Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-03-29
WOOD NOVELTY MILLS.
The Great industries of the Forests
Of the state of Maine.

Of the state of Maine.
Perhaps the most interesting facto-
RIGS in the United States are 10 be
found in the great forests OF Maine,
says the Country Gentleman. We hear
very little about them. hut are con
stantly using their products. And we
should be very proud of those busy
hives of industry and curious inven.
ton. the outcome of Yankee ingenuity.
scattered here and there amid the
dense. dark shades.
A few years ago ii 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 n waste. For years tho foresters
would burn the refuse and scraps but
this was opposed TO Yankee thrift. And
! just at this juncturc the omnpresent
| wise man of the woods conceived the
| idea Of utilizing the scraps by the man
| ufacturc 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
| il was possible to make hundred at
one stroke. Tho smallest bits Of waste
! 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
Maine wood novelty mills. Over 1000
OUd toothpicks arc made every year,
and hundreds of people find employ
ment in the various processes of cut.
| ting. boxing and shipping them
| 4 most important manufacture is
that of spools or reels for cotton, sill;
and linen threads. These factories
numbnr already n score and turn out
more than 2J0,oOo0N Spools n year
Some one has estimated that if these
| spoolS were laid in "A row they would
| stretch across the whole state oil
! Maine or II piled up one on another
! they would make n slender tower that
would he ton times higher than The
tallcst mountain peak. 70 make thcs,
enormous quantities Of spools owe,
| l5.00oO00 feet of white birch timber i;
needed
! 4 third factory makes the long wood
on skcwcrs that butchers use to pl
their meat together. one mill alon,
will turn out in summer more than
100000 showers.
Barrel hoops made out of birch sap
lings and young brown ash trees ar,
manufactured hy the million cacl
year. and the supply cannot keep pac,
! with the demand. Wonderful machine
| have been invented by which all tn
popular TOYS and games can be made
The little wooden checkers are cut q
marvelously rapid rate and spOu
out from the funnel in regular rushing
rafting torrents. Backgammon, check
erboards. dominos and domino boxes
wooden cubes that can be finished Of
as alphabet or building blocks AM
many other queer conceits are turned
out in great quantities.
4 few years ago there WAS deman,
for wooden bicycle rims and parts
Now tables. desks. Sleds swings AM
wooden toys by the million are poure
forth in Il never cndiug stream
Christmas toys are n now dcpartur
for these Yankee factories. with thei
practical ideas. Machinery OF ever
kind is constantly invented by whicI
| all those quaint gatherings so long i'm
ported from the Black forests ant
mountain hooks of Switzerland can h
made in tho Maine woods. They cal
he manufactured at less cost than il
the old world because machinery take
the place of handicraft