little Elk,
about the 1S-. He may be regarded as
the pioneer of the paper making business
in Cecil county, though perhaps the Nee
teers had made paper here before him.
| He erected the mills known as the Cecil
| Paper Mills, now the property of his son
|. d. Carter
| When Robert Carter commenced the
paper making here each sheet was lifted
separately by hand from the vat in kind
of seive, then shaken together and emptied
on cloth, hand pressed by wooden
screw. and hung on poles in a drying loft.
Mr.. Carter was an industrious and energet-
ic man, and kept up with improvements of
the times. He used to say, "We do not
know how soon we may be cut off, but it
is our duty to work on as if we were to
live forever"
About 1912 he commenced building the
dam of the present paper mill at Marley
and he introduced into the new mill such
improvements as had been made in making
| ,,o,,n, tbot TINA He and his son w
G. Carter. carried on the paper making
business here for a number of years, ant
after them Alexander Priestley commenc
cd the making of paper from straw al
Marley and carried it on successfully unit
it's sale to the present proprietors of thu
Philadelphia Public Ledger, who have
greatly improved the property, and addef
sufficient steam power to drive the machin
ery without the aid of water power, as il
a very dry season, nearly all the water il
required for washing.
The Marley Paper Mill is now grea
manufacturing establishment, and moves
on like clock work running day and night
using five or six tons of straw per day, ant
large quantity of old papers, producin!
three tons of printing paper per day, whicl
bis about the quantity required for thu
Public Ledger. To prepare this quantit.
of straw for paper large supply of cheml
Gals are required, amounting to forty tom
per month.
This mill affords great market for straw
and last year when it was scarce it had t
be hauled for a distance of twenty miles
Wheat straw is generally used, and
greatly superior to oats, though not S
good as rye. They have now good sup
DIV of wheat straw on hand, and of goo
quality as compared with the wet and hal
rotten straw they had to use last year
The hands are promptly paid every Tues
day. and the book fees of all the chldre
of their employees attending public school
, are paid to the teachers on presenting thel
bills.
In one respect the panic has been favor
able to paper making from straw--it ha
greatly lowered the price of the chemical
} used in bleaching.
The Marley Paper Mill is now under til
management of Edward Sweetapple,
pleasant and aflable gentleman, who seem
: to have the good will of all hands connect
ed with the establishment,
} The narrow gauge railroad from Oxfor
down the Little Elk creek to Elktol
t that has for some time been in contempls
, ton, would be great advantage to all tn
3 manufacturing establishment on the Lift
0 Elk, by furnishing coal and lime muc
| obaanar tba n thew can he hrOupht to ElktO