St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-04-02
st. cSulmsburg Galeduriall.
st.Johnsbury, VT, Friday, April 2, 1880.
st. Johnsbury's Industries.
The File Works.

The File Works.
An industry not common among 9TH
ers, and one only now and then estab-
lished in the country, is the File Cut
ting establishment of James Mutt, situ-
ated upon the edge of the mill-dam,
just east of the passenger depot in this
place. James Mutt, genuine English
man, was born in Worcester, England,
and came to this country in 1874. His
son Charles, who now has the principal
management of the business, was born
in the city of Bath, Eng, and claims to
have his eyes wide open, if not his
ears; and to him we are indebted for
information regarding this industry.
These works being so different from
what we are accustomed to see, or are
acquainted with, we may fail to give
the reader a clear understanding of
them. But should this be the case, we
hope we shall excite his curiosity
enough so he will pay the works a visit
and see with his own eyes what we
cannot put upon paper.
Mr.. Mutt commenced business here
in 1860. Ever since then it has been
steadily upon the Increase. We were
freely shown the books of the establish
ment, and we saw for ourself that its
work went over a large section of the
country. We were informed that this
concern is the principal one for this
business in this regiOn-embracing the
territory from Ogdensburg N. Y, to
Bethlehem, Me-, and from Newport,
VT, to Brattleboro. We can do no
more than to give a brief outline of the
works. In a little building near the
main works, are two furnaces for draw
ing the temper of the files that are to
be re-cut. The length of time required
to do this depends upon the size of the
files. Generally it takes about ten
hours to do the work well. This process
is considered to be one of the most deli
cate and particular of the whole trade.
If not heated right, the files can never
be tempered so as to be good for any
thing. Therefore, great care and skill
are exercised in this branch of the bu-
siness.
The next process is the grinding of
the files. We pass from the furnace
department to the grinding room, lit
tie distance away, and there we find an
Englishman who has constantly worked
in this department for 80 years. This
work is also considered very particular,
as the file has to be ground very
smoothly and evenly, in order to get a
fine level surface upon which to cut the
teeth. A new grindstone here weighs
two tons, and it will last about eight
months. The next process is the cut
ting of the files. We enter the main
building where several men are at
work cutting the teeth, upon sizes from
one ounce in weight up to five pounds.
These files are made and re-cut from
the best of Sheffield steel,-f1at, round,
narrow, wide and three cornered long,
short, thick and thin. After thing
once becomes known there is no mys-
terry in it; and when skill is once at
d, tanned in any trade, then the artist la
bors with ease. To the ordinary oh.
server, the art of cutting files looks
like mystery but as the eye and the
; hand of the workman become educated
the work is done in great perfection
Some of the files are cut so finely, that
an unpracticed eye would be bothered
to correctly count the teeth upon them
But all of this is done very accurately.
and with a system and rules peculiar
5 to this trade.
The next process is the hardening OF
the files. There is an iron receptacle
about foot or so in diameter, enclosed
! within a larger one, with quite a space
between them where the coal is placed
for the heating process. In this inner
receptacle, or furnace, which is several
inches deep, are placed the files for
hardening; this is done in lead, after
having been covered with paste for
the protection of the teeth. They re-
main here for longer or shorter time
according to the size of the files-gen-
orally about ten minutes. After suffi-
cient heating they are dipped in a So
luton to cool-the contents of which
are known only to themselves. After
this the files are placed by stove to
dry, and are soon ready for use. They
use about 600 bushels of the best char
coal yearly, besides some of other
kinds.