The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-23

the Girl Miller Of the Perkiomen Is
the miller in all senses Of the word
The trade and the art Of milling
were handed down to Miss Treichler,
as was the mill, from her father and
her grandfather. From infancy to
gir!hood she played about the old
building, SO that the ability to test
flour, to know the quality Of grain at
sight, developed in her as did the
power of speech-unconscious nat
urally.
The mill is situated on the west
bank of the picturesque river, near
the town of Hereford. Just above it
the waters are held back by a dam,
SO that they form a little lake that is
long and narrow and deep. A sluice
leads the water to the mill, where it
hurls itself against the paddles of a
great wheel, setting it In motion and
filling the mill with a rumbling as,
cog in cog and belt on shafting, the
cumbersome machinery begins to turn.
Hereford was famous sixty years or
more ago as a stage coach center.
From it ran lines to Norristown, Phil
adelphia, Pottstown, Easton and AL
lentown, with direct connection by
coach with New York and Pittsburg;
and the old hotel at which the driv-
ers pulled up their painting horses and
from which they departed was owned
Miller.
| The valley Of the Perkiomen is fer
tile and peopled with sturdy, thrifty
descendants from rugged German
stock. This same strain runs thru
the Treichler family, and the Girl
Miller has all its qualities Of indus
try and determination. In school she
was a close student, punotual, atten-
tive, bright. When she took charge
l ne fhn oil inn m al q Il a
her school days were ended, she was
equally punctual and attentive. She
gave all her energies to making the
business q success financially and sc
increasing the reputation Of the out.
put Of the mill.
On the money side she has sue
ceeded, she says, altho her net yearly
profits are one of her secrets. The
quality of the flour Is attested by thu
demand, which is more than the mill
with it's daily capacity Of 1000 pounds
or ten barrels, can supply. For tel
months in the year the water whee
is turning from soon after daylight
until dark, and the flour brings tn
miller an average return Of $40
day. For the other two months Of TIL
year the mill is idle for repairs o
because Of high water, which woul
threaten the building with an inunda
ton IL the S1ulCS WAS lelC open.
Rye is the grain chiefly ground b.
1 the girl miller, but she can turn on
4 wheat flour of an equally high stand
ard, change the oats Of her farme
8 patrons into chop for their cattle, o
turn their corn into yellow meal
: There is a class of bakers who asser
Il Inc rye flour is equal in quality to tina
: ground between stones, and thes
o keep the product of the mill at
9 premium. She has customers even Il
= New York, where bread from her fiou
!, finds it's way to the bar of the saloo
: beside the pretzel and the stein Q
u beer.
From playing in the mill as a chill
!, it was only step for Miss Treichle
u to learn the necessary craft OF keep
y ling the mill clean by the aid of
q broom. Then came the more techni
:. cal parts, such as the care and oilin
of the bearings of the machinery, tn
: turning on of the water power. the ad
) justment of the upper to the nethe
Z stone to regulate the fneness of til
flour, thei ntricacies OF the whole mecf