Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-07-27
coRs Goa pips eAcToeY.



The only annoyance experienced By the
company is now and then a scarcity OF
cobs Neighboring farmers do not seem
70 catch on to the fact that they can
make more from the eobs raised than
from the corn itself The kind known as
the Collier cob is preferred as il IS Larger
and the corn Is not set in as deep as
In other varieties. For good eobs one
cent apiece is paid. and many load Is
known to have realized $50
II wouldn't have believed it If ! hadn't
come over here said man from Moselle,
ten niles distant "A few weeks ago
ueighbor o. mine brought over load OF
eolrs. that wouldn't have thought good
for ANYTHING but to burn, got 80 for item
| have heard en- 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
Ii 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 ard
bring in the eobs, but any spread OF infor-
nation regarding the factory and the
magnitude Of its work is discouraged
I'VE do not wish to be advertised In
any wav." said Mr. Werlich when inter
rogated in regard to the process Of making
pipes. by correspondent. We would
rather nothing should be said about the
business
Visions Of intricate machinery and
precious secrets were limned TO the CORE
spondent back of Mr. Neirichs reluc-
lance to all 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 50 simple that there
is only wonder that 50 good ching could
have been kept in one company hands so
long The c0bs are delivered at the fac
tory. and are dumped under cover. They
are then sorted, and the good ones
counted and paid for The desirable size
IS u 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 Dor
ing follows The piece Of cob is placed III
cup that holds it tightly, and an inch
anger connected with a rapidly revolving
shaft is brought down through the cob's
center for "a 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 anger with a movement of the
lever by the other hand. and in twin
king it IS over Almost as fast rs they can
b. COUNTED the sawed pieces of cobs are
bored The turner's next take the pieces
There are two shapes TO the pipes, the
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
haze no pattern. but are guided by their
eve 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 the firm body, and the shape given, ex
actly as in wood turning The fastest
turner in the factory can do 1900 pieces
in day of ten hours. but the average for
the six men engaged in this particular
part of the work is 2 800 They are paid
81 per 1000
The next step involves the patent
looked upon as throwing the laws protec
ton around the company 5 interests The
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
OF paris and clutch the revolving embryo
pipe A jar of water sits over their
hands. so fixed that a tiny stream flows
down and moistens the plaster One
grab, presto all the Irregularities of the
cob are filled with plaster The pieces
are then dried, saVpapered and shell
lacked All is by machinery, and when
the shellac is dry, the pipes are ready for
packing The amour, of plaster or
shellac used is trifing- One barrel of
plaster will fill 10000 pipes, and one gal
lon Of shellac will cover them The stems
are of Arkansas cane and come already
Washington No Cor Globe Demo
Graf