New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1897-06-16
MAXIM G. Toe THPICKS.

MAXIM TOOTHP1CKS.
THE. INC uisiIJvE MAN LEARNS soME-
THING IN LEWISTON.
He Is shown Over the Toothpick Eactory
BY Bright Boy Who Was There Tor
That Purpose-A Big Machine Too In
tricata For Description.
The inquisitive man alighted from
the cars in the city Of Lewiston, Ne.
and stood on the station platform in an
attitude Of indecision, for he was at q
loss to say in which direction it would
be most desirable to turn.
81 can earn dollar day packing
toothpicks, and that is better than
working in the cotton factories. : he
heard little girl say to a companion,
and instantly the inquisitive man had
found an occupation.
B. packing toothpicks! Of all things,
prefer to see a toothpick factory, and
it is fortunate I blundered on board
that train,'' he said to himself.
Then, with the air Of one bent on
most urgent business, the inquisitivel
man set out in search Of the toothpick
factory.
1t was not SO imposing structure as
he had expected to see, but there was
so much hustle and semblance Of in
dustry everywhere around the establish
ment that his disappointment as to the
general appearance of the building was
soon forgotten.
Inclosing the structure, as if to pre-
vent its escape, were long rows Of small
logs and short rows of big logs, each
one exactly four feet in length, from
all of which the bark had been neatly
| and entirely removed.
cts birch and maple, of course. We
don't use any other kind" a small boy
| said in answer to the inquisitive mans
question. IT reckon your stranger
round these parts?''
II do not remember ever having been
here BEFORE $685.
I ''Then I guess you never have, be-
cause you WOULDN'T be likely to forget
toothpick factory if you'd ever seen one.
We make 100000 picks day, and
that's quite pile. Anyhow, you d think
so if you had to count 'em before get
ting a bite to eat. Want to see the ma
chine?''
''Can you show it to me?'
"That's what I'm here for" 4.
II should think that it would be
more profitable to work in the factory
than to idle your time away answering
the questions of ignorant people like
myself. :" --. -...
''That's where you make big mis-
take, mister. It's q mighty mean man
who won't pay me- for showing him
round, and I pick up fair wages when
there's. good crop Of visitors Come
along, and I'll show you the toothpiok
business. Here in this yard the stock ia
sawed into pieces 81 inches long. -
| And the small boy pointed to the in
closure in which dozen or more circu-
lar saws were buzzing and humming az
they quickly divided the logs into the
required lengths z...>. !.
All pieces not clear and straight
grained were thrown aside, and the re-
mainder was being packed into barrels
> so made that wide crevices appeared be.
tween the slaves.
Eyes, that's all right, - the small boy
said, answering the inquisitive mans
look of inquiry. 1.-THE stock is being
packed for the. steaming room.. WheI
} the barrels are full, they'll be taker
there and left about three hours, whe1
the blocks will be almost as soft Al
, leather. Charging the wood with steam
! drives out all the sap, and it is the1
ready for splitting. Come this way ant
you can see how that part Of the worl
} is done' -s-;e 81
ii The small boy led the visitor to .
room in the main building, where wa
what is known as a 'sveneer machine,
piece of mechanism not unlike lathe
} which was rapidly converting the woot
into pliable bands, hardly thicker thai
ordinary cardboard. The keen knive
} cut the 81 inch blocks SO readily ant
: smoothly that the general appearance
the work was much a. if roll Of cream
colored ribbon was being unwound an,
thrown carelessly on the floor. Tw,
boys were gathering mp the damp ma
terial and winding it on huge spoola
They're getting il ready for the bi,
machine, :" the guide said 90 he ohewe'
fragment Of the wooden ribbon. n
cry one Of the spools holds about 10
feet Of the veneer, and the rest Of th
work is done 90 quickly that you won
have much Of q chance to see the ope1
alton. -
The ''big machine was 50 intricat
that the inquisitive man realized tina
he could not describe it intelligently
, even though he should spend man
hours studying its construction. II
saw at one end Of long, narrow stru<
ture, filled with wheels and knive.
n arms on which the spools Of venee
y, were hung and observed that men puaf
ed the ends Of the wooden ribbo
through marrow slots, where it WI
III seized by little steel fingers.
He knew that somewhere inside th
machine the material was being cu
trimmed and smoothed into fiat pici
aa with chisellike ends. for directly oppl