Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-07-04
I. w. ANDREWS & sons cAske1
FACTORY.

"1foaf oaks nom utSi6 ACOfua kfuWf
Great streams from little fountains now"
80 we thought while listening recently
to the story, as related by Mr.. Andrews,
In regard to the origin Of his casket
plant, and the gigantic proportions Into
which It has since grown. A mere out
line can be given at present.
Away back In the fifties Rev. Zibs
Andrews and his son, Isaac w., then
hardly more than . boy, were engaged
| 10 manufacturing doors and sash at
South Woodstock, having q saw mill OF
their own for making the lumber.
Occasionally some one would come to
get coffin made, and when they had q
contract on hand to be finished at such =
time, Il made It very inconvenient TO
leave OF their other work and attend to
h; 20 one day Israel suggested the Idea
Of making half dozen or 80, OF different
sizes, a mstter OF economy.
The experiment proved success, and
as the fact became known that ready
made cofiins were kept there, that branch
of their business grew 70 rapidly ss to
make II necessary to dispense with the
other entirely.
But there were those who looked upon
the innovation 40 q wicked thing, court
ing death, as it were; and declared that
some sort Of q calamity would be sure
to follow. They, however, failed TO see
IL In that light, and, keeping steadily st
work, their plant continued TO grow,
and soon they began to furnish supplies
for other places. Keeping an eye 70 I'm
provements, In process Of time they dis
peused entirely with making cofiins,
adopting the casket style, and covering
them with cloth instead Of painting
them.
Great changes have occurred since
that little plant started there almost half
. century ago. Rev. 4r. Andrews mas
been dead quite numuer OF years, dur
| Ing which time fsaac's two sons grew
up to manhood, when he took them into
partnership with himself, and ever since
the firm has been known ~ l. W. An
drews & Sons.
Several years ago the company con-
structed telephone from their place to
West Paris, and 30 convenient has II
proved that they would not think Of do
Ing without Il now for single day.
They manufacture no metallic caskets.
and when such one ID wanted, ~ some
times happens, they send Immediately to
Boaton where they are kept In stock.
stating the size wanted, and it 10 shipped
at once and soon delivered at the station.
The company not only keep grave
clothes Of every description, 90 as TO ac-
commodate all clssses Of customers, but
also chemical fluids for embslmlng
bodies when necessary, as It ire
quently Is.
should you ever visit that factory, be-
fore getting through, every department
and seeing the different sized caskets,
from the smallest up to six and one-half
feet in length, you will probably recall
the old adsse: 1.-THE old must die, and
the young may de-" And, furthermore,
IL you are familiar with Bryant's Thana-
topsis you may be reminded Of an ex-
precision or two contained Ia that poem.
Il Perhaps no better idea can be given Of
the work done here than by stating that
Ito addition TO their local business they
furnish supplies In their line for forty
four diffarest places, the number Of
|caskets Manufactured yearly being about
l 200, and Of course ~ many more boxes
10 20 With them.
While calling on Mr.. Andrews he
showed me horse, fat and smooth, eyes
sparkling like diamonds, and he could
eat hay like . colt. he bought him
twenty -four years ago, when years old,
which makes his age 81. That horse has
conveyed q good many persons 70 their
narrow homo. and to al sppearances
will b. good for the business during an
other decade. Il. u.