The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-08-13

Ten Millions of Brick Can Be
Turned Out Annually BY
Both of the Yards,
One thing which has done much to
advertise Princeton and Mile Laos
county all over the Northwest is the
superior quality Of brick which our
yards manufacture. Wherever their
fame has spread judicious builders in-
sist that it must be a part of the con-
tract that all brick used must be of
Princeton manufacture.
B Seven years ago Messrs. #. NJ. Camp
bell and a. w. Woodcock decided that
the bed of clay, lying north of town
was too good to lie unused and de-
cided to open brickyard. It was first
planned to start one of the old-fash-
Toned ssslop'' kind, and the yard was
graded for this purpose and the ma
chimes put in. Their first seasons ex-
1perience was disastrous. AS soon as
the drying yard was filled a heavy rain
would come and the labor of many days
would be represented only by shapeless
Jumps of clay. Several hundred thou
sand bricks were destroyed in this
manner during the first season.
This experience led them to change
the method of manufacture and the
= wire-cut'' machines were put in.
Since then success has followed the
operations of this yard.
a UNION reporter visited this yard,
now owned by Woodcock & Cakes, and
found it a place of great activity.
Thirty men are employed and brick
are being turned out at the rate of
$4,000 per day. Friday evening the
yard had mad 2, 500, 900 brick, OF which
1859, 900 were burned, $50, 200 set in
the kilns and $4,000 were drying.
This was the product of Ala days run
with the machine. Mr. Woodcock
stated that they had intended to make
5000, 900 this season and that the mark
would be easily reached. During six
years the yard has manufactured 49,
1854, 942 bricks not counting the 500, 900
turned out the first year.
SIS Farnham Bros :. yard was also visited
and presented as hustling an appear
ance as the other. Thirty men also
find employment here and so far this
season have turned out 1900, 900.
Manager Farnham said that the: yard
would run about three weeks longer
and with average weather about 6OO,-
900 would be added to the run. The
Farnhams have been engaged in the
brick business for the past fifteen
years and although they are newcom-
ers here they have shown that they
are competent men by the excellent
quality OF the product their yard has
turned out. One thing of which
manager Farnham is proud is thesfact
that their entire plant was put in with
out the aid of a machinist and to
this day the services of one has not
been required. This yard also uses
the same system as that used at the
Woodcock yard.
The men employed in these yards
receive an average of very nearly SO. 90
per day. One hundred and twenty dol
lars, therefore is the amount paid each
day for labor, and as residents
OF the vicinity are employed
wherever practicable lit means that
this amount is distributed daily among
our settlers. AS Mr.. Farnham put it;
I'VE are shipping out Mile Laos
county real estate and shipping in
foreign money to be distributed among
Mile Laos county people,
But labor alone does not represent
the entire outlay of the yards. Each
million burned requires 500 cords Of
wood. The capacity of the yards is
10, 100000 per season therefore, besides
the wood used for engine fuel, ETC.,
5000 cords of wood are required. Soft
wood is used, something that does not
find a ready sale on the market, but
which is plenty in this vicinity. The
highest price paid for this by shippers
has been from 80 to so cents on board
the cars. Last year the brickyards
paid the farmers S1.1O per cord de-
Livered, which is from 30 to 80 cents
above the price they would otherwise
have been forced to accept. Five
thousand cords Of wood therefore rep
resent SIS, 800 more paid to settlers.
Nor does the benefit end here. Mile
Laos county is now.rapidly settling up
md new farms are being opened in
arge numbers each year. The land is
covered with heavy growth Of timber
which must be cut and the yards furn-
sh the new settlers with an excellent
market at home.
One man, who visited the yard of
IVoOdcOcks e Cakes a short time APO.