The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-09-23
The Liberty. Canning Factory.
Now in Successful Operation. A Promi-
sing Local Industry That Is Giving En-
ployment to Home People.
Correspondence of The Journal.I

sing Local Industry That is Giving En-
ployment to Home People.
Correspondence of The Journal
LIBERTY, Me-, September 10th. That
which represents the bee hive in this
village at the present time is the corn canning
factory, which is now very busy place,
though not running at its full capacity by
reason of the lateness of the corn. A large
portion of the crop is not yet filled out and in
suitable condition for canning. By reason of
the severe drouth, corn, as well as all things
else, has been at standstill for the past two
weeks.
Mr.. Greene, the Superintendent of the five
factories in Maine of the Monmouth Canning
company, says that the corn coming to this
factory is the best in the State. He speaks in
the highest terms of the corn in this locality
and predicts bright future for both the farm
ers and the factory if the farmer does not lose
courage by reason of the severe drouth of this
season.
Mr.. Milliken of the Portland firm of Millken
& Tomlinson, the proprietors of the Mon
mouth Canning Company, was here Saturday
on tour of inspection of their several enter
prises in the State and expressed himself as
highly delighted with the factory, its locality
and the general surroundings, with the class of
farmers he met here, and with the fine quality
OF their corn. He admonished the farmers to
keep up good courage and not lose faith in the
industry by reason of the little setback Of this
year. think his words of announcement had
good effect, for heard one man say to him
that he planted two acres this year and should
plant four next year. Mr.. Milliken told the
writer that all things considered this was the
finest plant of theirs in the State and he was
glad that they came here, and he thanked Mr..
y. w. Ripley, in my presence, for being the
nrst person to call the firms attention to this
locality and assured him that he thought that
they made no mistake in locating in this "beau-
tiful village as he termed it.
They had to begin canning when but few
fields were ready for the harvest, and ran on
short time nearly all of last week. But next
week they expect to run on full time, and, to
use somewhat hackneyed phrase, will be
going some" They put up last week $1,000
cans, 1900 of them last Saturday.
This factory is great attraction for the
people of the surrounding country, and all ex-
press wonder and surprise at the ingenuity
displayed in the manufacture of the machinery
The canning machine is a wonder; is auto
matte and moves as though it was human, en-
dowed with reason, and knows what it is doing
and is proud of it. would like very much to
give full description of this wonderful can
ming machine, and would but for two reasons:
LIST, it would occupy too much space; End, in
my limited vocabulary l cannot find adjectives
suitable to give utterance to my thoughts, and
so must content myself with saying that had
rather, ten times over be the father of this
machine than to be Peary, or Cook. There
is no cold comfort in this.
There used to be an old saying that if you
did not visit Boston once in your life you
would die fool. do not care to say that if
you do not visit corn canning factory in full
operation you will die fool; but l will saw
that if you do, you will know more than you do
now.
The men from abroad who seem to breathe
into this machinery the breath of life are de-
serving of more than passing notice. They
are 1.-The men behind the gun, who by their
strict attention to business and their gentle
manly department have won the respect of
the entire community. Mr.. Greene, the Su-
perintendant is very busy man. He is look
ing after all of the factories of the firm in this
State and consequently is continually on the
go. He travels in an auto and was here twice
last week. He and Mr.. Milliken visited the
factories in Gardiner, Liberty and Union last
Saturday. The foreman here is Mr.. Howard
Staples, native of Strong, in Franklin County,
but for several years resident of New
Mexico. He is skilled mechanic, we'll versed
in every part of the machinery knows every
detail and has the entire confidence of Super
intendent Greene, and of his employers also.
The assistant foreman is Fred Tyler of Bethel,
Oxford County. He is an expert and an argus
eyed fellow, who seems to see all things in
connection with the business at one time. He
has the whole thing at his fingers end, and if
any IF the machinery thinks of going wrong
he is there at bound to make the correction.
Mr.. Staples and Mr.. Tyler make good team.
The machinist is Mr.. Fred Wescott of Wind
ham, Cumberland County. He is very eff
! cient man, and has charge of the shelling ma
chimes and the engine and performs other
duties. y The capper or solderer is Ed Thurlow,
of Mechanic Falls, Androscoggin county. The
hot leak man is John Mills of North Gorham,
Cumberland county. The fireman is J. B.
Taylor of Freedom, Waldo county.
The local force of employees is as follows:
Will Pierce gets the corn from the husking
sheds to the shelters. The shelling machines
are run by Mrs. Mary Norton, and Mrs. Mat
tie Palmer. G. A. Palmer and o. Newhall
dump the corn into the hoppers, and dump
the shelled corn into the screen. Every
time a tub is used or a screen changed it
it is taken out on to platform and thoroughly
washed. This work is done by Billie Benner.
After the corn has been screened it is put on
the scales and weighed by Miss Ella Greeley
After it has been weighed it is taken to the
mixer by Pearl Boynton. Mr.. o. w. Ripley
weighs the sugar and the salt and adds the
water, which is thoroughly stirred by the mix
ing machine. After being mixed it is hoisted
up to the feeder that fills the cans by tackle.
This work is done by Frank Harding. The
cans that receive the corn from the mixer
are let down through tubes from the Sd floor a,
the rate of about sixty minute. This is done