Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-28

4 Visit u ihs oas Ia This CITY RIM BY smith
I Morgan.

I Morgan.
Among the various thriving industries q
Augusta il the broom handle factory, 10.
Gated on Bangor street, . short distance
from Cony street.
This factory has been running many
yesrs. 0. S. Smiley conducted it for %
years previous to his death. The present
proprietors, Smith & Morgan, were old
Boston & Maine Rsilroad workmen. Mr..
Smith worked 10 years in the ca,
shops at Cambridge, Mass, and Mr..
Morgan worked At the Concord, N. H., car
shops 10 years. They purchased the factory
in April, 1898, and have done flourishina
business since. At present they have or.
ders enough to keep them constantly busy
more than year. These gentlemen
came here strangers, but have con.
Quoted the business in manner
to give perfect satisfaction to all
Last year the sales were all good and moi
one bill remained unpaid. Every man
who has worked 10 the shop has been paid
regularly each week.
A JOURNAL man visited the factory
yesterday, ssnd found MI Smith
man G5 years Of age, busy
overlooking the work in general
From conversation the following facts were
learned. All fine handles, so inches long
IL in diameter. are shipped to the J. G..
Rollins Co., Omitted, London, England.
These are done up in bundles of gross
each in burlap and have trade mark.
These handles are free from knots and
are highly polished. The other principal
markets are New York and Springfield, Vt.
q The broom handles are made f spruce.
The material is procured at,several of the
leading lumber mills and 10 sawed from the
slabs Of logs. The sticks when rough
~ prepared 1t 4 the Mile are done
up in bundles and sold by the thousand.
Pet us follow a rough stick through the
factory and see it made into the finished
broom handle. 1t first goes into the hands
Of the man at the lathe, who passes il
through that machine. 1t next meets the
chucking machine, which rounds the ends.
After that it is taken to the
dry house, where it remains until
thoroughly seasoned, when it is brought
back to the main room and put through the
scourer and the burnisher. 1t is then
ready for shipment. }@f
In the main room are the various ma
chimes for making these handles. Albert
Pratt has charge of the scourer; Robert
Whitney, Thomas Nicholas and Fred Will,
son operate the lathes. The asserting
and putting up Of the handles is
under the charge of G. A. Malcolm.
G. c. Morgan, one of the proprietors, ID
engineer, and F. H. Smith, the other mem.
Der of the firm, is the general business
manager.
The power for driving the machinery il
derived from a Putnam 50-horse power en-
CINE and sO-horse power boiler, made by
the Atlantic Works of Boston. The shaw
ings and ends from the handles furnish fuel
for the furnace.
A large blow pipe is arranged to carry the
shavings to shed at the rear of the main
building. When both lathes are running
full blast they will turn out about COCO
bundles a day. Connected with the estab-
lishment are two dry houses filled with
handles piled in layers with stringers be-
tween. The dry houses are heated by steam
pipes which pass around the walls. The yard
at the rear Of the factory has several
long tiers Of material on hand for manufac-
turing.
Beside the manufacturing of broom han
dies, picksts, mop handles and stair balus-
trades are made. The second story is used
a. q store and repair room.