Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-08-23
ODD FACTS ABOUT BARRELS.

tured and Used Annually.
The Introduction Of improved ma
chfnery in its manufacture has made
the American cooperage business the
largest in the world. There are up
ward of 300,OOO,OOO barrels and circu-
lar packages manufactured in this
country annually, and the demand in
creases so that this output must be
steadily broadened in order to keep
pace with the growth of the business.
The largest consumption Of barrels is
In the cement business, which approx
1mately demands 100000 a year for
the trade, while flour comes next with
a demand for 22,5O0,OOO; fence sta
pies, bolts, nuts and nails require 15,-
100000, and sugar 100000. Roasted
coffee, spices, crockery and fruits and
vegetables use up about 100000 bar
rels year each, while the glassware
trade, baking powder companies, dis
titled liquor manufacturers and candy,
tobacco and cheese packers are big
users Of barrels, averaging in each
trade from 100000 to 100000 bar
rels. The consumption of barrels for
molasses, oil, lard and pork is also
enormous, while dry paint, glue, snuff,
oatmeal, screws, castings and general
hardware articles annually increase
the demand on the cooperage supply.
While the amount Of expenditure
for barrels can be closely estimated
for given year, it Is not possible to
say how many barrels are in actual
use. The life of barrel is put down
at one year by the trade, but that is
far from true. The great majority Of
barrels have as many lives as a cat.
They begin as sugar or flour barrels
and are then sold to the farmer for
shipping his produce to the market
1t may be they are returned to him
several times, carrying potatoes or
pickles to market in the first trip and
then cabbage or lettuce in the next,
each cargo being lighter in weight
than the previous one, owing to the
weakened condition Of the barrels.
Finally, the barrel may serve out
its life work as a garbage receptacle
and be burned in the end in some ten
ement house to keep out the winters
chill. Thus 1t may be said that bar
rel serves more useful career than
almost any other manufactured arti-
Gle and it's life is much longer than a
season.
The demand for barrels is steadily
increasing because modern machinery
has made it possible to make them for
the trade cheaper than almost any
other form Of package. That it is
the most convenient form Of package
has long been acknowledged. The
ancient cooper's art was skilled one,
and the work Of cutting out the slaves
and then assembling them required
long practice and apprenticeship. To-
day machinery performs in fraction
Of the time what hand labor did so
slowly and clumsily.
The modern veneer machines have
been instrumental in reducing the cost
Of barrels. Hand labor is eliminated
here to such an extent that the work
Of feeding the machines constitutes
most Of the requirements Of the oper-
ators The slaves are cut to the re-
quired thickness by the machines and
then pressed into shape by hydraulic
pressure until they are ready for the
assembling machine.
A feature Of barrel-making in this
country is the grading Of the circular
packages so that all the lumber
brought to the factories can be util-
lied. One class Of barrels must be
absolutely watertight, without a flaw
Of any kind in their slaves. Barrels
made for oil, whisky and paint trade
must not only be f1awless but they
must have a resistance power equal
to a lateral pressure Of 500 pounds.
In order to secure this the slaves must
be put to rigid test beforehand and
they must be cured, so there will be
no danger Of shrinkage and damage
when put into use. Lumber used for
this work must be carefully selected
and it must be cured by natures slow
but sure process.