Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-30

COR, almost all in steamships
The average price paid to the manu-
facturer is $3.50 per thousand. About
10000 cords. or So. 600, coo feet of tim
Der, are taken annually from the birch
woods Of Maine for the spool business.
and large additional quantity is cut
Tor the novelty mills. The output OF
tn" Maine spool factories is about $780,
000, 900 spools, POO yard. Il year. The
price varies from ! cents to 60 cents
per gross, according to quality"
THE WOOD WORKING INDUSTRY.
Until a comparatively recent period
the handsome woods native to the
State have not been duly appreciated
in house finish and decoration. 1t is
certain that no woods from other sec
tons OF our own country or from other
countries are handSomer than our own
yellow birch, curly maple. brown ASH,
white pine and spruce. These are
now coming to be appreciated. ami
many pure wood working plants have
been erected and are in successful
operation. The number of pure wood
working plants in the State engaged
in manufacturing all kinds of house
finish exclusive of the wood working
plants connected with the shin build
ing industry. is 81. These plants nave
n total invested capital of $143 900
They employ AZ hands and they paid
last year in wages $441.3S2 The total
cost of material used last year was
$3.50 500 and the total value of the ONT
put was Sl,4S2.a0o. IN addition to the
above mentioned manufacturing in
u rf,-.- L.,
featuring wooden boxes. and 90 plan
ing mills or small wood working plants
and about 20 miscellaneous wood
working plants engaged in manufac-
turing a variety of articles. such as
Peavy stocks. cloth boards. last
blocks, flooring. rake ana broom
handles. grass hook handles. brush
handles. baskets. etc. The manufac-
ture of wooden boxes is an important
industry in the State of Maine due to
the great canning industry. In 1890
there We're required for the packing OF
SardineS. CLAIMS and bmeberries in
cases. 1.2S1. 121 wooden boxes costing
over 100000. and in that year more
that 500, 900 wooden boxes We're re-
quired in which TO ship the sweet corn
packed in Maine. and these would
cost over $4,000. In addition. thou
sands OF wooden boxes We're required
for shipping the product of our shoe
factories. cotton and wooden mills and
various other products, and "ast
number of wooden boxes made in
Maine We're sent 10 manufacturing
CenterS in other states. The whole
wood working industry exclusive of the
wood novelty INA Cnnn1 hn
employment to about 5000 skilled
workmen and furnishes products worth
about s., 50o0 600 annually. The amount
paid in wages is more than $780, 900 Iis-
tfibuted over the entire State as the
wood working industry is no concen-
trated like some other Industries.
SHIP BUILDING
The ship building industry during
the past year has shown marked i'm
provement. and the present ear
opened with more shipyards busy in
the state Of Maine. and more men an
pIoyed, than any other year for sew
eral decades past. The launchings
during the year 1900 included one large
steel ship. 80 large schooners ranging
from three to six masters. twelve
idISt coal DdItstS, 30 SiIlIll StnObftlS
and sloops. and three small steamers.
also two tug boats, two torpedo boats
and one monitor from the yard Of the
Bath Iron Works. aggregating nearly
10000 tons net. and giving employ
ment to 1000 men. The outlook for this
important industry is encouraging.
CANNING.
The canning or packing industry of
Maine includes the packing Of sweet
corn, sardneS. CLAIMS, bluebelI les.
beans squash. pumpkin. apples and
tomatoes, ana has attained such oro-
portions that Maine has become one of
the leading states in the Union in the
packing industry, standing third on the
list in the canning of sweet corn, and
first in the canning of sardines. The
canning industry of Maine has become
more valuable than the slate. granite
and ice Industries Of the State com
bined. the value of the entire OUTPUT
being about $4,000 900 annually. There
are about 115 canning factories of all
kinds in the State, valued at 81, PA 900
and employing in the factories 1901
hands, while probably as many more
are employed in supplying the fac
tories. The amount paid in wages in
1899 was about 81, 100000. There were
paid to farmers for corn 1891 900. over
/ 1000 acres of land We're planted to
sweet corn in 1899
lnere are many important indus
tries in Maine such as boot and shoe.
manufactures of iron, furniture, novel
ties, etc. to which we can on this oc-
caslon give no special attention. but
which aggregate millions in invest
ment and product and give employ
ment to thousands of workmen.
The value of our manufactures to the
state direct and incidental cannot be
estimated by statistics. To manufac-
lures is largely due the success and
prosperity of our grand railroad sys-
tenn which is now in its total mileage
l,905 miles and which, by it's liberal
policy is rapidly developing new man.
ufacturing industries in all parts of
the State and bringing markets for
their products within reach of remote
sections. TO it is also due the build
ing up of towns and cities, affording
near markets for the products of
nei2hboring farms. While the growth
of our population during the last ten
years was but 33, $50 or five per cent,
yet that increase during the last
decade is larger than that for any ten
yaar pacinJ cinca 1850 With -. ~,