The Washington critic., 1886-05-25
REPRESENTATIVE HOUSES.
A Model Mill,

IL Is matter OF public interest, and one
for congratulation on the part OF this citi-
zens Of Washington, that they are supplied
with such extensive flour mills. Among
the very foremost estnl lishmentl OF this
kind in the Eastern country, is that OF Mr..
Austin Herr, Pioneer Mills, which was
founded In 1862 by a. II. Herr, father OF the
present proprietor. The manufacture OF
flour is a branch OF commercial industry
which overshadows all others In Importance.
In our capacity as reporter we have, In
other parts OF this page, represented
number OF the varied manufacturing and
commercial houses OF this city, which
mainly interest certain class OF readers,
hut In this instance our subject is one that
will directly interest every family, for an
establishment that manufactures Hour that
bears the excellent reputation this mill
doee, Is one the people like to read absut
and the following is description from Mr.
Herr OF the workings OF his large mill;
"1he capacity Of my Pioneer Mills is hve
hundred barrels Of -four per day; this re
quires two thousand two hundred and fifty
bushels Of wheat. The wheat is
purchased in Virginia and Maryland
and is of the highest standard Of
excellence. No, do not use any Western
is, bad wheat and good mixed, that 1t en-
| tails loss In cleaning, which not only alb
| serbs all profits, but also II left I'm would
| seriously iDjure the market value OF my
| flour. The wheat is received and weighed
In this hopper scale and then elevated to
| the top story, where II passes into and
| through separator which blows out the
| dust and riddles of straw or any extrane-
| Gus matter Of that kind. 1t thence passes
to the storage bins. In the subsequent
| operations the wheat is elevated aud passed
| over riddles to take out any garlic, rye or
oats that might be IN II, thence II goes to the
shutter, which beats 1t and separates the
screenings from IL, which is sold for chicken
feed. The wheat then drops into the cookie
machine, which consists of large conical
| cylinder, every square inch of which is In
dented with little circular cups, into which.
Ms the machine revoves, the cookie falls,
but the wheat from its elongated form
rides over. The cookie rolls out and into
the screening bin, and the wheat is elevated
and spouted to the magnetic separator.
The latest improved harvesting machines
bind the sheaves Of wheat with wire; during
the operation OF threshing small pieces
of this wire frequently remain In the wheat,
when delivered at the mill, and should 1t
pass to the rolls they would be seriously
| injured This magnetic separator consists
OF powerful horseshoe magnets under and
in contact with an iron plate, over which
the wheat passes. Any metal subject to
magnetic attraction is held fast on this
plate, and q leather scraper removes 1t. The
wheat then passes to scourers, which thor
oughly rubs off the furzzy ends and the
exocarp, thence II goes to the brush ma
chine, which poishes II thoroughly. 1t is
now dropped into the grinding garner i'm
medately over the first break roll The
first break simply consists in dividing the
grain along the crease, which relieves the
grain of what is called the seam dirt, which
Is an impalpable dark powder. 1t now
passes TO the second break roll, and each
piece is broken into several pieces. 1t thus
passes through six breaks, being thoroughly y
busted after each break and becoming liner
and finer, the bran and ofIal passing off
through the boiling reels to the feed bins,
the fine flour to It's packer and the mid
dlings to purifiers, where 1t is subjected to
the action OF strong suction fans, which In
the most mysterious manner seem to be
able to discriminate between specific gravi-
ties and separates the pulverulent matter
from the round sharp middllngs which are
spouted to porcelaine rolls, which reduces
them to the flour known as patent. Hereto
fore the different grades OF flour at this
point were passed directly to their respec-
tive packers, but / have introduced an in
novation in the shape of redressing reels,
through which pass the flour before pack
ing, thus insuring perfect freedom from
specular, besides leaving itwith more life
and grain"