Milford chronicle., 1905-11-17
WOOD NOVELTY MILLS.
The Great Industries OF the Forests
of the state of Matne.

of the State of Maine.
Perhaps the most interesting facto-
ries in the United States are TO be
found in the great forests of Maine,
says the Country Gentleman. We hear
very little about them, but are con
stantly using their products. And we
should be very proud Of those busy
hives Of industry and curious inven-
tion, the outcome of Yankee ingenuity.
scattered here and there amid the
dense dark shades.
A few years ago it was found that
the lumber mills of Maine were vast
ing great quantities of wood. The
white pine trees furnished lumber in |
various sizes, but the trimmings were
all waste. For years the foresters
would burn the refuse and scraps. but
this was opposed to Yankee thrift. And
just at this juncture the omnfpresent
wise man of the woods conceived the
idea of utilizing the scraps by the man.
ufacture of small commercial articles
that are needed in every home. The
first factory was for the cutting of
wooden tOOthpicks, and by means of a
small machine invented for the purpose
it was possible to make a hundred at
one stroke. The smallest bits of waste c
wood can be used, and thus the cost of
raw material is comparatively nothing.
From this small beginning have
come all the great industries of the n
Maine wood novelty mills. Over 5,OOO.- o
700 tOothpicks are made every year.
md hundreds of people find employ
nent in the various processes Of cut "
ing, boxing and shipping them. OF
A most important manufacture is L.
hat of spools or reels for cotton, silk u
nd linen threads These factories 6c
umber already a score and turn out
lore than 250,OOO0OO spools a year. la
ONE one has estimated that If these z
pools were laid in a row they would
reich across the whole state of =
-aine or if piled up one on another
ey would make a slender tower that
ould be ten times higher than the
Hest mountain peak. To make these
lOrmous quantities Of spools over 81
100000 feet Of white birch timber is
eded.
A third factory makes the long wood
skewers that butchers use to pin
Fir meat together. One mill alone
Il turn out in a summer more than
00,000 skewers.
iarel hoops made out Of birch sap
gs and young brown ash trees are
by the million each :,
ID. and tho cttu,1x- oour,+ h.. ..- Z
h the demand. Wonderful machines
e been invented by which all the -
ular toys and games can be made. ~
little wooden checkers are cut at 94
rapid rate and spout W
from the funnel in regular rushing.
ling torrents. Backgammon. check YH
lards, dOminOs and domino boxes. e
den cubes that can be finished off III
alphabet or building blocks and
" other queer cOnceits are turned l.
in great quantities.
few years ago there was demand l.iO
wooden bicycle rims and parts. the
tables, desks, sleds, swings and -
len toys by the million are poured HS
in never ending stream.
stmas toys are a new departure
-hese Yankee factories, with their
tical ideas. Machinery of every
is constantly invented by which
hose quaint gatherings so long i'm
I'd from the Black forests and
ltain hooks Of Switzerland can be
? in the Maine woods. They can
Manufactured at less cost than in
Id world because machinery takes
lace of handicraft.