Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-09
A v1GoRO0s INDUSTRY.

tIAGN-fA ONO ~
Scrtptton of the Plant-SuperiOr
QuaRsy OF the Articles Manufac-
Iurcd "A Prosperous and Ex-
pandimg Business Which viii
crow 10 Gigantic dimensions.
"Details.
The two most gratifying things in the
present status of Los Angeles city and
county are the energy in developing our
productive resources and the growth of
manufactures. To the surprise of many
persons who have supposed that we were
shut out of manufacturing in this section,
industries have sprung up here on large
scale, and prominent amongst these is
the great establishment, in the Vernon
district, of the California Sewer Pipe
Company. This corporation have erect
ed, at the intersection of Wilmington
avenue with the track of the Ballona
branch of the California Central Rail
way, mammoth establishment for the
manufacture of salt-glaze vitrifed
sewer pipe and other specialties which
are in extensive demand in Southern
California. They have purchased thirty
nine acres at this point and have built
thereon series OF buildings 2S0 feet
long and forty feet wide, with three
wings which are lao feet long by 40 wide.
THE ORIGIN OF THE ENTERPRISE.
The discovery of remarkable beds of
clay at Elsinore was the beginning of the
venture. A local company some time
| in 1887 started at that place the manu-
facture of sewer pipe and ornamental
terra Gotta work. This movement had
taken form in the Southern California
Coal and Clay Company. The land on
which the clay beds were located were
owned by Mr.. John Dolbeer, who be-
came leading stakeholder in the corpo-
ration named. The business from
| the first was thriving one.
1t soon became known that pipe
clay, terra Gotta clay and asbestos
for fire-brick were at Elsinore of unsur-
passed quality, and number of CO.
ahead capitalists of Los Angeles were
attracted to this favorable opening for
investment. The result was that, about
the latter part of May, 1888, the present
company was organized, the name was
changed to the California Sewer Pipe
Company" with headquarters at Los
Angeles. and J. G. DAILY, Horace Hitler,
w. F. Fitzgerald, w. Ell. Perry, John
Dolbeer (this gentleman is San Fran
ciscan), D. M. McGarry and John P.
Moran were elected directors. An Or
ganization was effected by electing J. G.
Daily President and General Manager,
Horace Hitler, s-President; John P.
| Moran, Secretary, and the California
Bank, Treasurer. The other members
of the company are Mr.. J.L. Cherry and
Mr.. II. G. Wilmer. 1t will be seen that
this is distinctiyely home company.
That these gentlemen believe that they
have good thing is shown by the fact
that they have already invested $780,
600 in their plant and stand ready to ex-
tend it indefinitely. In fact, they are
already doubling their kilns and are pre-
pairing for the manufacture of orna-
mental terra Gotta and fire and pressed
brick on large scale.
SCENE OF BUSY INDUSTRY.
The first thing, of course, that attracts
the attention OF the visitor is the splendid
scale of the buildings. The next is the
immense piles of the peculiar Elsinore
sewer clay and asbestos that are lying
around, and that are daily added to by
trains of the California Southern Rail
way. The pipe works are located con-
veniently to the track, and have a Y
which enables them to receive and dis
patch shipments. The daily capacity OF
the establishment is 5000 feet of the
average size of the sewer pipe manufac-
tured, which runs from three to thirty
inches in diameter.
Entering the engine room, the reporter
encountered Mr.. John Redman, the fore
man, who has served lifetime at the
business, and who has gained his knowl-
edge of the process in a large similar
establishment located near Chicago. Mr..
Redman thinks the Elsinore clay is the
best he ever saw, and he doubts if it can
be excelled in the world. The power for
the work is supplied by Buckeye engine
of 1876 horse power, and is driven by two
boilers of 60 horse power each. Petro-
leum is the fuel employed, and it gives
great satisfaction.
Adjoining the engine room, is the Dry
Crusher, made by Turner, Vaughan &
Taylor, of Cayuga Falls, Ohio. Into this
is poured the dry clay. After it is thor
oughly triturated it is carried to an up
per story by an elevator with two bends,
whence it is let down into Chaser mills,
of which there are four of the latest pat
tern, from the establishment of Taplin
& Rice, of Akron, Ohio. Water is turned
in on the dry clay, and after it is mixed
and tempered to the proper consistency
it is carried up by the elevator to a
steam press, of the Barber make, where
it is made into pipes of the desired size,
the diameter ranging from three to
thirty inches. 1t is then run out on to
drying floors, which cover an immense
space, and which are underlaid with iron
steam pipes, that are supplied by the
exhaust steam from the engine boilers, |
The pipes are kept in the drying rooms,
which are we'll ventilated as we'll as
thoroughly heated, for periods varying
With the weather, but generally for four
days, when they are placed in the kiln,
remaining there for nine days, when |
they are ready for shipment.
THE QUALITY OF TKE PIPE.
For the first couple of days the pipe in |
the kilns is subjected to very gradual
he vt, for the reason that if the extreme |
temperature were turned on, it would be |
liable to elbow out" if the slightest
moisture remained in the clay. We
failed to learn the precise degree of this
heat, but it is 80 great as TO almost run
up to the maximum record. 1t is when
the temperature is at its highest that the
clay is converted into salt glaze yitrifed
pipe by throwing salt on the fires. The
solution of this salt with the silica in the
clay forms the perfect glaze, resulting inI