The Newtown bee., 1892-01-29
An Extensive Brass Factory.

To those not having an opportunity to see the manner in which brass is made, brief description of a visit to the Bridgeport Brass Co.'S large establish ment at Bridgeport might not come amiss.
 Entering the office, immediately upon the right are the headquarters of Super ntendent Beach. Adjoining and con- meeting is the office of the secretary, D. w. Nissan and connecting with this, is the treasurer's office. On the left are the .bookkeepers, paymaster, etc. The off, ces are the finest in this section, being finished in natural mahogany and all ap- pointments are of the same high order throughout.
 With the genial and courteous Supt Beach to explain the various objects of interest, we made hurried tour through the departments it would take day at least to see them as they should be seen. Our first visit was to the casting shops, where the proportions of copper and spelter (zinc) are melted in cruel ble and then poured into iron moulds of required size. As soon as cooled, so that it can be handled, the cast bar of brass is taken to the rolling mill and passed be tween cold steel rolls, then annea1ed or softened, then rolled again, repeating the process until the bar that, upon the start, measured three quarters of an inch in thickness is reduced, if required, to two one thousandths of an inch, (the hu- man hair measures three to five thou sandths of an inch).
 From the rolling mill, we passed into a seamless tubing department; immense hydraulic benches reduce tubing from 1-2 inches in diameter to Is of an inch in diameter.
 We now enter the braZed tubing de- partment and see how a round tube is made from flat piece of brass and the outside embossed with almost any de sign fancy may dictate.
 Leaving this department, we go into the large wire mill, where probably no less than 150 men are employed hand ling the huge coils Of wire. This com pany make speciality of hard drawn copper wire for long distance telephone use and were the first to successfully pro- duce such an article.
 We now take the elevator to the stories above, where we find automatic machin- cry of all kinds best adapted to produce work in the latest and cheapest manner. There is hardly an article in which brass is used, from cuspidore to a piano, that this concern does not make some portion of it.
 We were specially pleased to see the manner in which copper wire is covered or insulated. The special automatic ma chinery employed in braiding, spooling and polishing is almost human.
 The outward appearance of this con- cern gives one but little idea of it's im- mense plant, covering upward of six acres and employing between 600 and 700 hands.
 As you pass from one department to another, you behold the manufacture of almost every conceivable article. Cop per rivets are turned out at the rate of 70 per minute. Piano and organ pins, pocket scales, sewing machine draw pulls and trimmings, oilers, lamp burn CTS, bicycle bells, call bells. push bells, electric bells,fiy fans, motor movements. Everything is made here that trade de- mands. All goods are made by maehin- cry in the most rapid manner.
 There is nothing wasted, as all waste and trimmings are re-melted, each time improving the quality.
 As you return through the directors room and into the spacious offices, all finished in solid mahogany, you feel well paid for the trip.