Daily Kennebec journal., 1879-10-30
HallOwe11 Industries.
THE KENSEBEc WIRE WORKS.

THE KENNEBEc WIRE WORKS.
Harding, Stickney Page, proprietors.
Rev. II. F. Harding, Treasurer, II. o. B.
Harding, Superintendent. The mills are To-
Gated at the south end of the city, short dis
tance from the iron foundry and machine
shops of Fuller Bros. and McClinch & Co.
| The works have been in operation some
five years, were started by the present pro-
prietors. There are two large buildings con-
nected with the works. Water power has
been used to propel their machinery up to
the present time, but the increasing demands
for their goods has made it necessary for put
ting in a IS horse power steam engine. This
work is now in progress with purpose to
speedily accomplish the job, fourteen hands
being employed, making the full force of the
entire works twenty eight hands. The aver
age monthly pay roll is $500, with fair pros
pect of increasing the amount. The best
quality of Swedish iron Nod is used in manu-
featuring wire. Upwards of two tons are
worked up every month. The principal pro-
ducts of the works are card, reed, and bright
wire. These range in sizes from numbers
five to thrty-six.
How Ir IS DONE.
The process of converting tough piece of
| iron, one fourth of an inch in diameter in
to a smooth silky wire one thousand feet in
| length, requires ingenious invention, skilled
workmen and powerful machinery. These
works are fully equipped with all the neces-
sary appliances. The first process is termed,
| ''drawing on the rod frame" The end of the
| I inch wire is heated and drawn to slim
point, sufficiently small to be passed through
| the small aperature in No. die. The coil
of wire first receives n coating of greasy COM
position, and the outer face of the die is en-
bedded in lubricating preparation which IA
cilitates the stretching process. The sharpened
point of the wire is then passed through the
face of the die to sufficient length to be taken
hold OF by the strong jawed grapples or nip
pers, which are fitted by chain and hook
attachment to heavy cast iron wheel which
is moved at first by hand on half circle
in order to draw out the wine and apply
power. Now it commences to coil rapidly
upon the revolving block increasing in length
while becoming reduced in size. The wire
becomes more brittle by drawing and requires
anneaing at every three or four sizes as il is re-
duced, passing from the rod frame from size |
to l5, again from l5to 10. From each frame
it is reduced from to sizes. From the 10
form it is taken into the fine wire department
where it is drawn down to 36, without an
nealing. This is the smallest size wrought
and it requires the toughest iron in the world
to stand the continuous stretching. At every
drawing the wire receives coating of gun-
ten, composed of rye meal.
The card wire passes through the stretch
ing process. This operation requires skilled
workmen. Coppered wire and broom wire
plated with tin are manufactured at these
works. The annealing process requires great
care and attention. After the wire has been
reduced to the various sizes required, it is
nicely coiled up in packages of marketable
weight, and placed in iron pots three feet in
diameter, six feet deep. These are set in
solid masonry work over furnaces, at night
the covers are tightly sealed and powerful
heat applied. When the wire has attained
proper degree of annealing or toughness,
whereby the original temper is restored, the
heat is allowed to gradually subside. The
card wire is put up in coils of 60 reels each,
called bows. These are wrapped in MANILA
paper and packed in tin cans holding 300
pounds each, and these in turn are enclosed
in iron hooped casks, and ready for market.
All this labor and care in packing is t. pre-
vent exposure to dampness and consequent
rust whereby the goods would become dam
aged and the more delicate wires become
rough and unfit for the nice uses it is put to.
In selecting workmen in the Strengthening
department, persons with moist hands are
ulst arueu. NuHDer 90 Is SO uelIcatc anu
easily tarnished that it is necessary TO chan
die it with gloves" There are but few Gus
toners for these goods. The markets are
Lawrence. Lowell North Andover, Walpole
and Worcester, Massachusetts. Improve
ment in the cotton manufactures has given
this line of goods large advance. The Ken
nehec wire ~erks-bear the reputation of be-
ing the best in the country. Large orders
are constantly coming in, which, with the
present facilities. it is impossible 70 fill.
The proprietors have expended some S45,-
900 in bringing these works up to their pres
ent capacity. 1t has been paying business
for the propretors and has afforded employ
ment to large number during all the years
it has been in operation. Where comes the
antagonism between capital and labor? The
numerous industries of this city answer,
ss'Chere Is none !"