Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-03-22
WOOD NOVELTIES.
THE OXFORD COUNTY CONCERNS EN-
GAGGED IN THEIR MANUFACTURES.

THE OXFORD COUNTY CONCERNS EN-
GAGGED IN THEIR MANUFACTURES.
From the report Of the ststo Bureau Of Indus
trial and Labor Statistics.)
The history OF the manufacture oil
wood novelties Ia the state OF Maine
covers about the same period ~ thu
manufacture OF sp0ols, aud like that To-
ldustry has grown to important dimen.
sions. The term ''wood novelties" sp.
plies to oil the ANAL articles turned from
wood, such rs handles Of all sizes and
descriptions, druggists' boxes. small
boxes for hardware dealers, checkers,
dice boxes. blueing boxes, wood stop
pers for paint and varnish cans, ETC., etc
The different things that are made In q
wood novelty factory are almost number.
less. In one plant visited, We found
over a thousand different samples oil
things that had been msde during =
period OF about twenty year,. They To-
cluded Almost everything that can b.
msde of wood by turning with lathe.
We ffnt thst more people are employed,
and the value OF the product 10 greater
than Ia the spool manufacture OF the
state. The following IL q list OF the
novelty plants, although possibly the
msnufscture OF wood novelties is carried
on To some extent In localities not men,
toned 10 the list:
Russell Brothers & Estes, Pennington,
with branches at Phillips. Madrid and
Carrsbssset, all In Franklin County
jenkins, Bogart & Co, Kingfield; +. h.
McI.ain, New Vineyard; Frank Luce,
New Vineyard; Charles II. Bartlett,
New Portland; c. Forster, Strong; G.
Forster, Dixfisld; Paris Manufacturing
Company, South Paris; j. N. Hodsdon.
Bethel; j. A. Thurston, two mills. one
in Bethel, one In Newry; Maine Wood
Rim Company, West Paris; Lewis N
Msnn, two mills, one ut West Paris, one
at Milton Plantation; Merrill, Springer
& CO., Dixfield; Vanceboro Manufacture
Ing Company, Enfield; A. s. Bean, West
Bethel; j. Lewis & Sons, Brownville ;
Hsllett Toothpick Company, Mechanic
Falls, Andres coggin County.
Charles Forster has a toothpick mill ut
Strong and one at Dixtield. Mr.. Forster
was the originator OF the toothpick In
dustry In Maine, and established the frst
mill 10 1857. The mill at Dixfield m
ploys about forty hsnds and that nj
Strong 100 hands, or 200 10 all. About
525 ,OOO. 900 toothpicks are made annually
Mt DixHrld, and 5000, OO0, 600, al
Strong. They are sent 10 all parts OF
the world. The mills run about eight
months In the year, and the value OF the
output Is $4,000 annually.
The immense plant OF the Paris Manu-
featuring Company at South Paris IL one
Of the largest and most important plants
Of its kind In the country. A specially
Il made OF children's sleighs, sleds. carts,
desks, etc, but the compsny manu-
f.ciure an endless variety OF useful
articles for older people. The following
tat, ment, taken almost At random from
the books Of the company, will give
some idea OF the different kinds, ~ well
ms the numbers Of each. made In an
average year. There were made lsst
year lOO, 900 children's carts, wagons and
wheelbsrrows; p. 900 tables. 5000
chairs, IL, 900 desks, l2,OOO cycle stands,
Il, 900 ster ladders, 5000 swings, 5000
sleds, Il, 600 school desks and chairs and
!. 200 baby sleighs. The above are only
few Of the articles manufactured. The
goods are sent to all parts OF the United
States, and many are sent TO Europe and
other parts of the world. This concern
has list Of over 1900 customers. One
order from John Wansmsker amounted
to SS, 800. The sum paid In wages last
season amounted to $4,000 The value
Of the total product OF the plant IL
sl75 900 annually, and Ia increasing con-
stantly. The employees are almost with
out exception Americans and are fine
looking body Of men. More than half OF
the married men own the homes 10 which
they live. The different kinds Of wood
used In the plant include maple, white
and yellow birch, oak, ash, cherry, pine
and several others. These woods are
for the most part, bought Of. farmers and
others 10 this state.
The State Of Maine Wood Rim Com
pauy at West Paris, Was the most inter
esting industry visited. Bicycle rims
are the product OF this plant. This Is
one Of the three bicycle rim factories In
the country, the Others being located re-
spectively In Ohio and Pennsylvania. Ii
has ninety employees at the present time,
and It's monthly pay roll amounts TO
about 5000. II turns out at the present
time, about 1900 rims daily and the value
Of the yearly product Is about Sl2O,OOO
The process Of making the rims Ia ex-
ceedingly interesting. They are made
of rock maple, aud each rim is composed
Of three pieces glued and pressed to-
gether with such force aud nicely, that
the rim appears like one piece, and only
the most searching examination can de-
tect the joints. The three pieces are
steamed, then bent, and, after being
glued are submitted TO an enormous
pressure In an ingenious machine operst-
ed by steam power. They are then
taken to the lathes, one Of which turns
the eoncsve surface Of the outside, and
another the convex face Of the inside
rim. They are then conveyed ~ the
ssndpspering machine and smoothed.
They are then ready for staining and
vanishing. They must then be bored
for the spokes and are then ready for
shipment. OF course the wood must be
perfect, aud not the least deterioration
IL allowed TO pass. Much Of the ma
chinery used has been designed express
IN for this plant, and these machines, as
well as all the steps In the construction
of the rims, require the supervision OF
skilled mechanics. The employees 10
this factory are all Americans. The
plant has been established about year
and half, and its business Is constantly
increasing.
Lewis N. Mann has two wood novelty
mills st West Paris and one at Milton
Plantation. While he manufactures
various wood novelties In these mills,
clothes pins and pail handles are his
principal product. He employs 10 both
mills about thirty-dve men and bis year
IL output Of clothes pins is about $50
boxes Of five gross 10 box, or 10000
clothes pins, and about half as many pail
handles, yearly. He requires for his
mills about 800 cords OF white birch
annually.
Merrill, Springer & Co., Dixfield, car
~ on an extensive business In wood
novelties. We found Mr.. Springer just
completing an order for 5000, 600 check
era, and he told US he had just shipped
2OO, 900 dice boxes. We watched the
operation Of making checkers for few
minutes, and saw them fall from q
Springer lathe at the rate Of about two
| in q second. These checkers were sent