The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-12-02
Our Barrel Industry.

Few persons know that the manufacture
of barrels in the United States is very
extensive industry, and that the introduc-
ton Of improved machinery in their man.
ufacture has made the cooperage business
of this country the largest in the world.
The Chicago Chronicle has been investi-
eating this business, and furnishes figures
that will excite general surprise. 1t ap-
pears that there are upward of 800, 000,-
600 barrels and circular packages manu-
factured in this country annually, and the
demand increases so that this output must
be steadily broadened in order to keep pace
with the growth of the business. The
largest demands for barrels is in the cement
business, which approximately amounts to
30, 900, 900 year for the trade, while
-four comes next with demand for 22,-
500, 900; fence staples, bolts, nuts and
nails require Is, 200, 900, and sugar 49,
900, 900. Roasted coffee, spices, crock
cry and fruits and vegetables use up about
5000, 900 barrels year each, while the
glassware trade, baking powder companies,
distilled liquor manufacturers, and candy,
tobacco and cheese packers are big users of
barrels, averaging in each trade from q
900, 900 to 5000, 900 barrels. The de-
n,and for 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 a
barrel is put down at one year by the trade,
but that is far from true. The great ma
jority of barrels are used many times.
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. Final
ly, the barrel may serve out its life work
as a garbage receptacle, and be bnrned in
the end in some tenement house to keep
out the winters chill. Thus it may be
said that barrel follows more useful ca
reer than almost any other manufactured
article, and its life is much longer than
season.
The demand for barrels is steadily in
creasing, 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 conve-
nient form of package has long been ac-
knowledged. 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.
Today 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 ma
chimes constitutes most of the requirements
of the operators. The slaves are cut to
the required thickness by the machines
and then pressed into shape by hydraulic
pressure until they are ready for the as
sembling machine.
A feature of barrelmaking in this coun-
try is the grading of the circular packages
so that all the lumber brought to the fac
tories can be utilized. One class of barrels
must be absolutely watertight, without
flaw of any kind in their slaves. Barrels
made for oil, whisky and paint trade must
not only be fawless, but they must have a
resistance power equal to lateral pressure
of 500 pounds. In order to secure this
the slaves must be put to rigid test before
hand, and they must be cured, so there
will be no danger Of skrinkage and dam
age when put into use. Lumber used for
this work must be carefully selected.