Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-05-05
WERE DRUMS ARE MADE.
The Industry Which Distinguishes Gran

The Industry Which Distinguishes Gran
Vile, Mass.
tFrom the Springfield Republican,
The casual visitor would never sus-
pect that the quiet rural village OF
Granville, Mass, sends out into the
world thousands of noise making in
struments, cheap, it is true, but more
the less welcome to the average boy.
This place can practically be called
the center and heart oft drum MAX
ing business. OF 100000 drums man.
ufactured last year, $4,000 came
from the shops of Noble & Cooley
alone. Two other shops, those of
Gibbons & Henry and of E. D. Dickin-
son, turned out, perhaps, another
10000, and the rest came from
Brooklyn shop. It was in 1856 that
the idea of engaging in drum making
first suggested itself to Mr.. Cooley.
He had been to Pittsfeld, where a rel
ative of his, Samuel Cooley, was MAX
ing a few drums in an old barn. Dis
gusted with the business. Samuel
Cooley was about to throw it up; he
offered it to his nephew, John, with
the remark that there was doubtless
money In it. Returning to Granville,
J.P Cooley preached the subject to
his friend Noble, whom he found
ready listener. They went to work,
made drum which is still cherished
at the old shop, took it to Boston,
showed it, received orders, and COM
ing back invested $3.50 in material,
and thus started probably the biggest
concern of it's kind in the world. That
first year, 1854, they built q little
shed, and altogether turned out $50
drums, mainly of one pattern. Year
by year the business increased; their
quarters had to be enlarged, their
help multiplied, and to-day 125 men
and women are kept busy turning out
daily about 1000 drums.
Within the last few years the bust
ness has greatly developed. The old
fashioned drum with wooden barrel,
which was formerly the only kind in
the market, is being rapidly supplant-
ed by the heater and lighter model
with tin barrel. For the manu-
facture of the latter tin OF various
colors is employed, blue and red
pred ominating, though the larger
quantity OF tin drums are made of
brass imitation. This tin comes in
sheets of two sizes, 14x20 inches and
2Ox28, the sheets being packed in
cases holding 112. These sheets are
first sent to knife, which cuts them
into various lengths, from which drums
of sizes varying from 81 inches across
the head to 13 inches are made. This
done the strips are each punched with
hole, then secured and frightened to-
gether. Hoops are placed on the in
side rims, and the barrel is then ready
to receive the sounding skin. This is
generally a sheepskin, which is
stretched tightly across the head
above and below. and fastened from
the outside by hoops. These skins are
sent to the factory already for use
from England. 1t seems that with all
their notions and mutiplex ideas even
our imaginative Yankees have not
been able to prepare successfully such
skin from our own sheep. Consequent
ly, all are imported from Liverpool.
They come in hogsheads holding from
so to 100 dozen and cost from $175
to $3.50. One firm expended for
skins alone last year $4,000, using
mainly the higher priced kind. Previ-
Gus to using they are stretched and
dried by steam in the winter and by
sun IN summer. Before being stretched
over the drum barrels they are once
more moistened, generally in a solu-
ton of pure water or slightly ammon-
iacal
Then remains the Tightening of the
drum hoops. This is done either by
strings or rods. The first are stretched
diagonally, leather tighteners being in
serted to stiffen the sound skins.
The rods are hooked on one end and
screwed at the other. OF this latter
kind the consumption is over SIX times
that Of the old fashioned. The wood
en- drums differ but slightly from the
above. The barrels in this case are
generally bass or wildwood, occasion
ally oak. The stay hoops are of oak
or beech. Before the strip OF wood
can be used, it needs to undergo many
processes, among others being bending,
planning and sweating. The first drums
made used to be boiled in open tanks,
and the limit that could thus be pre-
pared daily was less than fifty. The
introduction of machinery and more
perfect methods has increased the dali
~ production, so that 1000 drum
pieces is considered nothing more than
one mans fair days work.