Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-10-20
ENTERPRISE.
FLORENCE, OCTOBER 20, 1888
CORN COB PIPE FACTORY.
The Big Business Done in a Little Mis-
 souri Town-NIaking Pipes.


 souri TOwn-MakinE Pipes
 The only annoyance experienced by the company is now and then a scarcity of cobs Neighboring farmers do not seem to "catch on" to the fact that they can make more from the cobs raised than from the corn itself The kind known as the Collier cob is preferred, as it is larger and the corn Is rot set in as deep as in other varieties. For good cobs one cent apiece is paid, and many load is known to have realized $50.
 'l wouldn't have believed it if hadn't come over here. said man from Moselle, ten miles distant. "A few weeks ago neighbor of mine brought over a load of cobs, that wouldn't have thought good for anything but to burn, got So for them. have heard 'em talk about the cob pipe factory, but never thought it amounted to much, and would not now if had not happened over and seen for myself"
 It seems incredible. yet this ignorance of the business in the outside world is zealously cultivated by the company. Farmers in the vicinity of Washington are urged to grow the Collier corn and bring in the cobs. but any spread of infor- nation regarding the factory and the magnitude of it's work is discouraged.
 We do not wish to be advertised in any way" said Mir Werlich, when inter rogated in regard to the process of making pipes, by a correspondent. "We would rather nothing should be said about the business"
 Visions of intricate machinery and precious secrets were limped to the core ! spondent back of Mir. Weirichs reluc- tance to an insight into the manner of manufacture, but when permission was finally granted, the real rudely dispelled the ideal. The accessories are of the sim plest kind. They are so simple that there ! is only wonder that so good thing could have been kept in one company's hands so long The cobs are delivered at the fac tory. and are dumped under cover. They are then sorted, and the good ones is + inches in diameter, farmers being supplied with iron rings of that size through which to try cobs. Those rejected are invariably left by the farmer. not being worth carrying away. and are used in the factory furnaces for fuel. The good cobs are then sawed by small circu lar saws to the right length for turning. one big cob making two pipes. The bor ing follows. The piece of cob is placed in a cup that holds it tightly. and an inch auger connected with a rapidly revolving shaft is brought down through the cob's center for specified distance. This is done wonderfully fast by boys, who have become proficient from practice. With one hand they jam the cob in the cup. bring down the auger with a movement of the lever by the other hand, and in twin kling if is over. Almost as fast as they can be counted the sawed pieces of cobs are bored. The turner's next take the pieces. . AI,. ( lso pear" and straight" The first swell in the center and are rounded at the bot tom; the others are only smoothed, the natural contour of the cob being left un- changed. The turner's are experts They have no pattern. but arc guided by their eyo and the condition of the cob. The piece already bored is placed on a spindle, the other end having spring bearing that gives the pressure to hold it steady. With a turning tool the cob is cut down , to tho firm body, and the shape given, ex- , actly as in wood turning The fastest turner in the factory can do 5000 pieces in day of ten hours, but the average for the six men engaged ill this particular part of the work is 2.500. They are paid $1 per 1000.
 The next step involves the patent looked upon ss throwing the laws protec - ton around the company interests Inc filters. so called, carry it out They are boys. who fix the bored and turned pieces of cobs on spindles similar to those used by the turner. grab handful of plaster s of paris and clutch the revolving embryo Z pipe. A jar of water sits over thefl hands. so fixed that a tiny stream flows 7 down and moistens the plaster. One grab. prestol all the irregularities of the cob are filled with plaster. The piece: gre then dried. sandpapered and shel lacked. All is by machinery, and wher n the shellac is dry. the pipes are ready fol ' packing The amount of plaster ol f shellac used is trifing One barrel O
 plaster will fill 30,0O0 pipes. and one gal d Ion of shellac will cover them. The stems l. are of Arkansas cane. and come alread, t Washington (Mo.) Cor. Globe Demo D crat.