Tabor City tribune., 1957-11-27
Rieyel
(Continued From Page y

COIlpdhy saws doONS $ooo "OA ~
of chemicals a day that goes back
to work to make more pulp.
And while these measures are
taken to insure against outside
cNScism, the company has spent
thousands OF dollars that benefit
its employees. In the wilderness
on the Cape Fear has sprung up
a model village. Some 65 new
AND attractive homes now house
many OF the company employees
near the plant site. Winding,
paved streets circle through the
rolling woodlands and around
man-made lakes stocked with
yame fish. And properly spaced
al all different, these homes
arc scattered all over the area.
The employees own them and
the company is constantly en-
couraging them.
Lots in this residential area,
now known as "Riegelwood," are
made available 20 employees at
prices ranging from SIS to S275.
A modernistic, new Presbyter-
ian church is complete. A big
cjsy-looking shopping center was
built by the company and then
leased 10 private parties at min
imum return so that adequate
retail facilities would be close at
hand.
A community center that was
truly community effort affords
n place for entertainment for
young and old with a lighted
tennis court among its assets.
This summer the Riegelwood
sOni-pro baseball team took the
title in a league composed of
towns in several counties.
The company erticed a doctor
TO set up practice at Riekelwood
with the offer to subsidize him
if necessary, but his private
practice has been excellent and
no Riegel doNhrS have been re-
quircd
BY and large the employees of
Riegel were farmers from Co
lSnbuS, Brunswick, Bladen and
New Hanover counties just six
years ago Many have Travelled
the road from apprentice to
craftsman in a few short years.
But many of the key personnel
are old hands in the paper mill
industry. They came from many
places: from Mt. Pleasant, s. c.,
from Savannah, Ga. from New
Jersey. from Pennsylvania,
hSye come forcmen, skilled
workers and management offic-
ials. New names, strange to the
area, have found a place in the
community at Riegelwood.
And just how does this indust-
ry turn forests to pulp and
paper? It's dramatic and eX-
citing story that has its begin
ming with a goliath-Sized wood
pile of some $4,000 cords. Giant
steel fingers grasp load Of the
Elm or pine longs, dump them
on to two conveyors which carry
them into The barking drums. Ir
the constant tumbling of heavy
longs against each other. the
bark is peeled off. The bark i.
of no use is making pulp but ir
this industry where nothing /.
wasted, the bark drops through
to another conveyor where it i:
carried to the powc: house ant
another conveyor where It i:
trned as fuel for the company
own elecrical power system.
The banked longs pass over :
sorting table and on into a chip.
per where whirling knives re.
duce all size logs into chip
Of half dollar dimensions in ;
matter Of seconds. From chiI
silos conveyors transport the
chips to nine digesters that ar,
really huge pressure cooker:
four stories high. The plant op.
Med with five such cookers. Tn,
digesters are filled to the tol
with chips and cooking liquo
that contains a strong causti,
chemical. With the cooker clos.
s5, 100 pounds Of steam is turn
81 on the chips for four hour.
and the forest at this stage /.
reduced to a. dripping, ding,
pulp. The semi-chemical pulp
lust one Of three kipds made a
Begel, comes from the diecsteS.
in the form of soft chips. .Thes,
are broken down in the refiners
But the kraft pulp Is fberizee
in the digesters and does not &c
through refiners.
The pulp fiber is then washed
free of chemicals in the Brown
Stock Washers and on into thu
screen room. Chemicals, now
separated, are pumped TO wha
IS. known as recovery" wher,
oy are burned 20 more stean
and at the same time a grea'
deal Of the chemicals are re
claimed. And in this process, the
pine logs just naturally yielc
another by-product, turpentine
that last year amounted to $780,.
ooc at the Riesel plant. They are
not in the turpentinc busines,
but salvage this residue as the,