Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-06
MAINE INDUSTRIES.

lIiOuSdHu UOlldIS III the near IuluIe Oll
the flume connected with their mill.
E. z. Hopkins of Troy, recently
shipped to Bangor a carload and a half
of hoop poles representing about 5000.
The Machias mills are passing
through a dull period. The Phenix
mill is undergoing repairs, and the
new mill is not yet ready to begin bust
ness. The pulp mill has also been idle.
Seventeen cars of bricks were shipped
last week from the brick yard of
Libby Bros, Sabattus, the site of the
old Thomas yard. Each car contained
10000 bricks. Besides this there is one
kiln containing 100000 bricks already
to be burned.
The 7. C. Co.'S clam factory at
Sedgwick, shut down last week on ac-
count of the failure of their water sup
ply. They have packed nearly 5000
cases of CLAIMS this season, beating all
former records. Mr.. Buckminster,
their foreman, will start Immediately
for Walcott, N. Y, where he will have
charge of their factory there during
the summer season.
Word comes from Lubec that during
the past week the herring seemed to be
in larger quantity and of "a much bet
ter quality than the first two weeks of
the season revealed. The canning
business. gives much more encourage
ment and hopefulnesS of being a sue
cessful season than at the outset. Sew
eral other factories started last week
and more are expected to follow this
week. Shipments west of the next
pack are in great demand.
Arthur Rogers of Jonesport, is said
to have invented machines for cutting
and cleaning sardine herring and they
are now being experimental with in
that town. The fish are dumped on an
inclined wire screen, arranged so they
slide head downward on grooved belt
which brings them in contact with
rapidly revolving knives, cutting off
both heads and tails at the same time.
Then claW-like arrangement rips out
the intestines of the fish, which are
then placed in washing tanks for
cleansing, when they are ready for
packing.
Josiah Day & Sons novelty mill at
Wesley is doing a large business this
season, numerous orders having been
filled for western companies for all
kinds of small turned wares. The mill
is well equipped for this work and is
turning out toy dishes, checkers, curl
ing iron handles, toy croquet sets and
many other articles. The material used
is principally white birch, although
occasionally some other variety of hard
wood is used. Some idea of the rapid
ity with which the small articles are
turned can be gathered from the work
done in filling Il recent order. A lathe
operated by one man would turn out
on the average about fifteen thousand
checkers per day and when running on
the bases used for holding the wickets
in place for the toy croquet sets, would
turn out from $4,000 to 10000 per day.
The man in charge of a machine touches
q knee trip that cuts off each base
as it is finished and takes the bases by
hand from the machines as they are
cut off. This requires close attention
and rapid work on the part of the
workman. Originally this mill was used
almost entirely for turning doWels but
in recent years has gradually taken up
the novelty turning business, until it is
now used almost entirely for that pur-
pose. The mill was started eleven
years ago and at that time was the only
one of the kind in Washington county
At the present time there is, in addi-
ton one at Jacksonville, Cast Ma
chias), one at Dennysville, one at
Meddybemps and two at Princeton.
This increase makes the industry one
of considerable Importance and places
the business among the growing in
dustries of Washington county.
The drive of logs on the Machias
river was turned over the Great Fails,
above Whitneyville, Sunday, after
having made the quickest run ever
made on the Machias river. The long
delay in getting the upper drive across
the lakes, the result of the strong head
winds that prevailed for many days,
and the unusually dry weather caused
some to predict that it would be
difficult matter to get the drive in this
spring. The prediction, however, failed
to materialiZe and from the time the
| drive was taken at Third lake until
| the logs We're turned over Great Falls
| was a period of only twelve days. Inc
best previous run ever made IN the
| river was fifteen days and the average
run considerable longer than that. The
| drive was in charge of Odbar ID. smith
of Machias and John r. Sullivan of
| Whitneyville, two experienced Maine
| river drivers. They had previously
| brought in one large drive this spring,
but they had, when they started from
Third lake, about four million feet OF
| logs, and with what were picked W
| farther down river this amount was IN
creased to five million feet. Thei1
crew numbered about forty men
Another river driving record was
broken on Machias waters this spring
when the crew on Old stream, under
Frank Smith and Fred Albee run the
drive on that stream from Canaan dan
to the main river in six days.
IN THE SCHOOL ROOM.