The Monroe journal. [volume] (Monroe, N.C.) 189?-1965, 1910-03-29

as white and clean as hospital, with
its four hundred and fifty windows,
every one of which looks out free to
the clear blue sky, The Piedmont
Buggy Company Of this place now
works under ideal conditions. With
every labor saving device and con-
venience that a million-dollar plant
might have, its skilled workmen have
conditions that will stimulate them
to ambitious workmanship. The new
building, covering more than an acre
of floor space, is designed ideally,
and from the smithy on the basement
floor, where the beginning Of job
is made. to the Grating station above,
there is no hitch, no cross, no back
ward movement Of a piece Of mate
rial. Every step is a forward one,
and no piece Of the twenty-five vehi-
cles which the plant is capable oil
turning out daily, is required to dou-
Bile an inch on its track. The build
ing is mill construction throughout,
four floors, 65x206 feet, steam heat
ed, equipped with automatic sprink-
lers connected to the city water
works, with a private auxiliary els
tern Of $4,000 gallons. And the
most superior feature Of it all is that
there is no rumble or dust from
engines, innumerable shafts aud
belts, for every machine or section
is run by its own electric motor, all
driven by the noiseless white fluid
from the Catawba river miles away.
There are some dozen motors, rang
ing in power from the one-eiShth
horse power Of the sewing machine
in the trimming room to the fifteen
horse power in the blacksmith de-
partment. Everything about the
plant suggests ease, facility and high
efficiency. Yet there is not the sug-
gestion Of exclusive machinery that
one has in cotton mill, for instance,
for here there remains opportunity
for high individual skill and charac-
ter in the workmen. The men are
still workmen, not operators, since
the character of the work makes nee
essary a combination Of the qualities
Of the individual workman with the
use of machinery.
The building is situated just out
side the city's incorporation line, on
a bluff overlooking wide fields and
meadows which are just now taking
on the green shades Of spring. The
work is divided into depa u ents
with its foremen, and sub : uepart-
ments, all in close touch with the
presiding genius, General Manager
Payne; and from the President, Capt.
Heath, General Manager Payne and
Secretary and Treasurer kochtitzky,
down to the last workman, there are
none who do not manifest pride
and enthusiasm in the work of the
company.
Probably you have never taken a
thought when spinning along in a
light running vehicle of the work
required to produce such a comfort
able effect. If you haven't ever seen
a buggy in the making, you will
surely be interested in a running de-
scription of the process. The job
starts in the blacksmith shop, the
material being brought in from an
adjoining warehouse. Here the
wheels are primed, tired, bored and
boxed, put on an electric driven ele-
vator and sent to the second floor,
where they are painted, striped and
finished and set aside to dry for three
TO seven days.
The gears are assembled in the
smithy, placed on the elevator for
the second floor to receive printing,
color varnish, stripping and finish, all
done Cd racks without removing,
and dried from five to seven days in
a dust-proof room without handling,
and clear Of scars or bruises to paint.
The bodies are sent by elevator to
the third floor and gracefully submit
to twelve coats Of paint, during
which they are rubbed with pumice
stone in water three times. After
the finishing coat is put on they are
placed in a dark room, which il
painted black, with black curtains
This is for the purpose Of excluding
every fly and insect that might dis
figure the glossy surface, which has
been brought up to piano finish.
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