The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-03-31
WOODEN rooTnPIcks.
A Little Machine That Makes sIx Miller
Of Thorn Every Day.

A Little Machine 1hat Makes sIx Mlilions
Of Thorn Every Day.
As he stood beside q little machine
that was sending out perfect cyclone
of toothpicks, some 10000 Of them a
minute, Mr.. +. T. Edgecomb, the title
member Of tho firm, related his experi-
encc in the toothpick business:
IL was formerly a mechanical expert
in the employ Of the Havcrhold MAJ
chine Company. was with that con-
Germ number of years, mastering
many details and ideas about ma
chinery, for which I hold a most de-
cided taste. In fact, II is my hobby. A
few years ago I left my position with the
Haverhold company and went to Me-
chanic Falls, where formed machine
company. Later went into the tooth
pick business with Mr. HarryD. Creigh-
ton, of Philadelphia, as my partner.
We succeeded pretty well in our venture.
till all of sudden we found that the
toothpick combination had frozen us
out. This combination practically con-
trolled all the toothpick business of the
United States, and when it refused to
supply us with toothpicks we found
ourselves in bad position. We had n
large number of orders to fill, and not
pick to fill them with. In this OK
tremity went to work to get up u
toothpick machine of my own. and you
see the result of my labor before you.
This machine manufactures about six
million picks per day, and they are
about as good picks rs there are in the
market"
He took up handful of picks from
the bin into which they were being
poured from the mouth of the machine.
and handed one to the reporter for ex-
animation. They are the flat pick with
the end sharpened off like chisel,
very good picks indeed the reporter
thought, and his view is evidently the
public mind, to Judge from the fact
that the factory has orders ahead for
its entire production of the next five
years.
But You wished to know how a
toothpick was made. Well, let's begin
at the first stage of the process.
"The wood we use is birch and ma
pie. 1t must be green, clear and straight
grained. We got it from all along the
| line of the Main Central. 1t comes in
four-foot logs, which we saw into six
and quarter inch pieces. These are
put into barrels in the steaming room,
where they remain for about three
hours, coming out as soft us leather.
He picked up piece of thin veneer
and exhibited its pliability by twisting
it carelessly in the way one would a
strip Of ribbon.
"The charging of the wood with
steam drives out all the sap. and then
il is ready for the veneer machine, the
bark having been removed. Here is
the veneer machine in operation" and
he indicated q piece of mechanism
much like lathe, similar to the veneer
machine placed in this instrument and
out comes two long serpents of veneer
or ribbons of wood, she grain running
across the strips, which are allowed tc
squirm around on the floor till after thu
operation is complete.
They are then wound up on larg,
spools, each spool carrying about {
hundred feet or so of veneer The reel:
are the ammunition with which thu
toothpick machine is loaded. The enc
of the veneer is placed in the Gatling
gun-like apparatus, and shoot out a
the muzzle in scattering volley. A
small boy picks them up into drying
boxes, with wire bottoms. They ar
placed on hot air draught. famed b,
blower, and in twenty minutes the.
are dry as bone.
"In the boxing room half-dozel
girls stand at tables and put up abou
five cases day, one hundred boxes il
case, for which they are paid eightcel
cents case. The work is not hard
and an expert can make good wages.
-LeWiston. (Me. Journal.