The Somerset reporter., 1896-04-02
Last Blocks Galore.

| The last block business is carried on
by two companies in Bingham, and is at
its hight about this time. Ftz Brothers
Co, who have last factory in Auburn,
will manufacture something over 1000
| 600 blocks this season and Lander &
Savage, the other company will manu-
faeture above 0,000; so that the pro-
duet of the two concerns will aggregate
nearly if not quite 100000.
The first named company manufacture
their blocks on the bank of the kennebec
at Bingham, using steam for power and
the small chips and shavings from the
lathes fer fuel. This mill is now being
run nignt and day. the two crews mum
boring about 30 men. The large maple
logs ranging from to s to the thousand
feet are drawn from the water ON the
ice to the mill, cut with drag saw into
pieces the II quired length, split with AK
and maui into the required form aud
where they are automatically turned to
the required shape. There are ) of these
lathes, they were made to order aud are
powerful machines aud have to do severe
work. An iron last form guide for the
knives To operate upon the block of
wood and the lathe does it work with
dispatch and accuracy. One of these
machines will turn out from 1000 to
1900 last blocks per day of 10 hours.
These lathes after being in use for a
time in the Bingham plant were re-
moved to Auburn, and operated there,
but in December last were again
set up at Bingham and two more
with them. The advantage of this is a
big saving in freight about, 30 per cent
and also greater economy in handling.
Lander and Savage have plant in the
maple forrest on the west bank of the
kennebec about miles from Bingham
village, where they make the blocks
ready for shipment, but they are not
subjected to the lathe process as they
are in the factory at Bingham. The
maple logs have to be "barked", or
rather deprived of their bark before
they are sawed up by the drag saw and
then after the cuts are split up into the
right size they are trimmed by machin-
cry made for that express purpose into
tic DIODtt IOl III anu llhultu W l1C Idl-
road, where they are piled up in sheds
with tight roofs but with sides only
partially enclosed to admit free circula-
ton of air so that they will season uni
formly and not check. This is an
important part of the work and the care
given to the blocks at this stage as well
as the "know how, the good timber and
approved machinery make the product
- I (, % ,,lu tr-t ola Ia,
every particular.
This company has made four ship
ments of last blocks to firm in Eng
land and expect to make further ship
ments the coming season. The route is
by rail to Portland, thence by steamer
TO Live pool and the freight to Portland.
This business eats up the maple logs
ut IA brisk rate. Ii takes about 1000 #.
of logs to make 500 blocks. Thus the
800, 900 blocks will require 800 600
iret of maple logs, or, reckoning ) logs
to the thousand, 5000 maple trees. Mr..
BROTHERS mill cannot operate more than
two Years longer AS the available supply
will be exhausted in tn ii e. = h n The
business must go somewhere " here there
are more maple trees.
John j. Lander is superintendent of
the Fitz Bros. Company and has IA large
interest in its business. He is also an
equal owner with Mark Savage in the
smaller operation Of Lander and Savage
and has stove, tin ware and hardware
store besides. Mr.. Lander Is man of
great activity and energy, and probably
has the best practical knowledge of the
ms and outs of the last block business
in all its details, of any man in Maine.
He is the presiding genius of this indus
try in Somerset, and can turn his hand
to any part of the work, If emergency
requires, excepting the swinging of the
big maui to split the blocks which re-
quires man OF 225 pounds avoirdupois.
MIR. Lander don't weigh this when he is
Eat rest" We have never happened to
see him at rest.