St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-07-04
At the Scale Works.

A New Building for Automatic Scales
Foundry Shed Improvements Con-
tempIaied.-Russian Cannons and a
Church Bell Used i'm the Making of
Balances
The increased business at the scale
works taxes all the present facilities of
the plant and a new building is now be.
ing erected and plans are matured for
extensive improvements at the iron
foundry, though the latter building will
not be erected until next year.
The new building will be north of the
storenouse that adjoins the main build
ings and is built primarily for the manu-
facture of the automatic scales which
have been developed so successfully the
past year. 1t will be three story solid
brick structure with a basement, with
the ground dimensions about 80 by so.
In one corner pit is now built and this
part of the building is to be the tounda-
tion of model elevator where grain can
be handled in exactly the same manner
as in a big elevator. Work will be
rapidly pushed on the building this sum-
mer and it will be ready for occupancy in
the early fall.
The improvements at the foundry are
quite extensive, and when completed
will result in great economy of labor in
handling the raw products. A new
foundry shed will be built and the old
ones torn down. The new shed will be
built high enough and strong enough SO
that loaded train can be run direct to
the cupolas, where the iron is melted.
To effect this change new bridge will
be thrown across the river just below
the present one, and high abutments will
be erected to get the proper grade to
enter the shed. The steel bridge 81 feet
long, has already arrived at the factory
and will be placed when the abutments
are completed. The shed will be strong
enough to hold the coke, sand and pig
iron that are now stored 10 various
places around the outside of the foundry,
and the mechanical contrivances will do
| the work that men have to do now.
There will be overhead trolleys for the
| coke and pig iron, and an endless belt to
carry tuC Sduu W IuC tOuubly'
Speaking of the foundry it is interest.
| ing to note what kind of material is used
in the making OF scales. 1t will be re-
membered that some months ago the old
church at Kirby was sold at auction and
, in the belry was bell which Is supposed
to have been in the old North church and
the first church bell in the town of St.
Johnsbury. 1t was made in 1885 and
weighed $40 pounds. This was bought
| by Charles 81. Horton, the purchasing
agent of the corporation, and the SUI
| pounds ot metal added to the raw ma
terials which make even balances. Since
the war in the East Mr.. Horton has
bought two carloads OF battleship metal
representing the rapid firing guns, can
non, gun furnishings and other material
recovered from the Russian battleships
sunk In the harbor of Port Arthur and in
the Corean straits. AS Russia is the
largest foreign purchaser OF the Fair
banks scales it is fair to assume that
some of this metal will find its way back
again into the kingdom of the Gar in a
more peaceful product Of the manufac
| tured arts.
The corporation quickly recovered
from the effects OF the recent fire in the
annealing room. Within "a hours after
the fire the insurance had been adjusted
and there was no delay in the work o1
hardening the steel pivots. The building
is now covered by new roof and cupola
and no signs of the fire remain.
Those who live in St. Johnsbury dc
not need to be told that business was
never better at the scale factory than II
is today and there are now HOO men on
the pay roll, the largest number in the
history of the corporation. The orders
have been pouring in from all parts Of
the world this spring and large United
States government contract has just
| been awarded the concern.
Besides the large business with Russia.
already referred to, they have branch
house in London, of which former
townsman, Robert N. Fairbanks. is
manager, and similar houses have re-
Gently been established by Mr. Fairbanks
in Edinboro, Paris and Hamburg.
Manager Turner goes abroad this month
to inspect the foreign sales houses and
learn more of the development of the
foreign trade.