The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1884-10-11

ApltA illleo, whose uncrrlug Ie&d has car
RED the final summons to many a Red
coat, ana hedskin, from the hands Of the
fierce hunters Of Kentucky and Tennessee
In those days, the rifle, the plow. and tho
axe were lnseparable companions. In
1873 the first woolcarding machinery ev-
er IN the State was brought To this e0un-
ty, by : Bro. Zeyerly' Of the Salem Con
gregation.
WAGON WORKS.
In 1884 was established at Waughtown.
IN this county, by i. p Nissen. the first
wagon factory in the State. now run bv
Geo. l.. Nissen * Co. This tablishment
buiids an average OF 600 wagons a yea.
and has since it begun operatiou built over
ten thousand. &. F. Nissen q Co. whose
works are located in the same village,
manufacture the patent wagon. winch has
many new features commenting ii 10 pur-
chaSers. This firm has been in operation
about two years, and has built over eIgat
hundred and fifty OF these popular wagons
| ". E. Spaugh of the same place. builds
about 300 a year. Besides these already
enumerated there are eleven other wagon
factories, in this county doing thriving
! business The total numbcr Of wagons.
built, greatly exceeding 20G0 per wear.
SO popular have they become among ,Hc
tobacco growers, and farmers generally,
that all attemps to introduce cheap we5
tern wagons, have proved failures Sav-
eral OF these Factories have fine <, acmens
! Of their work on exhibition at Raleigh Tn
| I'll the inception Of the tobacco business.
no single industry has conduced 70 render
the county more prominent than MS.
lhe tannery situated in Salem is very
old, having been in operation since iI0,A
1t Is now under the control OF Mr. j. W
Fries and is noted for its excellent pro
GnCf t"nip ~
ed out q year. and no trouble is found in
dlaposing OF them at the highese market
price. AS a joint stock company. Tie
'>Salem Cotton Factory begun operation
III 1897 under The management of 5ir.
Francis Fries, These factories passed
through several hands until tley ,qe.e
bought by the firm Of F. Il e. Fries, aud
converted into the ''Wachoyia ElournG
Mills" In1S40, Mr.. Francis Fries by<,4.l
the WOODEN business upon a small scale,
conducting 1t alone until in 1876 the firm
Of f. & II. Fries was formed, winch is 50
widely known at the present time. The
celebrated Salem Jeans was the principal
article manufactured, whose popularity
has extended undiminished over q period
Of 40 years The consumption Of wool at
that time was 9,116 pounds a year
The first cotton factory belonging to
this firm was built in 1913 and con5lined
526 spindles, principally to make Warps
and yarns, for their own use. Tne con
sumption this year amounted to 911,76.
pounds Of cotton and 1910 pounds OF
wool. In 1868, Mr. Francis Fries died
and during the trying years which follow
ed, the business was successfully operated
by Mr. Fl. w. Fries the surviving partner |
In 1879, Messrs. J. ". & T. Il. 4 H. E. |
Fries, sons of the late Francis Fries, were
taken into the business, which was still
continued under the old firm name OF F. |
Il. Fries. In 1880, the Arista Cotton |
Mills were built by this firm, containing |
6,4S0 spindles, and $50 looms, driven BY |
a goo horse power Porter Allen engine, |
and lighted with electricity The product |
of these mills exceeds 5000 yards of
standard sheeting day, which, together |
with the yarns and warps, consumed by |
this firm, makes the consumption of cot
ton over 2, 800 pounds per day. Over |
900, 600 pounds of wool are worked up by |
by this firm year. chiefly into jeans,
kerseys, yarns ann rolls, and sold through
out the whole country. The gas works
are also owned by this firm. They are the
second built in the State, having been
stead of coal, and most excellent article
of gas is produced.
SALEM IRON WORKS.
The old adage that ''great oaks from lit
tie acorns grow was perhaps never more
fully verified than by the rapid and sue
cessful career Of the Salem Iron Works,
the sole property of Mr.. G. A. Hege. The
old shed still stands in which Mr.. Hege
began business in 1878, confining himself
to plow and small foundry work, almost
exclusively until in 1877, he took out pat
ents upon an improved ''set'' for circular
saw mills From this period dates the
prosperous career of this establishment
including at present a fine three story
brick shop with over %, 600 feet of floor
space heated from bottom to top with
steam and equipped with modern appli-
ances and machinery for executing and
expediting work in the best and most ap
proved manner. A large, well lighted,
heated and ventilated foundry supplied
with derricks, and other conveniences for
handling heavy work. A fine smith and
boiler shop is in process of construction.
One Of the most attractive features OF this
institution is a large elegantly lighted con-
servatory filled with rare and beautiful
flowers and exotics of almost every eli
mate Here side by side in the dead of
winter can be seen the banana, the or
ange, the pineapple and the lily OF the
Nile. The conservatory is heated with
steam, and supplied with water pipes
throughout, to which are attached spray
ing lolS, dIIu lOullUdlI1S. NIL IICSO Co,hCo |
great pride in this particular feature of
his establishment, often speaking Of the
refining influence it exerts over his men.
The office is supplied with a printing press,
with which most Of the printed matter is
executed, Photographic and blue print
apparatus for use in its mechanical de
partment and it is but fair that this con-
cern should be credited, with employing
in the conduct of the office business,
the first Type Writer and Stenographer
ever in the State.
Though at first thought sufficient for a
number of years to come, the necessity
for greater room is already apparent. Cir
cular saw mills have been the speciality
of these shops, and such is the recognized
virtue Of these mills, especially where
lone and sprngY timber is to be handled,