The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-06-12
OUR TIN. PLATE pRopUcr.
Fully rs Good as That of European Manu-.
facture.

|
newspaper of free trade stamp ha
been endeavoring recently to cast as
persion on the tin plate industries c
the country and Philadelphia in partic
Mar, which have been started every
where as result of the additional dut
fixed by the Mckinley bill on importet
roofing tin. The sallies have been di
rectly mainly against the N. & G. Tay
Tor company of this city, which began
to manufacture tin plate in a mill a
Front and Laurel streets some week
ago.
1t is claimed upon an alleged investi
cation that the N. & G. Taylor Co. did
not have any tin plate works, nor could
the firm furnish any American tin plate
A further assertion was made that the
company was making boasts OF turning
out as good tin plate as could be pro
duced across the water in order to
bring trade for their imported material
and also correspondence which they
could not otherwise procure.
The Press yesterday took occasion to
Investigate these reports. A visit was
made TO the works, at Front and Laurel
streets. A gang OF workers were seen
busily engaged in the manufacture OF
tin plate and the thoughts of probable
illusion were speadily dispelled. The
factory is long, low brick building.
Along the east side of the big open
room were piles of black sheet iron.
Adjacent TO them we're other piles of
shining tin plates in boxes and ready
for packing. AT the southern end of the
building was huge brick furnace with
six fires. Above the furnace was a
large iron protector, placed there to
carry off the fumes of the palm oil.
Near by was the machinery used for
stamping the sheets. Along the west
wall was the picking" paraphernalia
Two hours of investigation produced
a conviction beyond all doubt that tin
plate. as fine as any European make
was certainly being manufactured The
brand of tin that the company is max
ing is the Taylor ''Old Style" brand.
and the impression stamped on every
sheet shows the brand. thickness, trade
mark and name (R. & G. Taylor COM
pany. Phila.).
A fellow seized a black iron plate
from pile nesting against an iron sup
port. These plates are made from Sic
mens-Martin soft steel. The prepare
ton of these black. glistening sheets
for tin plate manufacture is interesting.
They are picked and annealed: then
they are cold rolled. reannealed and
make perfectly square. This makes
the sheets soft and pliable. Next they
are packed in boxes so that the edges
may not be injured.
The hurley fellow with one of these
finely prepared iron sheets. dextrously
handed it to the man at the picking
vat. The vat is large wooden trough
filled with water. diluted with strong
solution of sulphuric acid. The sheet
is dipped into the vat several times,
and then goes to the man at the water
vat. There it is deposited several mo-
ments. The sheet next goes to the
scorer" who skillfully scrubs it with
sand and passes It to an auburn-bearded
man who deposits it into another vat of
water and recleans it.
Now the sheet iron is ready to don its
coat OF tin. 1t is tossed over to the
worker at the furnace vat, filled with
pure palm oil. He immerses it several
times. The palm oil renders the iron
adhesive 10 the thinning" material. 1t
is a rather expensive mode OF manufac-
ture but skilled makers know that the
best tin plate can be made in this way.
The oily sheet is next tossed to the man
at the metal vat. The metal is almost
all tin and down into the Sizing fluid
the sheet is deposited. 1t becomes sill
yer coated after several dimensions and
then handed TO muscular individual
who gives it number of additional
baths in vat of metal. The sheet is
thoroughly washed with a brush of
hemp saturated with palm oil
Next it is passed to an employee. who
is waiting to deposit it into a vat of
metal, which consists of a mixture of
tin and lead. Now the sheet is beau:
tiful tin roofing plate. But the finish
ing touches have to be made. 1t is
dipped into a palm oil pot The clean
erS'' take it. II is rubbed in saw dust
III ST. tlcil III DISttl' dIlu uudllN fOIISueu
On a table by sheep5kin. Ali traces of
Dill thus are removed carefully
from the surface The tin
plate now goes under an ex-
animation. The ''sOrter examines
every inch Of the surface to find
there are any imperfections.
But the ''sorter" looks pleased. 1t is a
good tin plate and ready to be stamped
md packed away with the other i'll
sheets in a box. The ''sorter' upon
icing asked whether the plate was as
rood as any made in Great Britain or
lther tin plate centers replied conf
iently: 1T is certainly equal to it at
he least" The busy worker then ex-
blamed that a certain fine imported |
in plate was taken as a pattern. He |
held the pattern in one hand and the |
newly manufactured American tin
olate in the other.
Look at them both carefully" con-
'luded the sorter smiling. land | think |
'ou will admit that if there is any
Inference in the quality OF the two,
'ou will say as l do, that the American
5 better