Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-05-13
FOR FOREIGN MARKETS.
Augusta Furnishes England Nearly j.
! 100000 Broom Handles Yearly.
The Smiley Handle Has Become Famous The
Prices Are Rising.


Company in conversation with the
Journal, one day recently. He was
talking of the broom handles that the
concern manufacture and sell in Eng
land.
The Smiley broom handle has repu-
tation in England among the broom
manufacturers that is enviable. 1t
stands at the very head of them all.
This is probably not known to many
Augusta people, yet there are nearly a
million, Of these broom handles that 60
from Augusta every year to England.
There is something about them that
cannot be found in the ordinary handle
that the English manufacturers make,
and the broom manufacturers will Sc
lect the one with the Smiley trademark
every time. On this account, though
the concern is no longer under Mr..
Smiley's control and is owned by
Smith & Morton. it goes by the name of
the Smiley Manufacturing Company.
For" said Mr.. Smith, 'if we. changed
the name England would say that was
something new, and If they detest any
thing it is something different from
what they have always used or done"
The Smiley handle has a corner on
the market that is held by none other
in this section of the county. They
have such "cinch' that they are not
telling how much they receive for their
goods nor giving any idea. They ad-
nit that they receive a large price for
their goods and they hope to continue
doing so. 1t was but May that Mr.
Smith renewed the contract with the
London firm for the furnishing of han
dies for the next l. months at an ad-
vanced price over last year. This is
due to the rise in spruce lumber
that is used exclusively in the manu-
facture. So whether spruce stays up
to its present high price or not. the
company will profit by it, and they
viii profit the more by any declina-
tion in spruce.
The English dealers have tried to do
without the Smiley brand. and they
have met with such failure, that they
have come to times once more.
Few Of the goods are sold in the
United States. and those that are sold
are Of grade, as a rule. not up to the
foreign ones. An American dealer
came to Augusta to arrange for the
purchase of the supply of the mill at
one time. at the same time as the
English agent. The result was that
the Englishman was willing to pay 81
much more for his goods than the
American house that England got the
goods.
The factory where from four to six
employees are given work the year
around. is situated on Bangor street,
and is very modest establishment
Great piles of rough scantIing are in
the shop While in one side buzzes j
lathe. There are two of these lathes
in the building. and here the stock Of
spruce one and three-eighths inches
square and 80 inches long, is run
through the machine, coming out the
other end perfectly round, though a
little rough. Here the end is rounded,
and it is sent to the dry room. There
are two of the dry rooms capable Of
holding an immense pile of them
After thoroughly seasoning they are
sent to machine that finishes them.
This is called the scourer, and in this
the surfaces of the. handles are made
| as smooth as a boys face after his first
shave. There is still another process
through which the Smiley handle is
put. This is a treatment that makes it
| so popular. After the scourer has
completed work they look very smooth.
but with the handling they receive be-
| fore they are delivered in London, the
grain that is merely laid down. will be
little rough. To prevent this the
extra treatment is given it by letting
| 800 or more of them be revolved slowly
| in cylinder. This rubs the surface
smooth and gives a gloss that will not
roughen.
| This plant is furnished power from
| an S0-hOrSe power boiler and a So
horse power engine over which Mr..
| Morton superntends. The fuel used
is the waste from the lathes. and the
consumption of the boiler is but little
less than that of one lathe.
The stock is bought of the Augusta
Lumber Company, all sawed into stick
and bundled. The English require n
5O-inch handle. as they do not have the
oroom-corn to make their brooms of
and thus they arc made in the form Of
brushes.
II the stock happens by chance TO
have flaw in it. the stick i thrown
aside and is used in the American
| broom stock, as the latter hroon,
handles have 10 be only AZ inches in
!