The Republican journal., 1901-06-13
SOME OF BELFAsT's INDUSTRIES.

In dealing with the local industries OF
Belfast the shoe factory has for many years
been easily in the lead. In January last
the firm of Critchett, Sibley & Co. was sue
ceeded by a corporation, the Critchett-Sib-
ley Co. A. c. Sibley is president and H. P.
Thompson treasurer. The work is now on
boys shoes, of which three kinds are made
known as boys, youths and little gents
shoes. The latter are mostly spring heel.
The factory is working to its full capacity,
employing 300 hands and turning out 10000
pairs of shoes per week. The fortnightly
pay roll OF the help averages $4,000.
Mathews Bros mill ranks next in the
amount of business, and is one of the old
est concerns in the city. The mill is work
ing to its full capacity on run of first
class work, including $50 oak doors of novel
design for large apartment house in BOs-
ton, the interior work for hospital, all of
hygienc pattern; quartered oak doors for
the engineering building in Boston, the
outer doors of which are II feet, inches
high; the interior work, windows and
frames, for the new Girls Home building at
Good Will Farm; the windows, ETC., for G.
r. Williamson's residence in Belfast; a
gate. 13x17 feet, for the service yard at. L. n.
Little's residence at Bar Harbor, and many
others.
The office at the mill has been thoroughly
renovated and many new devices put in.
The sample closets contain samples of all
l,o nd i,,I
by a convenient arrangement show all the
stock styles of doors, both as to pattern and
wood. There is large draughting table in
the sample room. The office contains fl
ing cabinet of 60 drawers, in which the
papers of the business are conveniently ar
ranged for immediate reference. This and
the fine hard wood desk were made in the
mill. The mill has more work on hand
than at any time for two years past, and
there are indications of most prosperous
season.
The clothing industry is a very important
one and gives employment to large force,
mostly young women. Thompson & Foster
occupy ali of the Dana building on Front
The lower floor is devoted to the Office and
stock room, the second floor for cutting,
and the third for the machines The firm is
hiring all the help they can get, at good
wages. They are rushed with orders and
have enough on hand now to keep the fac
tory fully employed six weeks if no other
orders We're received. Their patronage now
extends throughout New England and into
New ! olk and Ohio. They have contract
with the [. 5. Government for supply of
shirts for the soldiers in the Philippines
The cutting room is supplied with new
spreading machine for laying out the cloth
On the cutting tables, by the use Of which
three men can lay on and cut out $50 dozen
garments per day. BY another process one
man cuts hoo yards of cloth per day, cut
ting through Il thicknesses at once There
are 1870 machines in operation on the third
floor, and every machine has an operator
The power is derived from 2electric motors
NJ. B. Lawrence in the Coliseum build
ing is doing good business on bicycle
pants and gives employment to force of IS
hands during the busy season. The rush is
now over for this season, but goodly force
is now employed on small orders The out
look for the next seasons work is highly
encouraging.