The Russellville Democrat., 1882-11-23
MELR0sE MILLS. Twenty-Five Hundred Cotton spindIes at RusseIIyiIIe,
 Arkansas, VIII be HummIng Tune of En- terprfse and Industry in
 November. A Description of the Model Cox- ton Mills of the Southwest.
MELRosE MILLS.
Lllsls Rses Densaeas..


 state. The mills are bcated at ths wIde-awake town of RussgIsviige. n Pope county. being half way betwee1 Litfle Rock and Fort smith, on the Fort smith railroad. The town nun. bers 1900 inhabitants, and is sftgat cd In the heart of the beautiful val. ley Of the Arkansas river. On tie west spur of the Crow mountains breaks the malaria that rlses from the river, and of to the east tue { country stretches several miles over slightly broken prairie land; to- wards the north this is the only point where the natural lay Of the country bespeaks railroad at an early date running away into the craggv sum mits Of the Boston mountains. and towards the south the thick black foam Of the river bottom plantations insures produce and cotton sufficient to keep the commercial interests of this thriving little city abreast of her manufacturing enterprises.
 The cotton mills are located iu the eastern part of the town on rec tangular tract of land containing four and one-third acres, being d0- aated to she company by her liberal and geneFous-hearted president, J. l.. Shinn. The site is most bean tifal one, gradually rising from all sides b the main building, giving good drainage, splendid elevation and magnificent view of all the buildings.
 The main building is 27z feet long. 5S feet wide, and fronts to the south, with the railroad tn the north and in the rear about 25O feet. The build ing is of br1ck, with stone basement. an excavation of three feet having been made 10 bed of hard slate, upon which a foot layer of stone three feet in width forms the fonnd- ation, upon which is built stone wall twenty-four inches vide and seven feet high, forming the base nent story of the mill, which is well ventilated, lighted and drained Dy tiling. The mill has fifteen foot ceiling, and brick walls thirteen inches, with five inch piIasters; the crOss walls are also of stone and brick, eighteen inches wide, and ex tend to the foundation The roof is self-supporting truss, and grayeled. draining from the south side across the entire building. The building has been constructed with special reference to immunity from accident al fires, every appliance in the way of sprinkIing pipes, steam pipes, and an ample supply Of hose having been provided; also, two Of the mos. ap- proved force pumps, in addition to q tank with capacity of 30,o00 gal Ions. Should a fire occur in the picker or lapper rooms the place where 1t is most likely to occur, and where the greatest danger is, both being fire proof with iron doors, can readily be closed, thus shutting them of from all other parts of the build ing and the fire at once extin- guished.
 The main machinery hall is 2l5 feet long; the lapper room is 22 feet 6 inches by 5S feet; the engine room is l4 feet inches by 5S feet. and the boiler room Is by 36 feet. The boiler power is l20-horse with room for as much more. The shaft ing is placed below the floor in the basement story, all the machinery being driven by one of Smith, Beggs & Co.'S. celebrated Centennial engines made expressly for the Melrose Mills. The engine is model Of beauty, Deatness and simplicity Tho floors are 3x4 studding, pinned, and heavy T inch flooring, nailed The water is supplied from a we'll ten feet in diameter and forty five feet deep, and which has thirty feet of water, supplied by strong living stream. Besides the mill, the com Dany has erected ten neat frame cot tages for the use and occupation of the employees. And north Of the mill the company has also erected a model two story gin house, said to be the most complete, convenient and the best planned in the. state. IL is heavy frame, fifty feet long and forty feet wide, with double sheds. The lower floor is composed of bins, with hall through the cen ter and an apron running the iull length Of the hall, which carries the cotton to q bin at the lower end, where it is elevated to the second floor and earned into the hopper of an improved self feeder. From the lint room, the cotton to be shipped, is put into the press from where it is dumped immediately on to plat 1 form on the Little Rock and Fort Smith railroad ready for shipment. 1 The cotton for the use of the mill is ! taken through back dcor on to a car and run across the court over q T iron rail track ninety five feet to the picker room in the basement Of the cotton mill. There it is taken out and fed on to one of KitsOn's i'm | proved preparers, and passes through l fifty feet of trunk; this trunk being l full of pockets. numbering l, and 8; three pockets compose a section, and one pocket from every section is l. Am cpt aud ara,.ttaI laft,s sHHe