The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-21

Chairman Kirk, John J. Sheehan and
Clarence Coleman, OF the board of pub
lie works, and the editor of The TIMES
went to Chilhowio Thursday morning
to inspect the vitrifed brick plant of
Adams Brothors IL Paynes. They
we're joined at the depot in Roanoke by
w. d. Adams and r. II. t. Adams, who
accom- panied them to Chilhowic, where
j. &. Payne met the party and escorted
them to the plant. A fine lunch was
served in the Office, where Capt. j. G..
Osborne, of the Rad ford division of the
Norfolle and Western, joined tho party.
Adams Brothers & Paynes are supply
ing the brick for lining the huge Elk
horn tunnel from their Chilhowie plant
Tho superintendent of tho works is
r. j. Rutland. bronzed and hardy gen.
tleman. who, though born in England
has spent over half his life in America,
and finds tho beautiful scenery and
healthy climate of Chilhowie much to
his liking. He is thoroughly posted on
clayS, shales and brick-making in all its
branches.
Brick making is but one department
OF tho extensive manufacturing and
business interests Of Adams Brothers g.
Paynes, and j. G.. Payne has special
jurisdic zion over it. So much confidence
has the firm in his Judgment and bust
ness ability that, though there is over
$4,000 invested i'll tho Chilhowio plant,
II. IL; l. Adams confessed that il was
his first visit TO the works Ills own
department. is tobacco, and he probably
ships more tobacco to Australia than
any other American firm, besides con-
trolling large and valuable Enplish
custom.
The firm Of Adams brothers e Paynos
is one of the wealthicst and best known
in the whole South, and it's splendid
reputation has been built up by tho
stricteSt business methods and abso-
lutte reliability.
No fairer spot could havo been
chosen for an industry than Chilhowic.
Tho mountains lie in long lines to tho
south, clad in oak of many Varieties,
black, white, chestnut and Spanish 1t
is cheap. too and of fine quality. Mag
magnificent squared sticks are delivered
at the railroad for SD Il thousand. To
the north tho ground rolls in gentle hills
for many miles. Saltville, with its in
exhaustible deposits of salt and plaster,
is but six miles away, and the same
grand operations of nature which made
those deposits have impregnatcd the
sfales and clays of Chilhowie with lust
enough potash. magnesia and other
alkalies to vitIify to perfection.
When the timber is cleaned away
blue grass comes in luxuriantly, and
stock thrives as nowhere else. Vice
President Eddy's PROSECUTING in behalf
OF sheep culture is taking a strong hold
all through this section. Capt. j.
l.. Saunders, from whom Adams Brothers
~ Paynes bought their site, will clear
$1,000 this year, from his sheep alone.
He is hale old Aty 10 Virginian. shrewd
and hospi table, and thoroughly familiar
with the value of fried chicken az an
entering wedge for important financial
transactions. Thousands of acres of
line mountain Lard around Chilhowie
are held by the Douglas heirs in New
York. who have maintained their rights
through long and C ,stly litigation.
But all this is predatory and digres-
sive. The huge brick plant lies along
the railroad. First comes the neat and
tidy office OF the superintendent; taen
the grinding and moulding rooms. fur
thor on the dryers and then the kilns,
the tenth and last one in course Of com.
pletion. Al the extreme end of the
yard, which extends over quarter of
mile along the track, are huge piles
of porous drain tiles, which every
farmer is familiar with and which are
manufactured at the plant. Sewer nine
manufacture is in contemplation.
Back some twenty rods from the works
and north OF the tracks are the clay pits.
The pits were formerly dug for p0tter's
clay to supply small local pottery with
material. The clay is OF pure field
sparic variety with the slightest tinge
OF iron. LIS original formation is plainly
seen, as the stalwar5 workmen break
down the banks with their picks. just
over slight rise. few rods further,
the shales are found. These shalos have
not been analysed sufficiently to deter
mine their exact constituents, but
they are soapy when crushed and
contain but small percentage of sand.
UnmlXed they make an excellent rough
building brick. but the best results are
obtained, so Mr.. Payne said, by mixing
it with the potters' clay in proportion of
1 to 5.
Machinery is used everywhere it can
be. The clay is first exposed to the sun
and open air and then stored under a
huge shed large enough to hold tho
months supply needed 10 make l.OOn.-
600 brick. BY this means neither rain
nor snow interfere wi III the steady pro.
gress of the work. A cable winding
on drum cylinder draws
car containing nearly cubic yard of
clay up an inclined plane into the Sec
ond floor OF tho grinding house. Here
the clays are first crushed and then
moistened ad thoroughly mixed. being
carried on an endless bolt to tho mixer.
There they fall into the nav of power
full moulder in which an intercepted
endless screw drawn by 30 horse power
forces out beautifully smooth h.rd