The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-09-11

building is 81 by - feet Of cut stone two stories
high neatly finished In the interior and exterior.
Mr.. NJ. d. Leanard is the cashier, aud he, zoo, is
the very man of all Others for the responsible
trust placed in hin. He has been with the firm
0 years. The lower cement mills, two miles west
of town, we were unable to visit, but understand
they are models of mechanical perfection and
nearly equal In extent to those at Utica.
THE POTTERY WORKS.
For the convenience off head we thus demon.
mate the extensive sewer-pipe, draintile and
responsibilities works located at Utica.
Much of the prosperity of this lively town is
due to the energy and foresight of Mr.. VIM.
White the practical man of Clark, White Co.
in the pottery business. Mr.. White came west in
1857, and tried to make pottery at Il place a few
miles south-e east Of Morris, Grundy county Ills,
but rs in most new enterprises, there was aworld
of obstacles in the way the venture was al
length abandoned. Discouraged somewhat but
still gritty" like the clay he had worked in,
Mr.. White did not despair of ultimate success
sonetshere in the great west. Learning that
there was peculiar sort Of very compact clay
in the vicinity of Utica, he went thither on a
prospecting tour He not only found the finest
kind of potters' clay but splendid article of
sewer-pipe and fire clay, and, in addition, vast
hills of fire sand, glass sand plenty of water con-
venicnt, and world of coal within easy reach.
He was not long in satisfying himself and the
Messrs Clark that there was fortune-"a bon
anza'-to be had by working it up. company
was at once formed and lie pulled off his coat
and went to work. The result is that they have
the largest establishment of this sort in the coun-
try. They have supplied Chicago with hundreds
of miles of sewer-pipe, as well as towns, cities
and villages all over the country. Miles and
miles Of drain tile are laid on the western farms
in all directions from the works, and the best
buildings in Chicago are supplied with fire proof
walls, ceilings, floors, &C. from the same source.
Among the novelties made here are the hollow
brick. Self-sustaining floors, or rather brick so
fitted rs to form what may be termed "a fat
arch" making level floor, self-sUstaining, no
joists being necessary, and as firm as the ever
lasting hills" and perfectly fre-proof. Another
novelty is new kind of tile roof, fire and water
proof and cheaper lighter and better than slate
We saw there about one mile of 90 inch sewer
| pipe corded up, and seven and half miles of
drain tile, besides chimney fues, hollow floor
brick, &C. in immense quantities The buildings
and kiln occupy space Of about five acres. The
working force is a men; pay roll about $500
per week. and cost Of coal and clay $500. 90 more,
making the running expense about $1,000 per
month.
The clay used is found on the south side of the
river, about mile from the works. II is hauled
on wagons across the river on pontoon bridge.
On reaching the works it is ground, mixed with
certain proportion of sand moistened, driven
by press through mould at pressure of A.
600 pounds to each length, dried, and burnt in
large kilns. Salt thrown INTO the flames pro.
duces the glazing.
FIRE AND GLASS SAND.
| Mr. \. T, Griffin mas large trade as dealer in
glass sand and fire clay. He annually sells from
S,0oO to 1900 tons of fire sand to Joliet He
also ships both articles to Chicago, Milwaukee,
Omaha, &C., and sold 5000 tons of fire clay in
1874 to the Joliet steel works. Sand at bank is
worth 60 cents; clay 50 per ton; glass sand 81 to
$3.50 per barrel. The sewer pipe clay is found
or the farm of VIM. Clayton, south Of the town,
who sold 10000 tons of his clay last year. Clark
e. Son and Griffin each have large sand banks at
Utica.
THE GRAIN TRADE.
A large feature in the business of Utica, is its
grain trade. The following figures from the
books of Mr.. Halliday, the superintendent Of
Clark IL Sons gram business, speak for them
selves Before giving them, however, allow us to
remark that Mr.. Halliday is quite genius. He
is veay fair musician; a tip top accountant; his
grain books are a model of penmanship; and he
hos inv cd hy 1ihic bo
tell at glance the numbero of pounds, giving the
bushels. and fractions in pounds of any load Of
corn, wheat or oats. He is also an experienced
civil engineer, and does all the surveying and
runs all the levels about the town; and besides
his inventive powers has nice mechanical skill, as
every piece Of machinery from the steam engine
at the mills to the dump in the warehouse
sufficiently attests. Besides all which he is a
thorough gentleman, and certainly, If such a
term may be allowed, is Clark e Sons right bow
err" He is assisted in the warehouse by Mr. c.
J. Gardner, who too, is general utility
man, and great favorte among the fair sex.
We are also indebted to him Tor courtesies.
Mr. Halladay's figures on gram handled at the
warehouse of Clark q Son are as follows: In
1867, 117,OOO bushels; 1868, 175OOO bushels; 1869
$4,000 bushels; 1870. $4,000 bushels; 1871, 1885,
600 bushels; 1872, 272OOO bushels; 1873, 2Gl 900
bushels; 1874, 10000 bushels.
The warehouse has four patent dumps as i'm.
proved by Halliday, and is capable of raising
l POO bushels of grain per hour.
L. F. PULsIFER.
This gentleman owns large warehouse on
the south side of the canal. 1t has been for
ahout a yeor in charge NJ Mr. III g Gilbert Tn
1874 this house handled $4,000 bushels of grain.
The capacity of this house is 10000 bushels, and
1000 bushels per hour can be moved in it.
STRAW BALING WORKS
Mr.. W. X Alexander has n novel enterprise
here. He employs fourteen teams and men in
going about the country picking up and haul.
ing straw to Utica, where it is baled and shipped
by canal to large paper mill at Lockport, Ill.
He has been in the business eight months and
emnloys five men at the press. During last year