Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-12-19
CAN IT BE PROFITABLY MANUFACT
URED HERE?
BY CURTIS X. FOSTER.

BY CURTIS X. FOSTER.
Mr. President:
This board having asked me to prepare
a paper on the manufacture OF hardwood,
| question i'll it pay to manufacture our
| hardwood here" answer, yes, and Will
do the best can to give you reasons
why think it will pay.
There are several lines into which this
hardwood might be manufactured, but
as | am more acquainted with the furni-
| ture than any other line, ! will devote
hat have to say to the manufacture OF
| hardwood into furniture or chair stock.
Others have told you OF the extent OF our
hardwood and its transportation to our
factory in Ellsworth. SO here l Will
begin with the hardwood i'll log at our
factory at Ellsworth. am informed on
good authority, that the hardwood can be
landed here at IS per thousand-beech
birch, maple and ash, with some oak and
elm But the first three are our prin-
ciples Chair stock from these find a
ready market.
The chair factories of Massac husetts
/
from s1S for the coarser grade to $50 per
thousand, and for the extra grades $50 10
S33 landed on cars at Ellsworth. Between
these two extremes the prices are go, -,
81 and 20 per thousand, according to
grade. The logs at our factory at IS per
thousand, " Alch is high figure, can,
allowing for wear and tear OF ma
chi of
insurance. be manufactured for IS per
thousand, and put on the cars for =,
making Sl5 in all on cars, and his leaves
even on the poorest grade 80 per thousand
profit. You may ask the question rig hit
here: How about drying?
These figures, Mr.. President, are for
the chair stock green. Now for the
chairs: One thousand feet OF this chair
stock will make, allowing for waste, 2iO
chairs OF style known by all furniture
men as the hye-splndle back. These
chairs cost at wholesale 1880 per doz.
1t will cost IS for our logs. II costs
| IS to get ii into stock. 1t costs by
either steam or hot air to dry it from
seventy-five cents to Sl.25 per thousand,
according to the amount used. The
labor ON the manufacture Of these chairs
costs nIntey-,iN cents per dozen, and the
finishing or furnishing costs sixty cents
per dozen.
COST OF MANUFACTURE.
Let US put these together and see what
| it " III cost to put one thousand OF this
hard Mood into cheap hardwood chairs,
such rs / poke of. For the hardwood in
/ log al factory, IS; for the manufactur in
square chair stock, green, 50; for the dry
I ing, Sl.25; for the labor on 2i0 chairs,
$500; foF ,ae finishing or vanishing,
sl2, making SO. 10. What it will cost to
put them on the market, ! do not know;
that depends on what you have to go
f with them. But taking IL AS II usually
/ is, you can get some man to take this line
4 with his, " here it does not conflict, at a
! commission of ID per cent, making
800 for the twenty dUzen-in all the
mauafact uring Of and putting on the
market. S53.25. This taken from the full
aa78unt Of twenty dozen at 800 per
/ dozen, leaves US II clean net profit of
| S24 TO- which is and has been satisfactory
/ to all manufacturers. The same principle
works on the better grade OF chairs, etc.
| think | need give no further illustra-
ton, but viii cite 10 you some instances
where the manufacture of furniture has
paid and is paying we'll. For instance, the
little chair factory at--a young man
went there on visit to friends, saw a
small water power which once ran grist
mill, now dilapidated and out OF use. The
idea struck him, why can't this be bought
cheap and small hardwood factory
started. He made inquiries, and found
that it was for sale. He got young man
son of the man who owned the power
and old MILL They bought it, put up
new mill, near the old, put in machinery
enough to make four kinds of chair.
(cane seat, and started it in Novem Der
seven years ago. 1t then employed thre,
hands, two OF the firm and one hired
They got out their chair stock, made NJ
the chair Stats, and put them out TO tn,
farmers to put IN the cane. They "oulC
come to the factory once week, ana ge
the frames and SO many strips OF cant
for each seat, take them home and do Ia,
work in the evenings, getting for thu
same ten to twelve cents each. Now tina
. little factory employs, or did in JUNE
last, eighteen men, beside giving employ