Middletown transcript., 1911-09-09
THE WATKINS CANNERY
A Wei Ordered Establishment
and 4 Clean, Fine Product


within few yards Of the Appouuiniminl
Creek. il located the cannery 9th 'Wat
kins Packing Companyp-a situation thl
beSt possible for convenient haulage b
the farmers, and for cheap Wster trans
portation by the company Of iss product.
The business was begun in 1880 by Mr.
Columbus Watkins father of the presen
proprietorS. The firm is now composed
Of John W. Watkins and Frank B. Wet
kins. At fret a number Of fruits such al
peaches, pears etc., and vegetables BEANS
tomatoes ETC., and even plum pudding
and the like, we're packed by the com
pany, but since 1905 only corn has been
put up by them, Of which article they
annually. pack on the average about &c, ,OOC
cases oftwo dozen cans each. They mean
to pack this year 3S, 500 cases.
They employ from S5to 100 men and
women, one half Of whom come from
Odessa or the vicinity, the remainder be.
ing imported Bohemians. Their opera
tions extend over period Of five weeks.
The inside employees, mostly town
people, are paid by the hour, the women
receiving IL cents and the men 15 cents
an hour. They follow what is known as
the ''Maine" process, which it is claimed
yields more toothsome article.
The men huskers work by by the piece
receiving 8 cents basket, and earn from
$500 to $3.50 daily. The Co. use the
Sprague Cutter which is both far swifter
and also more economical than the hand
cutting method-though, we believe it is
claimed that this latter yields a whole
grain which is desired by some: on the
other ham, it is said that the "Maine"
method preserves more Of the sweetness
and favor OF the corn.
The corn is sorted out by hand and all
uns)und or defective ears either pruned
or rejected. The cut corn after thoro
goes into copper cylinder kept
at about 170 degrees which automatically
drops it into cans being brought under
it at the rate of 20 a minute while being
carried along by an endless carrier, which
successfully passes the cans under revolV.
ing brush to wipe them; then before boys
who put the little caps on; then under
small brush dipped la ~tak acid
solution to clean the tin for soldering;
next under the circular, hot soldering iron
which soldiers the cap on; then, after be-
ing watched while passing along by boy
10 see If the soldering has been well done,
The carrier passes the cans under an
self-acting, pointed solderer
which dips down on each passing can
right in the centre and soldiers up the
little vent hole made in the cap which in
The minute or two after its first soldering
allows all excess of steam to escape. From
! big wooden spindle, soldering wire is
fed to this vent soldering
machine. The solder-Wirs is hollow and
every inch is pinched together in such
away as to keep the contents of rosin and
oil from escaping till the section is used
On five cans. The cans are then placed
ii round, shallow iron racks holding
about 40 cans each, and lifted rack after
rack into large, round steel cooking yats,
where they are kept at about 240 degrees
of heat from dry steam for some 20 min.
ltes. After which they are placed in q long |
jank of cool running water for an hour;
ihenos they are removed, wiped dry and
packed in cases ready for shipment. As
ihese cans are being conveyed on this
carrier each one slips for an instant into
noon.shaped catch Of an automatic regis
er which counts them just as the bicycle
,yclometers register the Wheel revolutions.
As the huskers bring in their baskets of
,orn, they are weighed and lad punches
he blue ticket suspendedIf necks
Ind also pulls lever which counts the
Weighed baskets of corn, which thus
IhoWs the firm how the canned corn is
urDiDg out as compared with the weigh |
ID raw material.
Twice everyday at noon and at night,
he whole cannery and all the utensils |
ire we'll scrubbed with hot water and soda
,lus dry heated steam, thus insuring the |
highest possible degree OF cleanliness.
Although one would expect in summer
ime some bad smells about such place,
ZONE we're in evidence, and the reporter
las a real aristocratic nose for odor.
An abundance of cool. water is gotten from
deep well on the premises. The polite
md efficient superintendent of the work,
Ir. John W. West, has been with the
irm from early boyhood and understands
lis business thoroughly.
Mr.. John W. Watkins who courteously
howed me over the establishment, says
le prefers when it is possible, to use
human labor instead Of machinery as it is
more dependable, and then he believes
n living and Iet.livs-policy, which Ger.
ainly shows q very friendly and praise
worthy spirit towards the working classes.
This is also evidenced by his employment
i SO large a percentage of home labor
me half-sll, intact, he can get.
Some % farmers are bringing in the
corn which is weighed on the
wagon like grain etc. Each farmer has
rom u to 5eaeres planted in corn which
n the average yield from to 4 tons of
orn to the acre, for which they receive
9. so per ton. Exceptional yielda give
o and even more tons TO the acre, and
ne farmer had so acres planted in the
Weet corn.
Messrs. Watkins Co. grow their own
eed, so that it may be.said, their product
tarts from the very bottom-ths corn
self. Each can weiahss pounds and re.
ails for l2 to la cents per can. They
ack about 40, eco cans daily. The firm
ave two brands "The Owl" and 'The
Watkins Glenn both alike in quality and
rice. Their brands have deservedly a
cry high standing in the.market.
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