The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-04-24
Che 9utlanl Daily Gluhe.
FRIDAY, APRIL "a, 1874
springfield.

ltis generally known throughout Yer
mont that in point Of manufacturing inter
esis Springfield ranks among our leading
towns, The waters OF Black river rush
down lis rocky bed in foaming, roarng
and maddenng force. the stream being
broken only as it rushcs oyer the several
dams that have been erected across il. and
thus furnishing a power that has been
made USE of by no less than twelve differ
enl manufacturing establishments. which
with two exceptions, are all engaged in
making different classes of goods, which
are scattered broadcast not only over our
own country bat in foreign lands, the rep
utation of which has made the name of
Springfield almost as familiar as "house-
hold words.
In series of articles which will be pub
lislcd through our columns. we propose TO
give sketch of nearly all of them. COM
mencing with the one the name of which
stands at the head of this article, it being
the largest in that enterprising town, if not
the largest establishment manufacturing
/ goods of its class in the state.
INFANT CARRIAGES,
/ In 1850 three young men, the names of
whom were Ellis, r G Britton and + NJ
Eaton, established themselves in business
under the firm name Of Ellis, Britton &
Eaton for the purpose of manufacturing
infant carriages, all of wood Previous to
that time there was an establishment in
Waterbury, in Washington county, which
manufactured similar carriages, but made
the body part of willow. They had very
| little capital, and many of their neighbors
| predicted a speedy failure Of the business,
/ but being possessed Of thorough ''gC-
ahead spirit" they continued on in their
course. They secured a building at the
lower extremity of the village. where they
remained only short time. On account
of the business rapidly increasing, they
purchased a site nearer the village.
improved the power by the erection of a
dam, thereby giving them fall of thirty
feet, and erected stone building 145x45
feet and two stories high, in which they
! continued until the greas freshet of 1869,
when the building was swept away. they
losing TO the amount of about $25, 900
Nothing dauntcd by this and other losses,
they Immediately made preparations to
build again but on larger scale In 1869
Mr.. Ellis retired from the firm, and in
January, 1870. other parties became inter
ested in the business, and the Vermont
Novelty Works Company was established
under an act of the legislature OF the state.
with a capital of $4,000, which has since
been increased to 100000.
THE WORKS
Cover Il space of nearly two acres of
ground, and consist of one wooden build
ing 30XC0, three stories high. which has an
addition to il 30X60, two stories, one wood
en- building 40XG0, three stories high-these
two being connected tsgcther by covered
passage-the lastmentoned one having an l.
part, 30XG0 \ blacksmith and machine
shop G0X35, two stories, saw mill 30x50,
containing 81 inch circular saw. a store
house 3lN50, two sheds 25x15, barn a0x
80, aud an office 25X1S, Il large boarding
house, and timber and other lands away
from their works to the amount Of about
100 acres
THEY MANUFACTURE
At their works iltty-one different kinds of
infants carriages and fifty different kinds
of chldren's toys, thereby giving employ
mcnt to l25 hands, their pay roll ayerag-
ng Si,500 per month. and their annual
sales amounting to Sl2J000
POWER.
The power used is water the works be-
Ing provided with two Tyler wheels and
one Case wheel, the whole making one
hundred and lhirty-fye horse power, they
each beng in separate parts Of the works
and supplied with water through three diff
fcrent ZEN stocks
THE PRECAUTIONS
Against fire are unusually good. They
have one large Fales Il Ghcnks' force
pump, and ON each side of the mill are by
drants, from each one of which they can
throw three, one and an eighth inch streams
which are made ready for service each
night before the Waterman enters upon his
duties. In each room there is cistern
which contains 100 gallons of water, an
iron pipe conducts water to every floor, on
which there is an abundance of hose, while
last but not least, one of Babcock's fire en-
tinguishers is ready at all times for use.
THE MACHINERY
In the WORKS are all flrst-class, and nearly
all the work is done by it. The wheels are
Id made by machinery. are painted by
machinery, the bodies are nearly all made,
the wood is all smoothed and in fact with
the single exception of trimming, every
piece connected with all of their goods is
made by machinery.
The company uses large quantities of
LUMBER
Which they buy standing, cut 1t them
selves and haul il to the works, where il is
sawed and dried and il is nothing unusual
for them to have on hand 100, 900 feet at a
time. The infant carriages made by them
vary in price from eight to fifty dollars
apiece, while the doll perambuators, toy
wagons, sleds. and wheelbarrows run from
twelve cents apiece to three dollars. The
carriages are upholstered and trimmed in
different styles, and large quantities of
enameled and rubber cloth, and enamclcd
leather, with which the hest ones are COW
cred, are annually used.
We have in our mind one perambulator
which had phHton body, swelled-raised
pannels, was cushioned with the best quail
ity of coteline. The top was of leather,
with fancy-stiched top and bows, the
Joints were gold-plated, as was the dash