Milford chronicle., 1909-07-02
The Milford Lumber Company.
1sr PRIZE BY MARY C. DRAPER.

lsr PRIZE BY MARY C. DRAPER.
The Milford Lumber Company, the
manufactures of which are generally
known in Milford as the Basket Factory
has one of the largest plants of that kind
in this State. This business is owned
and operated by stock company.
Here are generally manufactured sever
al kinds of baskets and in addition a
special kind of crate that was patented
by the superintendent, j. Horton. This
crate is a very handy contriyance for
carrying fruit, for it can be knocked
down and returned to the shipper with
but little cost, and is so arranged that it
will carry fruit without bruising. At
present there are only the half bushel,
half barrel and baskets made. These
baskets are used principally for truck,
and vast quantities of the are used for
tomatoes and potatoes throughout the
country. For making these only part of
the machinery is running and not so
many people are employed. There are
employed, however, about forty.
The basket factory is situated on the
north side of the Mispillion Street on the
Mispillion River, This river affords the
means of transportation Of their goods to
Philadelphia and different points in n
J. 1t also supplies the water for manu-
featuring power. In the rear of the
building there is a large sixty horse pow
er boiler which is used for making steam
to run the plant. This boiler is supplied
by pumping the water from the river in
to tank and then from the tank into
the boiler The fuel for running this is
the waste from the manufacture Of the
different parts of the baskets and crates.
In the front of the building there is a
small room where the strawberry baskets
are made by women, on small iron forms
and then they are packed in crates, sew
eral thousand in a crate They also make /
here the 81 quart crate for shipping ber-
ries. In this room there are also made |
vast quantities of basket covers. At
present this room is vacant as the season /
for making berry baskets has closed.
All the material for the baskets and .
crates are made here from the home.
grown lumber except the top hoops of
the baskets which they are now making.
These are called coiled elm hoops and are
from Illinois and Michigan.
In a small wing Of the second floor the
hoops are steamed in a vat until they are
flexible; the stays are manufactured on
The first floor. These are cut from the
rough logs The logs are cut about forty
inches long and steamed in two large
7ats in order to loosen the bark and to
soften the wood. After being taken out
md peeled of the bark, they are put in a
,eneering machine opposite, which peels
he wood off in thin sheets, being set to
he thickness OF the stays required, and
,nives cut it the desired length. The
heets are then put in another machine
which cuts them any width required.
7or these baskets there are two kinds OF
lotions made, the single and pieced.
The pieced bottoms are made on the sec
nd floor First a machine cuts long
,oards about ten inches wide into pieces
bout bali as wide These are passed
yer to women who nail two pieces to-
ether making a square. Then they are
ut the proper shape by man at ma
hjpe which be works by hand. First
yyholding pile of them on a revolving
lger he bores hole in them. Then one
"a time they are put in another part of
~ 0achine which cuts them round
he sh4. We bottoms are made on the first
oor by a machine which will saw them
)und out Of ten inch board and bore a
ole at the same time This machine
ITS them in three different sizes for the
sized baskets while there can be
ade only one size Of the pieced ones.
bis can also make three or four to the
her kind and $1,000 to 10000 can be
ade in day. The bottom hoops are
II from the logs in long strips and then g
It the right length by the same machine
at the stays are,
This material is all carried to the rooms
here the baskets are made and piled up
ady for use. Here the baskets are put
-gether by men and boys who make
EN- on iron forms First, at the top Of
e forms the stays are nailed be-
zen two coiled elm hoops. Then
ere is an iron ring drawn over this to