The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-23


Milo Lee, the president and general
manager of the institution, was found
hard at work, making arrangements to
ship several car loads of goods by the
evening train. He gave us a hearty
greeting, and after disposing of the work
at hand, proceeded to show us through
the manmouth concern.
The Argillo works were first established
about 1868, on small scale or mere
experiment The management met with
good success, and the works were greatly
enlarged The business, however, did not
warrant the great expense that was gone
| to, and the works became involved
in debt In 1869 Mr.. Milo Lee took charge
of them when the capital stock was $780,
600 and the company was $4,000 in
debt Mr.. Lee, we are pleased to say,
has made great success of the Argillo
works, which today are one of the largest
institutions of the kid in the United
States. and the capital stock
has been increased to $l50,000,
the Indebtedness has been all
liquidated, and the stock is rated above
par. This end has been achieved through
the energy and business tact of Mr.. Lee,
who has devoted his entire attention to
making the works what they area mon
ument of his enterprise.
THE CLAY BANKS.
The first place visited was the clay
banks, two in number These are stu
ated only short distance from the works,
and good solid tracks lead to them. Cars,
which are kept constantly running, carry
the clay that is used to manufacture the
different articles. Two varieties of clay
is secured from these banks The clay
near the surface of the ground is much
softer grade than that deeper down, which
is called fire clay, which is very hard
These banks have been used for long
time, and cover about hundred acres OF
ground Mr. Richard Mitten is foreman
of the clay bank, and has held that posi-
ton for long time, and has five boys
working at the pottery, one of whom is
foreman. An old sorrell horse draws the
cars from the banks to the works. The
animal is 81 years old, and served in the
rebellion, and Mr.. Lee comically remarked,
HE knows more than any man about the
place" Although the horse may be a
very wise and sagacious animal, we are
compelled to contradict the statement
made by Mr.. Lee. But to get back to the
clay banks and our story, @
Most clay banks" said Mr.. Lee, "are
so situated that in operating them great
difficulty is experienced from water, which
stands around in pools, and necessitates
pumping out to continue work. Not SC
with our banks; we are troubled very lit
tie with water here, and that only in the
spring, when the frost comes out of the
ground. In former years, and before the
people were as smart as they are now, the
clay could not be used when it wa!
frozen, and We would have to dig a grea
way into the earth to secure the righ
kind of clay. Now we prefer the clay tt
be frozen, and can work with as grea
advantage in the winter as the summer.
Having given the banks careful exam
nation, we returned to the pottery, where
we were to see the crude clay made int
brick and tile This work is done BY
steam and is very rapidly executed tt
make fire brick the clay first goes into ;
pulverizing machine and elevated VI
strairs where it is ground fine by a humble
of rollers; it then drops down into (
batch, and from there into pug mill
when it is nodded and put on floor t.
dry. Under these floors is network o
steam coils, which dries the brick in shor
order, and gets them in readiness TO
pressing These steam floors are an in
vention entirely original with Mr.. Lee, ant
to say that they do the work nicely ant
rapidly does not half express it! In
short time, when the sun furnishes NOR
heat, the drying process will be carried OF
out doors, and the steam floors will b
dispensed with. The clay undergoe
much the same process for tn
manufacture of tile, which
nicely moulded by tile ma
; chine. whose capacity is about three mile
of three inch tile per day.
THE KILNs ..a
After the drying process is completed
= the tile or brick, whichever it may be,
placed in the kilns, where it is made a
, hard and more durable than stone. TIL
Argillo works has five kilns, four sma
r ones, and one of very large capacity
! This mammoth kiln was invented by MI
Hoffman, of Berlin, Prussia, in 1884, an
+ is one of -four which are in operatio
@ the United States. 1t is enclosed in
building one hundred and twenty feet j
, diameter three hundred and sixty feet j
circumference. The kiln consists {
"a circular arched canal of sew
.4u Foot ,o;ddIa d;op,atar aiuI