The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-11
MAKING Jerry BOXES.
INTERESTING DETAILS or a CALI
FO7NA COAST INDUSTRY.
Cutting cig Log EE.o Single shaving
Tho crca. D.adc at rs vork-Formins
the Angles 81 tho EoS-Na'king the Dot
tan-Thc Lost Stc.'.

the Angles 81 tho Eo=-Na'<ing the Dot
ton-Thc Lost stc..
Tho thin sheets % sood which form the
side, and bottom Of berry box are nothing
moro nor les, than small pieces cut from a
c,oat nine fir or vhiteWCod shaving. and
lent and fastened together in the shape Of
box. These shaviuss. of course, arc not like
thos.s which fall in graceful curls from the
carpenters plane. but are great long sheets,
in each Of which is almost the entire wood Of
n big log. and from single shaving Is fire.
quently made from 2C0J 10 1000 berry boxes.
The logs. which are brought down from
tho northern coast are uloaded IN tho waters
OF the BAY end lOlted into the boom close TO
tire shore, where the factory IS located. From
there trey arc hauled up on tramWay run
ming down inio tie water. so that the logs
can be fl0ated upon the car Wien brought
up. the lJ-s ere cat bY q drag saw into unit
form length, rs desired TAce sections q
the log are then placed ia large steam box,
If which there are several convenient 10 the
machinery. and left for twelve hours, sut-
ioctei 20 the effects " the exhaust steam
from the engine. This s0ftens the wood SD
that DO can boz cut into the thin sheets desired
without checking or splitting into fragments.
4 section OF a great log, three feet in dia-
meter. was rolled out from tho steam box by
two men. and. after the center had been
marked at both ends, was i.oisted by a small
derrick ard swung over machine, the prin-
cinal feature of which was long bowel
edged knife, firmly set in a strong IRON frame,
in very much the saric manner as the blade
Of q carpenters plane IS set Indeed, the
cutting portion OF this machine is a great
monster shaving plane with the edge Of the
bladc fixed upwards The log was next low
cred by the derrick to is proper position,
the operator of the machine pulled lever,
and two great clamps with strong, sharp
pointed Jaws two inches long, advanced ard
pushed their iron teeth into the marked cen
ters 40 each end Of the loS. The great
wooden cylinder was now held firmly III
front Of the blade of the immense shaving
plane and when the operator pulled another
lever, the log commenced 10 revolvc towards
tho cutting edge, exactly like the strip Of
wood in a turner's lathe reyolyes towards the
chisel Another pull by the operator, and
tho frame holding the great blade began to
move up 10 the revolving log. When the
knife came in contact with the scanning
wood. tho outer edges were peeled of in thin
strips without sound Of cutting, and the
broad sheets rolled ont under the blade as
easily and noiselessly as would a slice OF
cheese under n sharp knife
After the water soaked, outer portions u
the log had been trimmed Oh in this man
ner, the operator adjusted on tho side Of the
/ l-rffa number
Of snail chisel like instruments 90 the end Of
each Of which was small, sharp cutting
edge pressing against the log. These little
cutters are placed at various distances, care
fully measured 10y tho operator, and evidently
formed an important feature Of the opera
ton. Whom the log again began its rcyolu-
tons against the blade Of the great shaving
machine. therc came ont from under the
knife a long, wide thin strip Of wood, which
the men pulled ont and rolled and folded up
like wall paper
An examination Of this great white, steam
ing shaving showed that its entire lens "a was
marked By parallel linesc cut partially through
the wood made by the little cutters at tho
back Of tho log. The purpose Of these lines
was o mystery until the operator carelessly
n.Oht OH an flis u tA' ifttN otAfAf AAANAfA
inz q strip two or three inches wide, and
quickly bent it into tho form Of berry box
complete, excepting tho bottom. The points
Of bending were the parallel lines cut IN the
wood, which made tie operation Of shaping
tho box nothing but a simple mechanical
movement
Tho wood bent readily at tho partial cuts
and formed the angles OF the box Making
tho bottom. Of coursc. consisted IN exactly
tho same operation, except that the strip used
Tor this portion was not 50 long, having only
two on and three segments. The middle
segment formed, Of course, the bottom OF the
box. and tho two at the end extended upward
inside tho frame formed 10y the longer strip.
All but the small core III the log is turned
off into this long shaving, one-twentieth Of
an inch in thickness and nearly 1000 feet
long, which Is folded and broken into con-
yenient lengths for handling as fast as 1t
comes from the knife.
The machinery which thus in q few min
utei converts q rough log into a long paper
like sheet 81 wood is called a rotary veneer
machine, and in the factory are several Of
them Of various sizes, tho largest Of them
being adapted 20 the shaving Of logs ten feet
eight inches IN length This, by the way, 10
tho largest rotary veneer machine in opera
ton IN the United States. The thin sheets Of
wood, as fast as they arc taken from the ma
chine, are placed upon u long table near at
hand and pushed under knife operated by
steam power, which cuts tue wood into mar
row strips, lengthwse, and Of the proper
width for the sides and bottom OF berry
box. The knife which cuts the long sbayings
crosswiso OF course cuts lengthwisc Of the
grain Tho narrow strips, as fast as they are
cnt are taken away By boys aud carried on
an elevator to the second floor Of the build
ing where a number Of boys and girls rap
idly bind them into box form. The last step
il the manufacture, which IS done by girls.
is tho fastening Of the bottom and side strips
together. This is done by a peculiar looking
machine called stapler, but which might
very properly be called a wire sewing ma
chine. San Diego Cal Union.
Explorer stauiey's Extreme Tacituraity.
Every white man who las served under
the explorer Stanley peaks OF his remark
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