The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-09-07
County News.
NEW IA YEN.


F. f. Hathorn left for Boston We'd
nesday.
But few of our people attended the
county fair this week.
-Messrs. Langdon and Carr loaded |
another car of potatoes, Tuesday.
Mr.. L. A. Abbott has been quite i'll
for few days, but is out again.
Misses Hathorne and Hall returned
to South Hadley, Wednesday.
j. NJ. Clifford left for Mechanicsville
last week, where he has desirable po-
sition.
Communion service was observed |
last Sabbath at the Congregational
churce.
Mr.. Colby delivered temperance
lecture in the Good Templar's Hall,
Tuesday evening.
Mrs. j. S. Samson, of New York,
has been stopping in town few days,
the guest of Rev. S. Knowlton.
e. II. Eastman left for Des Moines,
Iowa, where he has position as profess |
sor of mathematics in the college there
Miss Carrie Clifford has left for
Potsdam, N. Y, where she takes po- |
sition as teacherjin the state normal |
school.
Shipments from this station, Tues
day, included 200 lbs. butter; 1900
lbs. cheese, GOO dozen eggs; l car pota-
toes.
Mrs. Aurelia (Squier) Henry and
husband, of Geneva, N. Y, are in town
visiting friends. They are guests of
Hon. Seth Langdon.
The friends of Madame Eldredge of
Brooksville, who has been confined to
her bed for several years past, will be
glad to learn that she has recovered so
that she is able to ride out occasionally.
Rev. w. ii. Rowsom, of the Metho-
dist church in Middlebury, preached in
the church at Brooksville last Sabbath
afternoon. lie also began, Tuesday
evening, a series of prayer meetings to
continue the rest of the week.
The fall term of the Academy OPEN
ed Tuesday with some forty-fvc schol-
ars. The academy has been thoroughly
repaired, slated, rcseated and paint
ed. The seats were purchased of the
Michigan School Furniture Co., and ar
rived Saturday. The committee de-
serve to be commended for the efficient
way in which they have performed their
work.
Last Saturday, it being the day be-
fore his eightieth birthday, Col. Ira
Clifford was presented by a friend,
unknown, with large watermelon,
weighing twenty-one and q halflbs He
wishes to return thanks to the donor.
Col. Ira Clifford and Mr.. Alvah Hath
orn, both living, were born on the same
day and were both eighty years old last
Sunday.
"A lyceum was organized at the close
of school at the academy, yesterday af-
ternoon, with the following officers
President, Frank G.. SanbOrn; vice.
president, John G. Ladd; secretary,
Robert Barton; treasurer, j. Stephen
M. Foote; editors of the lyceum paper,
Misses Emma Clifford and Alice Hin
man. We hope to have more about
this at another day.
Brooks AK FACToRY.-This is an in
stitution. 1t always has been. 1t ex-
listed before Brooksville did. The
Drookses have always run it. They
probably always will. The men emf
ployed in this shop are strong, robust,
healthy looking fellows, but it is an I'M
welcome fact that men engaged in this
business seldom live to very great age.
Ii is unhealthy business. Where the
disease known as the "grinder's con-
sumption fastcns upon its victims it
works slowly but surely till death.
There are few AK factories in America,
but the few supply the great demand.
This factory is not among the largest,
though they sell their wares over almost
all the northern states.
Persons in this vicinity having half
holiday could not spend ii more pleas
antly or profitably than by looking
through these shops. The managers
are gentlemen and will treat You with
courtesy.
The factory is now in full blast. The
tools manufactured are axes, hatchets,
and queer looking thing with an AK
on one end and hook OH the other, used
by firemen. They get their ''polls"
from COhoes, n. y. The first forgers,
those who draw out the "bit" are the
veterans, Messrs. James Mott and John
|
who learned the business at this place,
who are at work in the shop now. The
most of the men come from the larger
factories in New York. Mr.. George
Reyes and helper take the axes from
the first forgers and draw the bit
down finer. Mr.. Tom Ryan and helper
make the other tools. These men with
a quick eye and ready hand make a
handsome Ratchet out of the rough bar
of iron. The axes then undergo the in
spection of the manager, Mr.. Norman
Brooks, who, with strong pair of glass
es to detect the slightest mark of poor
material lOr careless workmanship, looks
them over, and if such is found, back il
goes to the forgers. The grinders then
have the axes; then the temperer,
who places them over a hot fire and
heats them to the right heat, which no
one can tell but he. Mr.. Frank Brooks
is the temperer, and while watching his
axes he will tell you jolly story. From
the tempering room the axes go to the
grinders again, and then the polishers.
The polishing is done with emery
fastened by glue upon wheel, which at
swift speed makes the sparks fly every
time the ak touches it. In this room we
find Mr.. Tom Stringham and Sidney
Raymond, the old grinder, who has ia
ken to this branch. The axes then go
into the finishing-room, are wiped of,
stamped IN. G. Brooks, Brooksville,
Vt.," vanished and bronzed or painted,
and hung upon beam to dry. Then
busted, labeled and each done up i'm a
separate paper wrapper, boxed up and
sent to the depot or store room. The
company have two large store-rooms.
They make their own boxes, but get
their helves from Sandusky, Ohio.
They put handles on comparatively few
of their tools. Mr.. VIII Brooks is over
seer of the finishing or backing room,
as 1t is called. Here, also, we find Mr.
} John Barton, who has worked i'm the
, shop of and on ever since he was $50
: high" Hoping the above will not only