Middletown transcript., 1882-02-17
A Great Industry,

A recent issue of the Wilmington Morn
inc Ne,Cs has an article reviewing the
canning business established at Dover by
Richardson & Robbins about twenty-five
wears ago, and which has come to be one
of the leading industrial concerns OF
the State, and the greatest canning estab-
lisbment in the country. We shall take
the liberty of using few Of the NeaoS'
statistics. The business was started by
Messrs. A. B. Richardson and James W..
Robbins, who, previous to their canning
exneriments, were engaged in the stove
business at Camden, near Dover. Mr..
Richardson came from Massachusetts, and
Mr. Robbins from New York. Their first
canning experiments were made in 1856
nv the heat Of a cook stove. The first
wear 500 cans of fruit were put up; the
following year 1900 cans of fruit were
turned out; the third year 5000 cans were
mt upon the market, and upon the fol-
lowing wear the number was 10000. In
the fifth year there were no peaches, but
upon the year following the number Of
cans turned out was 10000, and so the de-
mand kept on increasing, being at no
time within the capacity of supply. After
the cook stove came a two-horse steam
boiler which was soon followed by one Of
eight-horse-power, and subsequently by
twenty-five, forty, and at present the firm
are using an eighty-horse-power boiler.
They have made several changes in order
to accommodate themselves to their rap
idIy increasing business. In 1864 they
moved from a small frame building to the
building at the corner of State and King
streets. 1t was thirty by fifty feet, and
three stories high. In 1865 the trade with
foreign countries opened and the dainties
of Delaware soil grew upon popular favor
as rapidly there as in cities of this country.
In 1876 Mr.. Robbins died, living long
enough however, to see the experiment
become fact beyond the most sanguine
expectation. Mr.. Robbins was succeeded
by Harry A. Richardson, son Of A. B.
Richardson. The cannery, which was
moved from State street to King street in
1881, now occupies building 100 feet front
and 1856 feet deep. The building is of
brick and two stories in height, situated
on a lot containing eight acres of ground.
Upward of $50 hands are employed, and
the capacity in peach time is 1,50O baskets
a day. In addition to this about 1900
pounds Of poultry are canned. The celer-
ity with which the firm takes hold of sug-
gestions and improves on them is evil
denced in their speciality of prepared
chicken liver. In this the well-known
dish, so dear to French epicures, "pate de
foie gras'-liver of the fat goose-is not
only surpassed but sold for forty cents a
can, sixty cents cheaper than the French
article. The same proportion in price is
maintained all the way through, be the
delicacy boned quail or any Of the many
other preparations sold by them. Gold
medals were awarded the firm at the
Centennial Exposition 1876, Paris Exposi-
ton 1878, and at the Paris Food Exposition
Of 1880. Theynow pack about one hun
dred different articles, including plum
pudding, soups, potted meats, game and
poultry, gelatines, boneless cooked hams,
rolled OK tongues and curried oysters.
Mr.. Richardson, the senior member of the
firm, is financially one Of the solid men of
the State. His ambition has been in his
business. To his industry is attributed
the present fiourishing condition of Dover;
for when he and his partner began the
canning business on large scale the pop
ulation of Dover was collected around the
green.