The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-05-31
BRICK MAKING
IN kAL|SPELL
Three Million per Month Can
Be Turned Out
BRICKS MINUS STRAW
An Easy Proposition in the F1athead Coun-
try. The Way the Work is
Done.
BRICKS MINUS STRAW

One million brick sounds like an un-
wieldy amount and a supply which
would last for while, but that is in
round figures the quantity burned or
in process of curing at the three
brick factories on the west side OF
kalispell.
Brick clay is abundant in this fiat
and brick for the construction of the
Chinese wall could easily be produced
and then plenty be left with which to
complete the tower of Babe'yon The
mud is good and easily worked and
after firing an excellent quality of
building material is produced. The
loss in weight is about 20 per cent
but the resultant finished cube is
hard and flinty with bell like ring
denoting it's soundness.
When the Kalispell Pressed Brick
company started up it was believed
that but one other brick maker would
operate, and that OH a small scale,
Lillivig's outfit, just across from the
Lake track, but the Kalispell company
seemed to be too slow, so the Flathead
company, in which the Pohl Bros. and
other contractors are interested,
started plant to furnish brick for
the buildings on which they were en-
gagged, but not for open market. The
Kalispell company have since got
| fast move on them and with their
lately added steam power their presses
can easily turn out 1000 brick per
hour At this brick yard 20 men are
employed and the skilful manner in
which the individual work is perform
ed is an indication that the men
know their business. The man at
the mold handles about 100000 pounds
of pressed clay per day, not counting
the weight of the molds and the use
of the scalping knife. For an hour a
Bee reporter viewed operations about
the factory, looking for an easy job,
but if there was any walking boss or
corporation pet it must have been the
stationary engineer, and he was doing
his own firing. Brick are heavy and
brickmaking offers no soft snaps in
the yards.
One kiln containing 100000 brick
under which fires had been burning
for seventeen days, was cooling and
the brick will be ready to handle at
once An adjoining kiln was being
built up and was nearly completed in
which another 100000 mud cubes
were soon to be converted under the
fire test into blocks of stony hardness.
At least a similar amount of newly
pressed cubes are drying in the sheds
and will be ready for building and
firing as soon as No. is out of the
way. With their added steam power
the Kalispell company has capacity
of million and half a month and
the workmen to handle them.
At the Flathead company's yards, a
steam engine is also installed and fur
nishes the motive power and one kiln
of about 100000 is baking. The pro
cess is different from the Kalispel
works, the clay being handled in 6
much dryer state and the product is
a pretty color and when baked resem
bles the Milwaukee brick. In hard
ness and fineness of grain, however
this white brick is distinctive and il
. the finished product can hold it's owl
there will be big market for it a!
far as the freight can be met.
The Lillyvig compang have small
{ kiln of about 100000 nearly baked ant
are making more, but the yard is no
! comparable in capacity with the othe
= two, but could be converted into
t formidable opposition by the intro
Y duction of steam power, as the sam
/ clay and conveniences there obtain.
There are perhaps dozen brio
buildings delayed in construction jus
a now by the hardness of the brick
0 makers, and some large buildings
: such as the high school building, tn
q court house and jail and the sout
|, side school house may shortly be b.
t gun, the latter three structures prol
: ably requiring as many or create
t number of brick than the bushes
n blocks now in progress, but the tire
Kalispell yards might be depended VI
on to pile up three million a mont
{ and not work overtime.