The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-29
BROOM MAKING.
AN INDUSTRY WHERE THE SMALL
CAPITALIST HOLDS HIS OWN.
Tho broom Confer OF tho Country.
Growth of q broom Factory-The Trade
In New York City-A Trick OF the
Trade.

1hore IS one Industry III INC COUNTY, III |
which the small capitalists have been |
able to hold their own against the wealth
lest men in it, and that Is the industry OF |
broom making. II is business in which !
q iourneyman OF skill and prudence can |
hope TO establish himself, If he wishes, !
within n very few years after he has |
learned his trade. The process of broom |
making Is simple, and yet it is such that
machinery has never been devised for |
turning out n completed broom, and, be- |
yond the sum necessary TO erect such IN
establishment as will permit of GER
tain division OF the labor, IN abundance
Of capital is OF no special advantage.
The broom center Of the country is in
New York state, the largest establish
mcnts AID the best workmen being
located in the Mohawk valley. The time
was when the Mohawk valley was the
great broom corn raising center OF the
country, too, but the less tough and
stringy and more succulcnt and profitable
cabbage has driven the wavy green tassels
of broom corn from the fats which we're
once their favoritc growing place. 10 was
because OF the prolific yield OF com there
in former years that the trade OF making
N-'Nt-''''''''HN+f
A BROOM FACTORY.
The growth OF broom factory IS in
tcrcs.ing. a young man Of economical
habits learns the trade, and, having
learned 10 well, is able to do the equiya-
lent Of turning out from lOJ ID 10 OF IJO
complete brooms q day. As 4 matter OF
fact, ia well regulated shops no man
makes complete broom, but only one
part Of it, but the journeyman having
learned his trade well can do enough work
usually at piece prices 10 earn from - 10
So IN day. OGt of this he ought 10 save
500 before starting in trade for himself.
With this sum he can buy enough ma
cMacry Nt cost Of SEQ ana stock to
set from three - five men 10 WorA ana
keen them c0iug until returns como IN
from Che sales Thc5 Is very modest
crrilal, but since The machinery costs 20
lit.lc, men have started on $500, and even
less. aal nllc notable Successes rs the
trade goes second hand tools can DO
had sometimes for $50 or $50 = couple OF
bales Of corn would cost perhaps $50, 800
handles $3.50 more, and other supplies
S9j, and then the man IS ready to SET up
shop and make all The brooms his neigh
bors can use ~ least
The trade i'm New York city calls Tor
about 10000 dozen brOOms ycIr Inc
minority OF them are made ir Amsterdam
and other towns along the mohawk river
Many come from jersey, however Inc
factories are unprctcntious wooden build
ipgs. Steam rover IN the larger factories
il uscl in stitching the broom and in
vindng the wire around the corn where
10 is secured 10 tho handle. The largest
factory m the business, according To
New York dealer, turns ont ,OOJ bTooms
a DAY. or twice ~ many as the New YORK
city trade demands. In such factory
mans work is equivalent 10 the making
of from 200 TO 2JO brOOmS u day, accord
ing to the quality Of the brooms.
OF tho trade in the corn dealer said:
"The manufacturers buy their corn in the
west. Kansas corn has the best reputa-
ton in this market, but Missouri, Ne
braska and Illinois raise a great deal. The
crop was very small in Kansas this year,
ana Illinois did better than any other
state. An ordinary crop is JOO TO 4OO
pounds to the acre. If "A farmer gets 90
pounds he pays off some OF his mortgage,
and when the crop reaches 600 pounds he
buys a new silk dress for his wife and u
piano for his daughter. And yet there is
not such a terrible profit in IT. IL brings
all the way from $50 10 SlG0 Il ton in New
York, the ordinary bro0ms requiring stock
that now sells for from 500 TO $l2O Il
ton. 1t costs so Il ton to get il here from
| Kansas aud $lj from Illinois. The mid
die man out there must have his commits
sion, and 50 must the New York mcr-
chant. Ii a farmer receives $50 an acre
FOR his crop he is doing well, still that IS
Better than wheat ut sixty cents bushcl.
BROOM CORN IN BALES.
'oThe com comes to this market in bales
averaging 300 pounds each. The corn
from the prairics is baed with Hath and
| wire, but some Ohio corn comes here with
very liberal chunks OF wood 10 keep the
| bales from tumblng to pieces. The wood
| sells nj the same price rs the corn, II the
BUYER doesn't notice il. Sometimes the
prairie farmer gets even with the OHIO
man by dropping a sod or two into the
| bunch.
"Thc corn on the average will make
| 1000 broOms 10 the ton, although in
some fancy brands Of extra heavy brooms
rs much as fifty pounds is used for IA
dozen brooms In the parlor bro0ms sold
at the groceries two to two and one quarter
| pounds are used
There is quite on export trade IN broom
| corn in ordinary times and in brOOms in
| other times. With low prices on The corn the
| corn isshippcl, but when the broom makers
| have squirt. as they sometimes 40, and
flood the market, no broom trust having
| yet been formed, brooms are sold 50 low
| AS 90 enable merchants TO send them 10
| Cuba and South America. Very little
| broom corn ~ ordinarily sent 10 Europe,
| tie fields o. southern France and Of
| italy supplying the European markct
''What 3 the trick in this trade, II there
he tricks in all trades" was asked OF "A
| dealer i'm broom corn.
1T is IN making poor corn lOOl. Ike
| good. The best article has a healthy green
color, ike wen cured timothy hay That
| color indicates toughness, with proper
| feasibility The cheap stuff, worth $50 a
ton is OF sickIy yellow or lemon color.
| Nothing be easier than 10 give 10 the vel
| low corn bath in q green Disc, so a. 20
| give 10 the appearance Of first color corn
4 d.