The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-08-05
ELEVATOR IS RUNNING
The Blackford Company's Big I'm
provement Completed

About the biggest commercial i'm
provement in the city this season has
been completed by The Blackford
Company in the erection or their new
grain elevator, corn shelter and grind
ing mills at their place on A avenue
west, at the intersection of the o."
tracks. The exterior appearance dis
closes only small portion of the i'm
provement, which is complete in ev-
cry detail and represents an expendi-
ture of over $4,000, including machin-
cry.
The erection of the Blackford ele-
vator permits not only considerable
enlargement OF the business OF that
| concern, but gives to Oskaloosa
| means of bringing back to this city
the grain shipping trade which has
been drifting to surrounding towns be-
| cause of lack of facilities here for
its accommodation. No one in the
city has been doing grain shipping
business during the past few years,
| and as consequence farmers at the
very edge of the corporation limits
| were disposing of their crop at Leigh
ton, Lacey and other small yillages,t to
the detriment Of Oskaloosa's business
in other lines. This trade will inn
mediately turn back to the county
seat with the addition of the new ele-
vator where every convenience is Of
fered in the way of mechanical appli
ances and other features attractive to
| farmers.
The new elevator Is sixty-six feet
in height from top to bottom and in
cludes eleven large bins with COM
bined capacity of 1900 bushels in
| addition to another bin for shelled
| corn with capacity of $500 bushels.
Chas. E. Newell OF Cedar Rapids was
the contractor and he closed up the
job Monday and took his men to Mar
shalltown where he is now in charge
of the construction of mammoth 50,-
900 bushel elevator.
Many new and desirable features
| have been incorporated in the con-
struction of the Blackford elevator.
The power is derived from an electric
motor with clutch drive, doing away
with the shifting of belts. An end
less rope transmission also is used in
place of a belt and results in positive
motion and minimum loss OF power.
| The usual devices for directing the
grain into the desired bins are of the
latest improved form and the dump
| on which the wagons are driven Is
| much lower than usual and conse-
quently more convenient. In the top
I,of the; elevator is located the cleo
| Lrically-driven corn shelter and grain
cleaner which delivers the shelled
grain wherever desired and shoots
| the dust and cobs into separate rooms
provided for that purpose. THE
equipment permits of the loading and
| unloading of grain directly from bins
to or from wagons or freight cars,
the side track running alongside the
building. On the ground floor are
also located grinding mills for the
making of all kinds of feed and chop
ped grains from finest pearl meal to
the coarsest grain.
The new elevator is welcomed by
the farmers as it provides much
more convenient outlet for their crops
and today, the first after its compile
ton, several wagon loads of grain
were received. Homer Dye was the
first to empty a load of corn at the
new elevator; w. II. Johnson brought
the first load of oats. and w. H.. Kirk
brought in the first load OF wheat.
The Blackford Co.. of which r. L.
Blackford is manager, is to be con-
graduated upon the completeness of
it's new improvement and the better
facilities - gives for the handling Of
grain in wholesale way. They are
now well equipped for the conducting
of their fuel and grain business, and
while their present building, which is
72x12O leet, is the largest room under
one roof in the city, they have further
plans for building on another addi-
ton on the south side which will
eventually extend to High avenue.