The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-04-19
CYCLONES oF TooTHPrcKs.
A Toothpick Machine that Makes 6.e0o,-
900 Dt-.

As he stood beside ii little machine
that was sending out perfect cyclone
of toothpcks. some 10000 of them 3
minute, Mr.. E. T. Edgecome, the title
member of the firm, related his ex-
perience in the toothpick business:
81 was formerly mechanical ex-
pert in the employ of the Haverhold
Machine Company. / was with that
concern number of years, mastering
many details and ideas about machin-
cry, for which hold most decided
taste. In fact. it is my hobby. A. few
years ago left my position with the
Hayerhold Company and went to Me-
chanic Falls, where ] formed a ma
chine company. Later 1 went into the
toothpick business with Mr.. Harry
ID. Creighton of Philadelphia rs my
partner. We succeeded pretty well in
our venture, till all of a sudden we
found that the toothpick combination
mad frozen US out This combination
practically controlled ali the toothpick
business of the United States, and
when it refused to supply Us with
toothpicks we found ourselves in bad
position. We had large number Of
orders to fill, and not pick to fill
them with. In this extremity went
to work to get up toothpiek machine
of my own, and you see the, re-
suit of my labor before you This ma
chine manufactures about six million
picks per day. and they are about as
good picks as there are in the mar
ket.'
He took up handful of picks from
the bin into which they were being
,1aurad fy.o,,, no roo,,&l, g %lo
and handed one to the reporter for
examination. They are the fat pick
with the ends fiattened 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 6dgecomb factory has orders
ahead for its entire production of the
next five years.
Don't YOU make the picks that are
pointed at both ends?"
''No, We don't at present We are
perfecting plans to 90 into that style
of pick in the spring. We are now at
work on toOthpick machine. the ca
pacity of which will be 12e1D0O per
minute, or 72. 600. 900 per day.
swell, to go back little to the time
when we began to manufa cture for
ourselves. As soon as the toothpick
combination found out that we were
able to supply our customers with as
good pick as could be had, aud that
we had machine that would do three
times as much work as their own,
which turns out about three thousand
picks per minute, they decided to do
more than ever to drive us out of the
business.
1--WE were not to be driven. but on
the contrary kept forging ahead all
the time. till finally they concluded
that we were not to be conquered, SO
they invited us into their combination.
We refused to go. We saw no use for
combinations. Our goods stand on
their merits and we find ready mar
ket for them.
''But you wished to know how q
toothpick was made. Well, let's be-
gin at the first stage of the process.
The wood we use is birch and
maple. 1t must be green. clear, and
straight grained. We get it from all
along the line of the Maine Central.
1t comes in four-foot logs, which We
saw into six aud quarter inch pieces.
These are put into barrels in the
steaming room, where they remain for
about three hours, coming out as soft
as leather"
He picked up piece of thin veneer
and exhibited its pliability by twisting
it carelessly in the way one would .
strip of ribbon.
1.-The charging of the wood with
steam drives out all the sap. and then
it is ready for the veneer machine, the
bark having been removed. Here is
the veneer machine in operation, and
he indicated a piece of mechanism
much like a lathe, similar to the veneer
machine used in wooden box factories.
The blocks are placed in this in
strument and out comes two long SER
pents of veneer, or ribbons of wood,
the grain running across the strips,
which are allowed to squirm around
on the floor till after the operation is
complete.
They are then wound up on large
spools. each spool carrying about q
hundred feet or so of veneer. The
reels are the ammunition with which
the toothpick machine is loaded. The
end of the veneer is placed in the Cat
hng-gun-like apparatus, and shoot out
at the muZZle in a scattering volley-
A small boy picks them up into drying
boxes. with wire bottoms. They are
placed ON a hot-air draught, famed
by blower, and in twenty minutes
they are dry as bone.
''In the boxing room q half-dozen
girls stand at tables and. put up about
five cases day, 100 boxes in case,
for which they are paid Is cents q
case. The work is not hard, and an
expert can make good wages.-Leaois-
ton Journal.