Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-12-25


We print few extracts from recent
letter from 81. Johnsbury published in the
New York Tribune:
Forty.four years ago, in the then little
town Of ST. Johnsbury, 10 the northeastern
part Of Vermont, an industry was begun
which was destined TO advance the reputa-
ton OF American mechanical genius through.
out the world, and to have the largest re-
suits 10 regulating commercial transactions
in many countries. In 1880, the first Fair.
banks scale was made. Before that time,
the methods Of weighing bulky articles we're
slow, rude, and imperfect-the even balance,
the steelyard, and the Dearborn beam being
chiefly used Thaddeus Fairbanks, the n-
ventor of platform scales, was engaged with
his eldest brother, Erastus, in the hemp
trade-from which multitude of Vermont
farmers expected to make fortunes but
didn't-and the constant need Of some con-
trivance for weighing hemp in bulk set
Thaddeus to making models Finally, at
the age of "a, he made his first platform
scale. IL was q rather rude affair, but did
not differ essentially in general plan from
the scales which have since made the name
Of Fairbanks famous. A patent was got
out and f. & T. Fairbanks began the man
ufacture of platform scales for sale. To the
remarkable business talents and executive
ability Of the elder brother, who was at the
head Of the firm, success was largely due.
Steadily, but for a long time not very swift
ly, the Fairbanks scales grew in favor. Be-
side scales the brothers made stoves aud
plows, hoes, and other farmers tools; stoves
of the pattern devised by Thaddeus Fair
banks 40 years ago are still to be found in
some Vermont farm-houses. As the scale
business increased and demanded more at.
tention, these other branches of manufacture
we're dropped, and now for several years the
firm has made scales only. The right to
manufacture Fairbanks scales in England
was sold to a Liverpool firm not many years
after the start, but so many valuable improve
ments were aftcrward made by the inventor
that the st. Johnsbury scales have for years
been much superior to any made in England.
In 1872 the firm opened branch house in
London, which has had gratifying success in
overcoming English prejudice in favor of
whatever is ponderous and English, English
platform scales being much heavier and more
clumsy than the American.
How great the success attained really is
may be we'll understood from some of the
statistics Of the Fairbanks Scale Works for
1873 Here were used 1900 tons of pig
iron, $500 tons of coal, 500 tons Of mold
ing sand, $50 tons of bar-iron. 40 tons Of
steel, 40 tons of copper, 6 tons Of sheet-brass,
$50 boxes OF tin, g tons Of spelter, 2 tons Of
emery, 81 tons Of nuts and washers, II tons
of maleable castings 20 tons of vitriol, B..
200 gross Of screws, l,20O kegs of nails, 300
barrels of oil, turpentine, and varnish, and
nearly 3,000,000 feet of lumber. Of freight
1896 carloads we're received and 500 sent
cut. The total plumber of scales manufac-
tured, including weigh-masters' beams, &C.,
was 45,171, of which 1902 were made to
foreign standards in this total were includ-
ed 221 iron frame track scales, 295 hopper
scales tfor measuring grain in elevators),
nearly $500 hay, coal. and depot scales,
almost 5000 platform and dormant scales,
and of counter and trip scales, $4,000. The
labor account of the year for nearly 600 en-
pIoyees amounted to S336,565. In the ex-
tensive store of the firm from which their
workmen, and the country around as well,
are supplied with groceries, provisions, dry
goods, boots and shoes, aud almost every
thing else they need, sales to the amount Of
100000 were made last year. The gross
sales Of scales and beams amounted to nearly
s2,000,000. Clearly the invention Of
Thaddeus Fairbanks laid the foundation Of a
great industry.
Going through the works in order you in-
spect first the iron. fouudery, massive brick
building, IT'S feet long and ITO feet wide,
the middle part oft 80 feet high, the rest
20 feet. In a side extension are three
Mackenzie furnaces, one of 20 tons capacity,
the others of IL tons each, with Sturtevant
blower and steam engine Of 3O.horse pow
er. The average daily consumption ofpig-
iron is 81 tons. No scrap is melted, aud
the amount used often rises to % and %
tons, and has been as much as q tons. The
three furnaces are used alternately-one in
the morning, second in the afternoon, the
third in the morning of the next day, aud SO
on. In this way each is thoroughly cooled
before cleaning. About three-fourths Of the
pig.iron melted is American, from the Port
Henry and Franklin furnaces largely, and
the rest is Scotch, one-fourth or one.ffth
part of Scotch iron being used to each
"melt." Seventy-three men are at work in
the foundery, and Francis Walker, who has
served here so years, is foreman. The cast
ings are of all sizes, from the massive lever
of the great railway scale to little iron
weight or a tiny balance. The moldiug sand
used ia very fine and does not stick to the
castings. Five hundred tons of it come
every year to the foundery from Clintonville,
N. Y, few miles from Lake Champlain.
All the castings made during the day are
collected in the center of the foundery, load
ed upon cars and run across the river on
track, which passes through the foundery to
the "pickling room," as the place for clean
ing castings is called Here the larger cast
ings are soaked in solution containing Wit
riol, and the smaller ones are knocked to-
gether in whirling cylinders till they are
bright and smooth. Castings found to be
imperfect are sent back TO the foundery, and
if the fault is the holders he is duly held
accountable. There is no waste in the
foundery-or in any part Of the works for
that matter-and all the scattered bits of
iron are gathered up from the floor each
day, and all the .shot-iron" in the heap Of
cinders, which lies at the foot of q furnace
after the melt, is carefully sought out.