The Grange advance., 1873-11-26

Arrived !
AT w1NONA
we took omnibus for hotel, where we
found pleasant quarters; and in the morn
ing after partaking Of substantial break
fast, we set out upon tour through the
city, and visited the
IRON FOUNDRY AND AGRICULTURAL MACHINE
SHOPS
of Hurlbert s. Stevens where we met Mr..
Hurlbert: who very politely showed us
through their works. This firm occupy
quite extensive buildings, covering, we
should judge about one hundred and twenty
by one hundred and sixty feet of their
block, more or less. They run through
the season from thirty five to fifty Eight
men. When we were there they had six
teen men engaged in the moulding rooms
and proportionate number in the other
departments. The firm manufacture and
repair nearly all classes Of agricultural
machinery, making specially of the Min
nesota Seeders, of which they are the in
ventors. OF these machines the firm man.
faotured about six hundred the past season,
and propose to increase the amount the
coming year. For these machines they
cast all the irons and make all the wood
work. and from what we could see we
should think that the machines were all
made of the best material and finished in
good workman-like manner. In addition
to this branch, the firm has turned off du-
ring the season ten or fifteen steam engines
for operating threshing machines, and in
formed us that the demand was such that they
could have disposed Of twenty more could
they have got them ready. This firm also
does all the work Of the Winona & St. Peter r.
r., cast tho irons for school seats and desks
and make the celebrated Oviat bobs.
Carrying on such variety of work they are
compelled to mould every day.
The castings are taken from the moulds
and placed into machine which. by ro-
tary motion occasioning friction, cleans
them of all particles of sand. They are then
taken to another room where they are
trimmed and fitted; thence they are con-
| veyed to fourth room, where they are
chimes which has also been prepared in sep
arate shop, or if no woodwork is used, they
are fitted together into a machine or en-
gine, and are ready for the finishing polish
or for the paint shop.
! From the Foundry we drove to the
WINONA CARRIAGE WORKS,
owned and operated by Grant & Lalor, and
were shown through the shops by the gen.
tlemanly book-keeper Of the firm. The
shops and warerooms used by this manu-
factory consist of seven buildings; three
main buildings, the first 40 by $50 feet, the
second So by 150 feet, and the third, SO by
| go feet; besides these there are four small
buildings. We first entered the woodwork
department where the different parts of the
woodwork of buggies and wagons are pre-
pared separately by different workmen. In
this room we found eight men employed.
The woodwork Of all their carriages and
| wagons is made Of second growth hickory,
| brought from Ohio, and all that is bought
| in the rough is worked and permitted to
dry for six months or year in the shop.
The spokes are bought already finished of
s. NJ. Brown & Co., Of Ohio, but no patent
wheels are used in any of their work. The
second room entered is used for steaming
/ and bending from thence we went into
the iron rooms and found twelve men at
work. Every piece of iron that goes into
any of their Notwithstanding springs,
which are manufactured for them at Bridge.
port, Conn, Of the best Swedish steel-is
wrought by hand in the shop, and as far as
we could judge, aud we saw the worlQjn every
stage of progress, is of the very best mate
rial, and finished in the most work
manlike manner. They put into their
carriages the celebrated steel converted
axles. We we're shown an axle just from
the hands Of the smith, without paint or
polish, that would certainly have withstood
the closest inspection of the best mechanic.
From the iron rooms we went to the rooms
where the first coat of paint is put on ;
from this room the separate pieces are
taken to separate storeroom where they
are permitted to thoroughly dry; when
properly dried they receive the second coat
Of paint in another room, are striped in a
third, and receive coat of varnish in a
fourth room. Then there are separate