Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-26
NOVELTY MILLS.
A Maine Industry Worth Getting
Posted Upon.
The Manufacture Of Toothpicks. Skewers
SpooIs. Checkers. Baskets. Etc.

in most interesting letter on the
| novelty mills" that are found in this
State 1t is an industry Of no mean
proportions and it is well worth get
| ting posted upon. He says:
The Europeans are very much in adj
vance of us in the science of forestry
but in the products of the forests we
| can show them many interesting and
novel things. For example, ! hope that
pr. Bean. our forestry commissioner to
the Paris exposition, viii arrange 10
exhibit at Paris one of the novelty
mills" that YOU see down in Maine.
where they cut up sawlogs into spools
| toothpicks, berry baskets and all sorts
of things that are useful and ineXpen-
| SiVe. one remarkable feature Of the
| novelty mills as they call them. is
| the manufacture of veneer goods. The
machinery was invented by Yankee
! mechanics. and performs wonders.
| Even the sawdust is saved and sold by
the pound. They take il to Boston and
| New York. where il Is nodded into
| forms of beauty and used to decorate
| the gorgeous office buildings and
| ''palatial" residences Of the metropolis.
| There are several mills which can turn
out millions of touthpicks every day
ana millions Of the wooden skewers
that are used by butchers to fastcn
| roasts of mutton and beef.
| \ single factory that know of sends
| To market $4,000 900 skcWcrs ana 20n.-
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| industry They are turned out ny thu
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| In,
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-'''''' It'll
|
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| hu' '", n Mint M ''uN "''''
"N'''' ~ IT. ','' '''" 'o'
WV, N'"' "i' '"s IS ''-'''''
"'" II y ~ Il Il"
| i"uSt i''lu "i" III '-''
| nutC''I Sh"P !" '"e "''," o'"''9-
men we pun ciihSt 4 P"ui'u "' ou'''i
"r I quart ri "tIiI"S I'M 4 ,d9A'' ui
-t'ltS We '"h' nun Il"'l' 2" d "'~'.
| iiid"' ~ ''!l" No""- nv INV tH'i'" ~
! til' SIrer lla"" I"rli P"sSIp''' "h"
| H"N IiilIl."iS UPON H4'Iil'hS m th'Sf
uS'iuI I'crp'''itS are manu- 'l"''H w
| lh' h"NchN minis n Maine lur
| same Mills TURN "ul \ Slihllat HhiIih'i
| NJ trult baskets.
w heh you BUY HNe pounds "l grapes
the basket Is thrown ~. ana sometimes
| Won wonder now II happens mat y"
| charge is made. y few years ago peo-
| pie We're required 10 return the baskets
| 70 the grocery, ana We're given i-e-
| bate. The grocer tied them together in
| lunches and sent them back to the
| vineyard lie also collected the empty
| berry boxes ana returned them To the
! farmers to be used again. often five
or six times before they had accom-
| plishrd their destiny. but nowadays
| the grape baskets and the berry
| boxes go into the WoodbON. and finally
| feed the fire. because the "slicer" has
made their manufacture w easy ana
| so cheau that il doesn't nav ta send
| them back.
| | think il would interest orr French
| friends ANA the resi- Of the world If Dr..
| Bean could transport one of the nov
| elty mills" ID Paris AZ An Illustration
IL Yankee ingenuity. They use moth
| ing but birch logs. which are worthless
| for other purposes After the logs arc
ant ana barked in the woods they aro
| Skinned To The mills on cars and then
| boiled in hot water or steamed for "a
| hours This process softcns the fibre
50 that it will not split. ana makes ii
more tough and pliable. While they
are still hot the logs are carried by
| crane to sawmiIls with broad ana Keen
knife blades some Of them several feet
| LONG ana worry eborp Ae the ROLLER
slowly sboyas tha lop toward the sharn
| edge there is n sudden whir. n wide
! thin ribbon of wood rolls up over the
| knife. while the log is rolled back ana
placed in position for 4 second opera
| ton. This ribbon is sometimes two or
| three feet wide. Is to 20 feet long and
not more than a quarter or sometimes
| a sixteenth Of an inch thick. AS il falls
| from the log it is laid upon a pile of its
| sisters. and then carried on tram into
| the next room to another set Of knives,
which cuts it into proper lengths for
| baskets. boxes and crates. Then il