Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-10-17
BIG INDUSTRIES.
THE MILLS OF THE DRAINING MFG. co.
AND J. s. KNIGHT & CO.

most important enterprises and
features bearing upon the prosperity.
progress. and, in fact. civilization Of
the people and especially of the com
munity in which they are located.
First and foremost amongst Eden
tom industries, are the Saw Mills
Of the Branning Manufacturing Com
pany. and the Planning Mills of j.
Stewart knight & Co., located in
the Southwestern part Of Edenton,
near Norfolk Southern depot, on
Queen Ann Creek, which represent
an outlay of capital, amounting to q
HALF MILLION of dollars-equipped
with the best and very latest machin-
cry in every department aud with a
demand that is increasing daily.
these mills are kept running the
entire year.
The two saw mills are buildings
two-stories high and have an aggre-
gate capacity OF one-hundred thous-
and feet of lumber per day of ten
hours. ALL of which is kiln-dried
and shipped as soon as it is through
kilns. 1t is fact, that the pine cut
by the Branning Manufacturing Co.,
is equal in large degree, to Mich.
gan White Pine which readily &C
counts for it's great and ever in
creasing demand.
If a man wants to increase the cir
culation ia his system by pleasant
process let him visit these mills. NV
the saws, the sizes and the shapes Of
Of saws, the engines, the sizes and
work Of engines, the mills, the mills,
the noise, the confusion, the steam,
the smoke, and the dust,
in all the places on all the premises,
beats our time in Edenton and makes
our heart propel the blood more rapid.
" than if we saw a ghost.
On entering the main mill you pass
through the furnace loom where II
large furnaces stand side by side,
then to main engine room, where sits
large double engine which turns
driving wheel some fifteen feet in di-
ameter at the rate Of IT'S to 200 rev
olutions per minute. This wheel turns
only the great circular and gang saws.
The latter cuts, after the log has been
"sided up" sixteen planks per min
ute. The log is turned by spiked
piece of iron some six inches square.
This is called the 'steam Niger"
and is worked 10y q pair Of piston
rods, the cylinders of which are
placed so as to revolve in any direc-
ton. The reader can form some
conception of the power of this
machine when we say that it is just
as easy to turn a three foot log as it
is to blow piece of lint from your
hand.
1t would require too much space
TO describe how the plank, after it
leaves the car, is taken by various
rollers to smaller saws to be "edged"
and cut in uniform lengths, and
finally, by still other rollers. assorted
and thrown off ON the various trucks
TO be rolled into the "drvhnuse.'
This company has about twenty
five dry-kilns in which lumber is
dried quickly and made ready for
further manufacture.
The way in which the slabs, ends
and sawdust are removed is the most
interesting of all. 1t is taken by
endless chains and buckets, all done
by steam, away from tue mill. The
sawdust is emptied into the furnaces
to be burned, and the wood, not
used for the same purpose, not fit for
sale. is taken over large scafrold
to. what the mill men call, hell"
Not the least interesting Of the var.
lous machines is the one which shar-
pens the saws. OF course this machine