The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-06-28
THE EXTRACT PLANT.
The United States Leather
Company is Going to Work
Vigorously Building It's
Extract Plant Here.

Mr.. Herbert l.. Moore, Of Ridg-
way, Pa, who will manage both the
construction and operation of the ex-
tract works, arrived here last week
and will make Big Stone Gap his
future home.
The Louisville and Nashville r..
r. Co. has commenced laying a sid
ing $500 feet long to enable the
Company to get in its lumber and
building material. This siding will
connect with the Company's immense
wood yards requiring five miles of
track, which it will operate with its
own locomotive and cars to trans
port the timber from the yards to the
factory. Contracts have been placed
for the large battery of boilers which
will generate twelve hundred and
fifty horse power from the start, and
be increased to two thousand five
hundred horse power.
An immense five hundred horse
power engine will drive the machln-
cry, including the clippers, to pre-
pare the wood for the teaches.
There will be forty teaches, which
are large tanks such as railroads use,
and live steam is conducted to the
bottom Of these tanks filled with
Clipped wood and water and the
tannin extracted in the shape of a
rich liquor, which goes to the
immense copper evaporater or vacuum
pan where the process is finally con-
cluded by the manufacture OF the ex
tract, which is about the consistency
of heavy molasses and produced by
very similar process to that by which
sugar and molasses are produced.
When finished the extract is Darrell
ed and shipped by the car load to
the Eastern tanneries, where bark Is
getting very scarce and dear.
The buildings will be over one
thousand feet long AMI cover quite
an area of land and require a very
large quantity of lumber and a small
army OF men.
A contract has been closed with
the Morton Lewis and Willy Lum-
Der Company, of Bristol, for one
half million feet OF lumber, shipment
of which has been commenced and
will be completed within sixty days,
and other material is being rapidly
assembled.
Our people who are unaccuStomed
to the quick, snappy way in which
they do things up East will be sur
priScd to see how rapidly this large
plant will grow to completion.
Our enterprising contractor, Il. l..
Brown, who contracted last week to
build the houses for workmen, under
forfeit of fifty dollars per week Tor
delay, has three of the buildings
framed, sided and ready for the roof,
and will have them all well under
way before the week is out.
The capital stock Of the United
StatesLeatherCompapy is 1926, OOO,-
600, one-half common and one-hali
preferred. 1t has probably more
working capital than any other con-
Germ in the country, except the
Standard Oil and Carnegie people.
They claim that the works, when
completed, will be the most modern
and up-to-dat plant in the world.
The land upon which the plant
is located was sold to the Company
by Gen'l Il. A. Ayers and lies west
of and adjoining the Tannery plant.
The deed for the property was re-
corded last week. The Company |
has also recorded its charter here as
required by law, and paid into the
treasury the largest fee required OF
any company, and much larger than
ever paid before in this county-six
hundred dollars.
The location Of the plant here has
gladdcned the hearts of our people
and quickened the pulse of our al
ready highly stimulated commercial
activity.