The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-06-11
ALLEN & GINTER BRANCH BUILD
INGS AT HENDERSON, n. C.
Mastery Management-A Description
of the PrOperty-Six Factories
Full of the Golden Weed.
ERichmond Southern Tobacconist.]

CRichmond Southern Tobacconist.]
In recent visit to Henderson, N.
c., we were kindly invited 10 visit
the Allen & Ginter Branch's tobacco
plants, composed of three separate
factories four to five stories high.
These are situated in group, yet at
an amply safe distance apart for con-
venience without endangering the de-
struction of all should one catch fire.
We have visited very many factories
and are familiar with interior and ex-
terror workings of all classes in many
places and expected little of interest,
yet found much worth relating.
This plant of the Allen & Ginter
Branch has been a great help to Hen
derson as a market. The buildings
have added value to town property,
and the number Of hands employed
adds to activity and wealth of Hen
derson. This branch has kept abreast
and ahead of improvements all the
time.
What we were struck with mostly
was the neat and trim look of the
fencing enclosing the acres of lots on
which the factories are situated, the
absence of heaps of trash on the prem
ises and unsightly piles of refuse
around the same. If this was the
exterior what must the interior be, was
our thought: We enter factory No. 3,
the last built and just completed !; it is
firm on brick foundation, five stories,
with floor capacity of 10000 feet of
hard dressed pine, an inch and over
thick. Factories Nos. I and 2 are
likewise each of $4,000 feet capacity.
The first floor of No. is used for
stemmers, usually one hundred, with a
necessary force of day laborers.
First floor of No. is used for re-
ceiving and sorting leaf tobacco.
Each grade of tobacco is kept separate
as it comes from the warehouse. 1t is
marked OH the ticket to what class it
belongs when bought. Each grade is
carefully assorted and picked over
making perfectly uniform lots of each
class before it is stemmed. Special
hands at asserting, kept busy in gangs,
| become both dexterous and expert by
practice.
The upper floors of Nos. I and 2
are used for racking and hanging strips.
The light comes in from all sides, as
we'll as the air. The current of air is
regulated by the angle at which the
| windows are adjusted by window
catches. Some windows have thick
brown paper to prevent sun-bleaching
of the tobacco. The frame factory
is not only less expensive but far pref.
cradle to brick for drying hanging
| tobacco. 1t is more easy to dry and
| order tobacco in pine than in brick
factories, so experience teaches.
The racking extends from top to
bottom of floors, and is movable in
tiers, arranged length or crosswise, to
facilitate handling the leaf and proper
exposure tor drying, draft and order
ing and striking or bulking. Expert
ence and situation of the building de-
termines these seemingly unimportani
arrangements of rack!ng. Everything
is arranged for expeditions work. A
good season must be taken advantage
| of, has been, as is often the case, long
waited for. In few hours the weather
may change and the chance to strike
will be lost. Hence bungling job
of racking or hanging must be avoided.
so that the large force of hands may
work with the utmost advantage. The
floors are divided into sections and
known by name to expedite matters.
We follow our leader over every
| floor filled with fine leaf-just walking
| room on four sides to open windows.
A hundred feet and over in width on
two sides and forty-two feet in height
of racking, with three floors hanging
full of leaf, and we think we could
have held on our hat every visible Leaf
fallen on the floor, SO thorough and
Systematically was the hanging done
Scarcely leaf of bundle struggled
from its place. No trash nor tobacco
juice on the floor. Neatness, order and
system are visible everywhere. What
an example to some of our plug tacto-
ries! The consumer should never see
inside some factories.
The Morse elevator has its place
| here, and does its work we'll.
PACKING CAPACITY.
With nineteen improved Ratchet
screws, made by the Richmond Loco.
motive Works, of which there are six
or seven in each factory, from 1oc
to 100 packages are usually priced pc,
day of strips, and, if necessary, double
sets of hands are employed, one night
and one day set to double this pricing.
Factory No. 3 is used exclusively fol
bordering and handling leaf tobacco
not stemmed here so that leaf and
stemmed tobacco and the cost and
care cooperating each is kept accurately
separate, and the cost of each is at
once ascertainable on the books.
ELECTRIC LIGHTS
are on the lower floors of No. 2, which
floors are also heated by steam from a
large 40 horse power boiler put up by
II. T. Edwards, of Richmond, of Erie
| City Iron Works manufacture. Water
IS supplied by pumps and we'll on
the lot.
HOgsheads and tierCes are made on