The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-16
The Berlin Mills Company.
A MODEL ENTERPRISE WITH MODEL MANAGE
MENT


This Company, consisting of William W.
Brown, Lewis f. Brown, Mr.. and Mrs. George
Davis, all residents of Portland, Maine, own
extensive tracts of timberland, upon the An
droscoggn River and its tributaries, in Maine
and New Hampshire, aside from their commo-
dous wharf and extensive railroad accommo-
dations at Portland, Maine.
Their mills aud other real estate situated at
Berlin Falls, N, H., SO miles above Portland, on
the line of the Grand Trunk railroad, with the
necessary buildings and machinery connected
Herewith, inventories fully one hundred thous-
and dollars. Their saw and grist mills all I'M
der one roof are propelled by water-power and
are the most extensive of their kind in the
State. The past season, though very dry $50
car loads of dimension and other lumber, have
been shipped over the Grand Trunk railroad.
beside all sold at their mills for home consump-
ton, and large amount of clapboards and
shingles remaining in their dry houses, await
ing shipment. BY the side of this branch
track, in their mill yard, some fifty rods be.
low the water-mills, the company have erected
a large steam saw and planing-mill where paw
ing blocks are manufactured, boards planed
and clapboards prepared for use
Their grist mill has all the appliances for the
manufacture of the best grades of family -four.
About twenty thousand bushels of corn are
ground and sold annually by the company.
VIM. w. Brown, who owns the controlling
interest in the property, has the general man.
agement OF the business of cutting out the tim
Der, shipping and selling the same. At their
H.. L L. f
competent men. The whole business is sys-
tematized. A skilful man is placed at the
head of each branch of the business, with
his direction. and amenable only to the general
manager. During the season of saving, usu-
ally about seven months, the mills are run day
and night requiring working force of about
two hundred men. Good fare, plenty OF work,
at remun erative wages, combine to make their
employees contented and apparently happy.
The boarding houses of the company are kept
by experienced persons, and the food and
lodgings furnished the employees are equal to
the best. Many ct the men employed have
families and board themse. ives. Those wishing
to make permanent stay, If not in possession
of sufficient means of their own to build or buy
house, are generously assisted by the COM
pany to build by furnishing the material and
allowing payments by installments from their
monthly wages, as they may be able to make
from time to time. Some are living there
now who commenced working soon after the
mill commenced saving, and are annually the
recipients OF green peas and fresh salmon on
the 4th of July, and fine turkeys for Christmas
and Thanksgiving, so generously furnished
each family of the Company's employees.
The pay roll, of the Company at the Mills at
this time numbers fifty-nine workmen; fifteen
experienced mechanics, seven of whom are
repairs to the mill, and the introduction of new
and additional machinery. One old gang and
one sash saw is to be removed to give place for
two new board circulars, one stock gang. and
one stock edger The capacity of the mill will
then be three board circulars one stock gangs
and two common gangs, with their accompany
ing edger and off-saws; while below the lathe
picket and single saws will remain unchanged.
The expense incurred in making the, proposed
changes, this winter will amount to about $12,-
600. A branch of the G.. I. r. r. runs to this
mill-and when in full operation, requires two
full trains to remove the long lumber as fast as
it is manufactured Three spurs divergng from
the main branch lead up to the mill. From
train, and this amount is manufactured and
shipped daily, beside large amount of short
lumber remaining at the mill.
With the intention of economizing their ex-
penses this company have had made for them
large proportion of the cars used in the trans
portation of their lumber, and have them kept
iu repair by their own workmen, thereby large
ly saving in railroad tariffs.
WIRE WIN. w. DrOWQ ID looking a1ter the
business of manufacturing and selling Lewis
i. Brown. is actively engaged in superintend-
ing the cutting, hauling, and driving the logs
to the mill. This requires the labor of some
two hundred woodsmen, and as many oxen and
horses Much of the twenty five million feet of
lumber that will be required to stock their mills
the coming summer, is cut from thirty to fifty
miles above their mills upon the lakes and up
on the tributaries of the Androscoggin river
The business done by this company, materi-
ally affects the Interests not onlv of Berlin, but
the adjacent towns. aside from the thousands
of dollars expended in cutting and getting its
stock OF logs to their mill, furnishing employ
ment for hundreds of men, and their teams-it
furnishes market for all the surplus products
of farm and garden, which are readily bought
at high prices. 1t also has connected with the
business one of the largest and best conducted
stores in the county. Its average stock of
goods is worth fully twenty Thousand dollars
and comprises every thing needed by its en-
pl0yes and the grounding country,
The sales at the store are sufficient to require
the services of four competent clerks beside
the porters. in addition to the liberal provis-
ions ma e for schooling this company have
furnished school room, free of rent to the dis
trict, and during the annual vacations Of the
town schools, Mr.. William Brown has en-
ployed. and paid from bis private purse, COM
petent teachers to continue the schools. The
number of scholars in this district, having in
creased so rapidly as to necessitate larger
Recommendations, Mr.. Brown, IS building
ne" and commodious wooden struct-
a,H upon ms own lands, intended for
schools and religious gatherings. The building
when completed, will add much To the beantv
and prosperity Of the active little village rapid
~ growing up around him. '"se '"P'N
This company have hitherto generous,v +rr-
nished, free Of rent, Berlin Mills Hail. for al,
social and religious meeting and have been verv
liberal ir their support of the ministers Of AZ,
denominations worsh'pping there, and no new
enterprise designed for The improvement of the
town or the benefit of the people, has ever
found them lacking in interest, or tardy in fur
nishing the means for its speedy accomplish
meut EMpIoyr
ODD FELLowsHIP.-On Wednesday evening