The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-02
THE VIRGINIA WOOLEN MILLS.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCK.
HOLDERS HELD YESTERDAY.
The Mills Now I'm Complete Order and
Ready 10 Go 20 Work Making
Nice Goods.

OF tue virginia Woolen Mills was held yes
terday at the office Of the Virginia Home
Insurance Company. DR.. J. l.. NJ. Curry
was appointed chairman and Mr.. =. H..
Baskervill secretary.
The presidents report was read and
adopted, save the last clause, In which Mr..
A. Y. Stokes asked to be relieved OF the
duties OF president. The stockholders
refused to accept his resignation.
The following gentlemen were elected
directors A. Y. Stokes, Lewis Booker.
Claiborne Watkins, Moses Millhiscr, II. W.
Powers, II. William Pemberton, A. l.. El-
lett. and b. Gildersleeve.
The new board met and elected Mr.. A..
\. Stokes president; Mr.. Lewis Booker,
vice-president; =. II. Baskeryill, secre-
tary and Mr.. John Waterhouse, manager.
This rev and important enterprise starts
with every prospect OF success. The ma
chinery Is OF the best make, and the build
ing is well adapted to the work. In a short
time the product OF the Richmond Wooen
Mills we hope to see in all our wholesale
dry-goods houses.
PRESIDENTS REPORT.
The presidents report states that the
capital stock paid up is $4,000, and that
for the mill site two acres OF land at the
intersection OF Bacon and Oak streets was
purchased for the sum OF $500. The ma
chinery cost about $4,000.
The report says further:
| The contract for the building was awarded
TO Messrs. Marabe & Danscv, OF this city,
for the sum OF S5,2G7, not including fOun-
dation and floor; the former TO be con-
structed by them and charged at fixed
rate per thousand bricks, and the latter to
be constructed OF cement by the company.
/ The contract for engine and boiler was
awarded to Mr.. ii. p. Edmond, OF this
city. for the sums OF S1,S7j for an Ar
mington Il Sims automatic cutoff en-.
CINE Of specified dimensions, and 1895
/ for steel boiler of his own make
according to certain specifications. The
Committee on Building and Machinery
were requested TO 90 north with the man
agcr and purchase the other machinery,
and Mr.. Lewis Booker, acting for the
committee, carried out this purpose.
THE NEW ROOF.
Acting under the advice of experts at the
! North, it was determined to cover the mil
with new style of roof, now extensively
used for such buildings. consisting OF a
thick sheathing OF boards covered with
stout cotton cloth, thoroughly painted after
being put On-sOmewhat after the manner
Of constructing az ordinary steamboat deck.
But this proved failure. Moreover it was
decided that the roof, as at first construct
ed, was not strong enough to bear the
weight of snow which might accumulate
upon il, and the Board OF Directors, after
consultation with Colonel ii. ID. WhitcOmb,
a large stakeholder in the company, who
kindly gave Us the benefit OF his superior
knowledge in such work without cOmpensa-
ton, promptly determined to remedy these
defects at once. The covering OF the roof
was taken off and replaced by thicker
boards and the best tin, and the roof was
strengthened by trusS-rods similar TO those
used under railroad ears, which render 1t
abundantiy capable OF bearing any weight
that can be plpced upon it-all under the
supervision OF a professional architect.
The total cost OF these changes was
Si,0S1. 40, but only portion OF this can be
considered loss due to errors III the
plans. A roof rs strong - tie one we now
have would have involved additional cost,
probably approximately equal to that OF the
trUsS-rodS. and similarly tin roof in the
ORIGINAL plans would have involved consid-
cradle additional cost. You are referred to
the tabulatcd statement presented herewith
for the total cost OF building. machinery,
&c. As far as we can inform ourselves, the
/ building cost considerably less money than
others Of the same capacity.
TIE BUILDING.
The building. rs now constructed. is
| eminently suited TO our purposes. 1t is
! ljSX146 feet on the outside. and one
storied, the walls consisting OF brick
wall six feet high. and above this row or
| line OF windows. continuous except for a
short distance ut the corners, six feet high
| to the roof, and outside and adjacent to
| this main building at one corner the boiler
/ house Is constructed. 32Xl0 feet, OF brick,
with iron roof. The floor OF the boiler
house is brick, and that of the mill proper
cement laid on solid earth, with timbers
| let IL to bear the machinery and receive
| the bolts fastening it down. This
| floor, being solid and free from vibrations,
which cannot be the case with floors laid
on framework of any kind, gives a per-
fectly steady support to our machinery,
and will enable us TO run il much faster
and with less wear than could possibly be
obtained in elevated stories. The labor OF
elevating is saved, and the manager has
the whole mill under his eve at once. Be
sides this manner of construction renders
the building much less liable TO fire, and
the cost OF construction is much less than
that OF mills OF two or more stories CT the
same capacity.
We have a good deal of spare room in
tho building. now used for storing wood
and other similar purposes. which, in case
the stockholders at any time determine to
buy additional machinery and increase the
capacity Of the mill, can be utilized for that
purpose.
MACHINERY.
Our machinery is Of the newest patterns
and best workmanship. We have thirty
broad looms, twenty-eight plain, to weave
up to six harness. and two fancy, and other
machinery proportionately. Our cards,
especially, are OF combination of highly
improved patterns, purchased chiefly in
this coCntry, but containing parts from
abroad attached TO the machines by us, and
rendering them, our manager thinks, equal
to any in this country.
We have purchased about 10000 pounds
OF Virginia woOl--the most of it bought
during the wool season last summer at
lower prices than it could be obtained now.
DETAILS.
The coplpletion OF our preparation for
manuiac: :urng has been delayed very much
beyond our expectation, and for several
reasons. The filling in the building under
the floor, and the construction OF the floor, |
was long, tedious job, and took more
time than we expected. The changes in |
the roof, previously referred to, required |
a good deal Of time. The machinery, |
which the manufacturers contracted to |
deliver July 18th, was not all delivered |
until about October 1st; and then. in |
addition 10 the time required to set it
up, TO clothe and grind the cards and
mt on our foreign attachments, which in