The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-01-11

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THE SARDINE FACTORY
Early in the year the Belfast Board OF
Trade, in their efforts to secure new In
dustries, succeeded in bringing to Bel
fast Mr. B NJ Pike and others of the Lu,
bee Sardine company to look the ground
over with a view to establishing fac
tory here. They opened negotiations FOL
the plant of the Duplex Roller Bushlng
Co., but failing to agree upon price
looked over the water front with Presl'
dent Frost and finally decided upon
site at this end of the lower bridge just
outside of the railroad tracks. The lo1
was three-fourths covered with water at
high tide, and a substantial granite sea
wall was first built and the space en-.
closed was then filled in with stone and
gravel to make foundation for the brick
and REINFORCED concrete building. A
wooden pier was built extending out tc
the channel, giving fifteen feet OF water
at low tide at its outer end. The fac
tory in its arrangements and equipments
is up-to-date in every particular. 1t wal
opened for business August 21st and hao
no difficulty in securing all the help need
ed, and though the operators were man,
ly green hands they soon became expert
and made good wages. There was ar
abundant supply of fish throughout the
season. manly brought from Castine In
the company's boats, and In a few hours
from the time they were taken from the
water they were in the cans and ready to
be packed for shipment. With spun
trick on one side Of the factory, and the
harbor on the other, the facilities fol
shipping could not be bettered. About
200 men and women were employed anc
the average weekly pay roll for the
season was over 81, 200 and next year is
expected to exceed 81, 900. The company
packed $1,000 cases in oil of 100 cans to
a case, and 4, 1872 cases of As cans in mus
tard.
THE CORN CANNING FACTORY
1t had long been felt that corn can
ming factory would be very desirable ad-
dition to our local industries and negotia-
tons We're entered into with various con-
Germs My to result in failure. The diff
ficulties encountered need not be enum-
Grated here. Finally, Mr.. Tomlinson,
manager of the Saco Valley Canning
company OF Portland, was induced to
come to Belfast and after looking the
situation over decided to build factory
here. All the company asked was ex-
emption from taxes and the planting of
300 acres of corn, the corn to be de-
livered to them the first season at 2 cents
the season, but hereafter at the ruling
price. They bought lot on upper High
street, and built plant second to none
in the State, and easily accessible, while
a new road gives them short haul, a /
down grade, to the railway, where cars
may be loaded for shipment. With some
half dozen experienced men from other
plants about so hands, mainly local
people, were employed, and about two
months were required to can, label and
pack the corn. The amount canned ex-
ceeded expectations and the corn proved
to be of superior quality, as the many
Belfast people who are using it today
can testify. After the corn canning
season the factory began canning apples,
giving additional employment to our
people and affording a market for fruit
that n light not have been otherwise
An increased output from this
factory the coming season may be safely
predicted.
THE SHOE FACTORY ADDITION
The ten years agreement with Leonard
& Barrows, under which they are ex-
empt from taxes, have the shoe factory
rent free and receive 81 900 yearly, con-
tributed by citizens, terminates next
March, and early in the year the Board
of Trade took up the matter with Leon
ard 4 Barrows to ascertain what ar
engagements could be made for the fu-
ture. Various propositions were consid-
cred and finally the Board of Trade form
ulate plan acceptable to Leonard &
Barrows. One of the requirements of
the firm was more room for their increas-
ing business, and this provided, with rent
free, they would agree to continue in
Belfast for ten years and to guarantee
pay roll of 100000 a year. A real
estate company was organized with a
capital of $780, to buy the building
from W. H. Quimby and build an addi-
ton, and the money was raised by sub
scription. A substantial building, five
stories high at the rear and three stories
on Pleasant street was erected opposite
the center of the main factory, with
which it is connected over the street. To
furnish the additional power needed the
company has installed $50 horsepower
boiler and 100 horsepower engine.
The machinery was put in and work in
the annex began before the end of the
year. In the coming ten years this one
will pay out So. 900, 600 for labor.
OTHER LOCAL INDUSTRIES.
Business at the Coe- Mortimer plant
has increased and the shipments of fertil-
lzer this year will largely exceed those
Of last season. The company has been
obliged to engage storage outside and is
putting up an additional building. They
contracted last year for 45, 900 barrels,
which were made in this city and vicinity.
Mathews Bros wood working factory
had contracts which kept it busy during
the year. Many improvements were
made in the plant, including the covering
of the large addition to the n ain fac
tory with metal shingles and change in
the heating system. The work was
largely on sash, door and window frames.
The wood working factory of James C.
Durham, Pleasant sire t, had its usual
good run of business, including the max
ing of boxes for the shoe factory.
The Kelley Axe factory in East Bel
fast, Raymond R. Sherman, manager.
continued to manufacture the famous