Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-26
WICHITA SOAP FACTORY.
A CAPITAL STOCK OF $4,000.
Three Tons Daily Output and More
Orders Then They Can Fill
Will Double Capacity.

| 1t will be remembered that less than a
year ago Mr.. B. S. Horrigan, of north
western New York, came to the city and
| talked business in the way of locating
| soap factory. He having been engaged in
| the business for years was able to talk the
enterprise in way that caused number
of the leading business men in the city to
| be favorably impress with the idea of
starting factory in this city. 1t took but
few days to organize d company with a
capital stock of $50, 900 to start the enter
prise Mr. Harrigan, showing his strong
| faith in the affair took a majority of the
| stock The officers of the company at
present are as follows: John B.
Corey, president: n. A. English, vice
president: j. O. Davidson, treasurer; B. S
Horrigan. secretary and manager.
| The company was soon at work on a three
story brick building, 42Nl20 feet, located
on Fifth avenue near Morris street.
The building fronts east on Fifth avenue
and the Santa Fe is building switch to
| accommodate the factory, allowing most
material to be dumped from the car into
the building with little trouble. The
building was built especially for the use of
y,
thick walls and timber of large size to
stand the great pressure of machinery and
material. In the center of the building is
a freight elevator with a two-ton capacity.
The Office is on the first floor in the north
west corner and the most conspicuous thing
to be seen, giving it slight difference
from ordinary offices, is safe labeled
''combination-69-40- s2-56-open, nothing but
books" According to Mr.. Horrigan, the
safe has been opened few times according
to directions, but the wouid-be crackers
had been kind enough to allow the books to
remain.
Going through the factory one is favora-
bly, impressed with the general appear
ance, being quite different from most soap
factories in the fact of so few obnoxious
gases being present. The raw material"
most of it, is rolled from the car into the
building, a large part of it being caustic
soda, which is shaped in drums, each hold
ing $50 pounds and comes from England
The soda ash also comes from England,
but all the grease and other ingredients
are found much nearer home. Some of
these can easily be learned while others
are secrets, or at least pretended secrets.
In commencing to make soap the I've is
made from caustic soda, put in iron tanks
and brought to a certain strength with
boiling water. This is pumped by steam
into large soap boiling kettles, of which
there are three, each having a $4,000
pounds capacity. Tallow is put in in certain
proportions and boiled one day and then
allowed to cool, leaving weak I've in the
bottom, which is drawn off and run to the
sewer. Some fresh I've is then put in, to-
gether with some more ingredients, and
another day is spent in boiling. The third
morning the I've is drawn off again and
fresh lye, with some other ingredients
added, and another day spent in boiling,
giving what is called a "strengthing
change" 1t is boiled a part of the fourth
day and given the finishing change, and |
the kettle is full of soft soap. This is al |
lowed to stand until it reaches a tempera-
ture of one hundred and sixty-five degrees, |
when what is known in soap boiling par |
lance as ''the niger" goes. to the bottom. |
All above the ''nigger" is pumped off and |
conducted to the "crutcher," churn ar
rangement, where it is agitated |
for twenty minutes, and while |
in the ''crutcher'' the perfumery is |
added. From this it is run into soap |
frames, which are four feet long, four feet |
wide and fifteen inches in width, contain
ing fifteen hundred pounds of soap. This |
is allowed to stand two days, when it be-
comes solid. The frame is taken from |
around it and it is big cake of soap, but
most too large to be handled with ease. 1t
is cut into bars weighing from twelve to
sixteen ounces. These are put into a
steam press and then go to the rack and
boxes and are ready to ship.
The factory at present are making three
different brands of soap, known as Snow
Drop" or white floating soap. Magnet"
a superior quality of laundry soap, and
palm OIL" which is also laundry soap
The plan of making described is general
plan, and in the process certain ingredients
are added to bring out the desired result
The boiler used by the factory is a
seventy horse and furnishes steam for the
engine and all the heat for the boiling of
materials in watts and kettles. Ali moving
of material is done by steam and every
thing is arranged in what may be termed
a logical order. The water for the factory
is drawn from drive well by an in
spirator supplying the boiler and large
tank at the top of the building.
On the third floor is the box department.
The boxes are received from Michigan in
the knock down" state and put together
here. Mr.. Horrigan says his boxes cost
him just one-half cent more here than
they did in New York when he lived
in sight of a forest. He says other
material shipped from the coast costs
but a fraction more until many Of the
necessary ingredients cost less in Wichita
than they do in New York. On the whole
soap can be made as cheap here as in the
east.
The factory as it now stands is one of the
most complete there is anywhere; the ma
chinery ana appliances being of the very
best and most modern. The present
is three tons daily, and this has
some time since proved too small. As
result the company has decided to double
the capacity, and work on this will COM
mence in few days. 1t is expected to be
ready TO turn out six tons daily by the last
of April next. This il is thought will not
be greater capacity than the demand will
call for. The product has been on
the market but few weeks
and the demand already is so
great that the factory is behind in
orders. All the iobbing houses in the
city are handling and have succeeded in
placing it in nearly all the grocery stores.
The present capacity has been great
enough to supply the city and some of the
towns, bnt can not take care
Of orders coming from greater radious
A large order was received from Gaines
vile, Texas. some weeks ago, but have not
been able to fill it. They claim that their
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