The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-01-13
$Rs 9'Ioon'firID Sin'rs.
HOUSE. FARM AND GARDEN.
The Manufacture Of spooIs.


Mt mny have occurred to some of our
+ latly friends while using the common
sewing thread, that a vast number of
spdols are required annually by the
manufactures of that article, but 1t may
r not be generally known that the Prov
ince of Quebec furnishes its quota of
spools to the English and Scotch thread
manufacturers Such however, Is the
lease, and while on q flying visit to the
romantic village of Drummondvllle re-
Gently, we had the pleasure Of visiting
the spool factories there in operation.
Drummondville is situated on the st.
Francis river, and the northern division
of the Southeastern railway passes thro'
It. Several yeare ago the prevailing
wood which grew In the vicinity was
white birch, which we believe does not,
make first class.dre wood, but which ap
pears to be the best for the manufacture
qf spools. This probably was the reason
why Drummondville was selected as the
place in which to locate these factories,
and the farmers in the vicinity can al
ways find ready market for this kind
OF wood at about $3.50 to SO per cord.
The wood, after being delivered at the
!. Victories, is first sawed into pieces about
S.lr feet long and from an inch to an
ID and half square, according to the
of the spool 1t Is destined to make.
hese pieces are put into a dry-house
Tend thoroughly dried; from thence they
,8re taken to the factory and given to the
roughers," who in an incredibly short
pace of time bore hole in the center
8out two inch deep, turn about the
kne space round, and then cut off the
. 9Th required for spool. The ma
nes used for this purpose are revolv-
planers, in the center of which is a
olving gimlet or bit, and immediate
H TO the right small circular saw with
q guage set the proper size for the spools
The " roughers" " receive cent and a
half per gross for their work, and an ex-
perienced man can turn out from 100 to
100 gross per day. The round blocks
8pass from them to the :" finishers," who
place them in machines which give
hem the shape of spools and make
hem quite smooth. 1t is Interesting
Asze to notice the men at work. A man
DDS with his left hand upon small
and with the right he places the
looks, one at time, in the lathe, then
ra&s the lever toward him for an in
Btant and The work is done; the lever is
pushed back and the spool drops down
into box below, while the right hand
i is ready with another block. These
6blocks are handled at the rate of twenty
1five to thirty per minute. The "finish-
kers'' also receive one cent and half
1 per gross, and they can each tnrn from
4 100 to 1870 gross per day. The spools are
| (.then thrown loosely into large cylin-
kher, which revolves slowly SO that the
HpQQls are polished by the constant rub
upon each other for some time.
0eing taken out of the cylinder they
laced in large hopper with an
Ding at the bottom, through which
ltfpass down a slide for inspection.
6 the inspector sits and watches
~ w oCC tIidl ilO ulpCllCC0 ODOOIo
Aowed to pass, and very small
or scratch is sufficient to condemn
a. The spools then pass into the
Is of the packers, who handle them
'aSlively. They are packed in large
made the proper size, SO that the
Of spools exactly fill the box and
stlitional packing is needed. These
4ceive quarter of cent a gross
cking, and smart boy who is ac-
ined to the work can pack about
Il ,ross per day. One proprietor ships
IL 900 to $4,000 gross (or over two
n spools) per month to England,
bother firm ships from 0,000 to
~. tross Tor over one million spoolsl
81 asgow, Scotland.
How to Keep Boys on the Farms.
IL. L.. n e