Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-09-13
The Cannery.

Thursday afternoon VIC made a visit to tn
cannery, and though the weather was YER
warm, and the roads dusty, we felt well-re
paid for our walk. We found about on
hundred men, women, boys and girls a
work, each one seemingly intent on doing a
much work as possible. The whole fore
was engaged in handling tomatoes, and it i
astonishing how many cans are put up eacl
day, and the regularity and precision will
which each person does his or her work
Everybody about the place is paid b,
the piece, which accounts for the rapidity o
the whole process. After the tomatoes ar.
unloaded from the wagon OF the farmer, they
are scooped into boxes by boys, and taken tt
the boiling basket, where they are well scalded
and then heaped up on tables, where there
are rows of boys and girls. who strip off the
peel, cut out all defects, and place the good
part In buckets. Each one has a water-buck'
ct, and they are paid three cents a bucketfu'
for their work. some girls are so quick at
the work they earn 81 % a day, but the
average is about 90 cents. The buckets are
emptied into a trough, from whence the cans
are partly filled. The cans are then passed
over to a second lot of hands, who heap up
then passed to a man who soldiers on the
tops, doing the work ut one stroke, but leav-
ing a small hole in the top. They are then
passed to a new set of boys, who solder up
the small holes. Then they are placed in a
swinging frame, and are submerged in boil
ing water for a short time, when they are
carried forward and stacked up in immense
heaps. Here they are labelled, cased, mark
ed, and made ready for shipment. Several
hands are engaged making cases, which hold
two dozen cans. We saw Il girl putting on
the labels, and she did it nearly as fast as
picking up the cans and putting them down
again. After they are labelled and put In
the case, the tops are nailed on, the cases
stencil-marked and carried to the store
house. Everything, from shoveling up the
tomatoes to driving nails in the cases Is piece
work.
Mr.. Silver returned Thursday morning
from a trip to Kansas City and st. Joseph.
While absent he sold 1000 cases or 9G, 900
cans, of tomatoes, and could have sold 5000
cases more, but did not know whether or
not he could get them. The party who
bought the goods has been handling them for
three years, and knows the quality.
The cannery is now putting up about 5000
cans oftomatoes a day. When q run Is made
on corn they put up more, and have put up
S.4OO cans a day. Last Saturday Mr.. Silver
paid out 81 OPS, for vegetables and help, and
his weekly bills will run up to this sum for
several weeks yet. Up to last Saturday they
had canned $50 wagon loads of corn, and
in one week received and cared for go
loads of tomatoes. Mr.. Silver informs us that
the st. Joseph cannery has put up $4,000
cases up to date, and yet both establishments
are not able to supply the demand. Next
year there will be some imprtant additions
made to the establishment here, and the
facilities for handling and storing goods will
be doubled.
The upper story of the main building Is
used for storing empty cans, and there were
hundreds of thousands Of cans there. anew
house is being built to store away the cases
of goods ready for shipment. Everything
is as handy as possible for an ordinary run of
business, but Mr.. Silver is crowding business
to such an extent that he is cramped for
room.
1t is almost impossible to calculate the ad-
vantages our city will receive annually from
this establishment. The farmers who fur |
nish the supplies find a ready market, at
established prices, and are we'll pleased. The /
hundred hands receive their weekly pay, |
which is all spent in our city. There is no
reason why a tin-shop could not be started |
expressly to supply this house with cans, and /
The st. 10. house would also buy here if it |
The establishment Is a good thing, |
one that we have long-needed, and one that
has come to stay. Let Mr.. Silver extend his |
works to any extent, and our rich soil can
furnish all the vegetables he can handle. |
We wish the firm of Silver & Whlteford un-
success, and would say to our people !
that 1t is we'll worth a walk out there to see
the manner in which the business is couduc- |
ted.