The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-11-19
The waynesboro FIGURING Mills.


to the Waynesboro FIGURING Mills, located
in Waynesboro, the property of j. A. Pat
terson, Esq. From an external view of
the buildings the visitor is not prepared
for the treat that awaits him on the in
side. True, the buildings, including
cooper shop, elevator and the mill proper
cover large area, but it is the internal
economy that strikes the visitor with Won
der-the entire building being vast ma
chine-each part dependent upon the
other. and the whole moved by the silent
force brought to bear upon the immense
turbine wheels located beneath. Your
correspondent, guided by that polite gen
tleman, Mr. G. r. Bragg, who is the head
miller, felt as though he was vending his
way through the complicated machinery of
an enormous clock. as he wedged his
diminutive anatomy between the different
pieces of this most wonderful structure.
On the first floor are located the rollers
six in number, standing in row along
the east side of the building The wheat,
after having passed through a succession
OF screens. fans, ETC., and being thoroughly
cleansed, reaches the first OF these rollers.
Here it undergces the first process toward
being reduced to flour. From that point
it moves up to the second floor where it isl
prepared for Il visit to the second roller
It continues in a steady stream, up and
down, from the rollers to the bolting
chests and back to the rollers, until at last
it reaches the enormous packing chest
the capacity Of which is one hundred and
twenty-five barrels S.
Imagine if you can what a vast quaint ty
of wheat it requires to feed this machine
six hundred bushels per day much more
than the yield from the average Augusta
farm. Mr.. Patterson can grind and ship
in four days as much wheat as the largest
farm in the county produces in a year.
The -four turned out by this mill stands
as high on the market as the far-famed
Patapsco Family, and in proof of this |
have only to say that the mill, although
Running at full capacity, is behind with its
orde
Your correspondent has been informed
by those who have tried it, that the grade
No. 8, of this flour makes as good bread as
one need wish for
The brands of -four turned out by this
mill are known to the trade as White
Eagle Family, Snow Flake. Waverly Elk
TT. xxx, and Nonpariel Patent.
Too much cannot be said in com enda-
tion Of Mr.. Patterson IN making the large
investment of money he has in this great
enterprise. When he turned over twenty
thousand dollars into machinery, he proved
himself to be the leader of progressive men
in this section.
And lock at the good already done The
farmer has only to load his wheat on his
wagon as it leaves the thresher and haul
it to the elevator attached to the mill.
The bags are united and the grain poured
into hopper and before he can gather up
his lines to drive home he has 4 receipt
handed Linn for the amount delivered AS
soon as the last load has been put in the
elevator he can step into the Office and re-
ceive the full market price for his wheat.
Thus you see Mr.. Patterson has created a
home market for 10000 bushels of wheat
per annum. 1t would take 800 farms,
each raising 6oo.bushels, to keep the mill
running. 1t therefore requires taking
his average force of fifteen hands in con.
slant employ ment on the grounds and
those employed in getting out cooper-s stuff
say fifteen more) notices. than three hun
dred and thirty hands to supply every
requisite for Mr.. Patterson S great enter.
prise. So far, success has crowned his
efforts, and the old fogies who shook their
heads in doubt when tie finishing touches
We're being put upon the elevator (the only
one in Virginia west of the Blue Ridge)
are now willing to concede that Mr.. p
knew exactly what he was doing when he
put up a receptacle of sufficient capacity
to hold sixty thousand bushels.
OF Mr.. Patterson personally we can
say there is not a more popular citizen in
the county , his citizens proved this,
when, in their Primary election this fal
they sent an almost solid delegation favor
ingshim fer the Senate, to the convention
held in Staunton. and had the ut'es not
been manipulated by the ring, he would
have led his ticket by from four to five
hundred. His own party vote would have
been augmented in this township alone,
by not less than three hundred-I say this
knowingly.
Our letter has grown longer than we in
tended-we close with the hope that Mr..
P. may live long and reap an abundant re-
turn for his magnificent outlay.
DISTRESSING AccInENT. -Qn the even
ing Of the l4th, Mrs. Nuckols, an oic
lady, and two daughters Of Mr.. Adam
Bare were drowned in North river at ths