The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-03-01
HOW CIGAR BOXES ARE MADE.
Saving the Wood--- How the Mailing
Is Done---The Lumber Used.

Is Done---The Lumber Used,
[Chicago Herald
lie reporter climbed up five flights
of stairs in one o. the largest blocks in
the manufacturing district OF the city
where the largest cigar box factory is
located. A part of the large floor was
occupied by the strips of wood cut into
the requisite thickness, one dimension
for the bottom, sides and cover and an
other for the ends. The strips of wood
are run through the rip-saw, sawed in
long strips, and cut into the required
lengths by second machine. The ends
are then planed as smooth as the sides,
and the pieces are ready to be made
into boxes. Lids and sides have to pass
through printing presses, of the same
pattern as used in ordinary jeb-rooms,
but much heavier, to have the brand,
trademark, etc, printed upon them
with indelible ink.
Then the pieces go to the mailer,
who uses machine for his work.
The mailing machines are some
what sihail&r in appearance to type
setting machines, and require but little
experience to be quite dexterously
handled. The nails are fed into hop
per on the top, passing through small
brass pipes into little tubes at the
proper distances for the parts to be
nailed together. BY the pressure Of
the foot on the footboard of the ma
chine the operator forces the nails out
of the tubes into the wood, and accom-
plishes with the aid of the machine six
times as much work as the most expe-
enced workman could do with hand
and hammer; besides, the work is Of
necessity done far more accurately.
The first operation is the mailing together
of an end and head piece, which are
placed in large piles, and then two of
these pieces are nailed together, form
ing the sides of the box. Boys nail on
the bottoms and girls tack on the cover
temporarily, while other girls paste on
the cloth hinges. The half-completed
boxes are then piled up until they are
perfectly dry An experienced mailer
averages about $50 boxes per day, re-
ceiving 25 cents for 100 boxes, while the
boys and girls are paid by the week,
earning from 81 to SO per week.
After the boxes are dry they are
brought under a rapidly revolving
planer which removes all overhanging
woodwork, while whirling sand wheels
smooth off the edges. A large force OF
girls is employed in putting on the fin
ishing touches, which means to paste On
the edgings. inside labels, lining and
flaps. For this work the girls are paid
so cents hundred, and they earn from
$5 to 50 per week.
The lumber used in the manufacture
Of cigar-boxes is, with few exceptions,
either bass-wood or red cedar. Bass.
wood grows in almost unlimited quanti
ties in Michigan, Minnesota and the
northern part of Wisconsin. It is
shipped to this city in rough boards
which are re-cut, planed and stained
by peculiar process, so that it closely
resembles cedar wood. from which it is
different in color and lacking in thai
sharp, pungent odor which is deemed Of
particular value for the packing oi
cigars. Eastwood boxes are used fol
the ordinary quality of cigars. The rec
cedar grows in Mexico, Cuba and Cen
tral America, and forms an importan
article in the exports of these countries
Cedar costs in Chicago in the neighbor
hood Of $40 thousand lineal feet O.
the ordinary lumber dimensions.