The Somerset reporter., 1885-05-27
OUR TRAVELLING MAN,


sKowHEaAN's DRY GOODS BUSINESS HOW
ONE FIRM Is PEosPERING. ORANGE BON
MANUFACTURE. PEEP At THE LARGEST
CONCERN OF THE KIND IN THE WORLD
SECRETS OF 'cALL" BooK.-A BAD DRor
FOR A PASSENGER ON THE oGDENsBuRg.-
BASE BALL UNDERMINING STATE INsTI-
TurE OF LEARNING-A TRAVELLING MAN
oE THE oLDEN TIMEs.-A FIRST CLASS
BANGOR HOTEL THAT ARoosTooK RAIL
RoAD,-DoN'T GAMBLE. HOW TWO IA
yoRITE RAILROAD STOCKS WENT TO TIE
WALL.
| don't know Mr. Editor, as you want
you a'l hing about ell ,irs in your own
village of Skowhegau, but this is In nv
circnt aad happening TO call upon my Old
fri,rp Wildes, of the firm of White &
Widps, at time when he was quite amia.
BILE, not unusual thing our CONVERSE
ton NJ urilly drifted to bushes matters
of your nourishing village and TO the dry.
sood> 'uslness. I'VE started here" ,aia
Mr.. Wildes, "slx years igo. Then there
were bit four stocks of dry goods in town
and 1t - held by many that there was no
room for another aud that our venture was
foolhardy. But we put in what was then
the larges stock of goods in town, .adver-
tsed freely and judiciously In the REpoR.
TER and built up very large business and
at the same time by the judlcious adver-
Using and giving people their moneys
worth, we have drawn trade to the town
and helped not only other lines of business
In our village but also actually increased
the business in our own line. Let any one
who is familiar with trade In this village
contrast the stocks of dry goods of to-day
with those OF six years ago aud he will
find marked increase, not only in tie
number of stores Int in the variety, quail
ity of goods and size also. Mr.. Hall, with
whom was associated 10 busine SIS for five
years, has a partner and a stock mnrh arg
or and finer than six years ago. Vickery
carries larger and better stock than the
former occupant of the same store; the
Veteran Arnold succeeds Arnold and Stew
ard with stock fully equal If not superior
to that of the former firm, while W. b.
Seward has an elegant new store and
stock of goods to match, and C. r. Sleep
er was not then in business; the Hes
elton Brothers have enlarged their bus
mess considerably, while the Coby's
and Curtis have, to say the least held their
own This enterprisiDg firm enlarged
their store by extending it about SO feet SO
that 1t Is now 100 feet long and without
doubt is the largest establishment in that
iine in the County of Somerset
Happening In Lagrange last week l met
Mr.. F. L. Hackett, who, think, is quite
Tel known in Skowhegan. As is well
Known he is connected with the firm of
hathorn, Foss & Co., the great manufac-
turers of orange boxes and short lumber
Accepting an Invitation to visit the mill at
that place, ] saw for the first time how the
boxes are made which enclose the savory
oranges and lemons which come to US from
Florida and foreign chimes. This concern
is composed of Allen Hackett, father of
Mr.. Fred l.. Hackett, Russell Bennett, of
Lambert Lake, and Obed Foss, who like
Mr.. Hackett, live 10 Lagrange. They now
operate three large mills, one at Lagrange,
one at Lambert Lake and new one just
built at Alton. When I tell you that at
these three mills they turn out 10000 or.
ange boxes per day, some idea Of the i'm.
mense business they do can be gained
They are not 81 isfled with this however,
but will largely increase their capacity in
the near future. They have no trouble
some competitors in the business for they
have been established so long and can pro.
duce the boxes so cheaply tn. they find a
ready market for their entire product.
The Alton mill is probably the best one
they own and will try and describe how
they do the business here. NV visit was
very brief but Mr.. Hackett and his father
are so thoroughly conyersant with every
detail OF the business that by their courtesy
/ was able to see much in short space of
time. The material used for boxes is birch
beech and maple. This concern own more
than $4,000 acres OF land In Maine and
nearly half as much in Nova Scotia, but
yet they are constantly buying stumpage.
This lumber is cut and hauled to the mill
In the winter. 1t comes in long logs and
is hauled into the mill where 1t is cut into
logs 80 inches long. These short logs are
then rolled into a steam room and steamed
for hours This Is done SO that the fibre will
not break when peeled. After being
steamed they con. out and are put into the
s'peeier." This machine works on the
same principle as an apple parer and the
wood comes off in a continuous thin roll
which is cut into exact sizes to make COW
ers, bottoms and sides to box. These
thin, narrow strips are then carried to the
drying sheds and stacked to "make" as hay
Is cooked up. When thoroughly "made"
they are packed up and are then ready FOR
market. Mr.. Hackett has charge of ship
ping the stock to its various destinations,
which, by the way, is no small undertake
ing. In addition to their box business
they work up host of hemlock lumber
saw rotary saw built by w. f. Bacon,
Of Skowhegan which was cutting up &c.
900 feet OF hemlock lumber every day
How is that for days work? Mr.. Hack
EFT says that Mr.. Bacon makes the best ro-
taries In the world.