| TEXT | Was organized, in 1866, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, and proceeded to erect a building in Worcester, that, in architectural beauty, and the admirable arrangements of its interior for the purposes of the business, has no superior in this country. The main building is one hundred and fifty-four feet long by forty feet wide, four stories in height, with an L, fifty feet square, and two towers in the front and rear, through which all the staircases ascend. Entering at the L door, the visitor finds himself in the boiler room, and examines with interest one of Harrison's non-explosive boilers, which consumes only five hundred pounds of coal per day. Next is the engine-room, where a thirty-horse-power engine does its work with less noise than the flutter of a lady's fan. In the rear is a large room occupied as a manufactory of packing boxes. Passing into the main building, the visitor stands in an immense room, one hundred and fifty-four by forty feet, well-lighted, and floored with a mixture of Roman cement and gravel. This apartment is used exclusively for currying purposes, and is furnished with all conveniences that can be made serviceable in the business. Going up a winding staircase in one of the towers, the machine-shop in the rear of the building, on the second story, is reached. Here, eighteen hands are constantly employed in manufacturing all the machinery used in the establishment. This is a notable peculiarity of the factory, and will have its legitimate influence on the prices of its products. On the same floor is the leather-room, where the curried leather is dressed and made ready to receive the card teeth. All of the machinery in this room is of the latest style, and embraces many improvements not in use in other mills of the kind. Parallel with this apartment is a room where the cards receive the finishing touch, previous to packing and shipment, and in front are the counting-room and private offices, most tastefully and conveniently arranged. On the next floor, the visitor finds the machines in operation, making clothing for cotton, woollen and flax cards. There are few things in the world of machinery more beautiful, or more strikingly illustrative of the mechanical genius of man, than one of these machines in motion. The original machine used for inserting wire was patented, in 1810, by Thomas Whittemore; but the real inventor was Elijah Smith, of Walpole, Mass. The Hon. Daniel Webster said of it, that it seemed to be more nearly endowed with human intelligence than any other machine ever invented; and John Randolph, after looking at it, exclaimed, "All but the immortal soul !" It seizes the wire with its steel fingers, bends it, punches holes in the cloth, leather, or paper, then inserts the wire, at the rate of one hundred and ninety teeth per minute; and, if the slightest derangement take place, or the least imperfection is manifested in the manufactured product, it stops, and waits until the difficulty is remedied. The machines here are all new, and present important improvements over those in ordinary use, in the rapidity of movement and mechanical combination. With the improvements that have been made, only three men are required to tend over seventy-five machines. There are fillet machines in these works that will insert four hundred teeth per minute. The spacious room is as light as daylight can make it, and, by the skilful arrangement of colors on beams and posts, the glare of unrelieved whiteness is avoided. The fourth story is a counterpart of the third, and, when the establishment is fully equipped, it will contain two hundred and eighty machines. In general plan and completeness of detail, having regard not only to the requirements of the business, but to the comfort of the operatives, this new mill may fairly be regarded as a model. It is built in the most substantial manner - and, in its construction, all possible precautions have been taken against fire - a point which is too often neglected in these days. There has been no stinting in outlay, and the same liberal policy which is visible in the construction and arrangement of the mill, governs the entire business. The most expert workmen in the country have been secured, noted for their skill in making uniform work, the only true test of a good card. The visitor of mechanical tastes is forcibly attracted by the machinery, all of which, as has been said, is made on the premises. It seems to represent the highest attainable degree of human ingenuity and mechanical cunning, and gives assurance of a material saving in the cost of the goods manufactured. It is all built under the immediate superintendence of Mr. Edwin S. Lawrence, a practical card maker, who has had twenty-three years' experience in this business; and his superintendence of the mill is a guarantee of thoroughness in the goods manufactured, and an assurance that the very latest improvements in machinery will be availed of to render them in all respects perfect. The resources of this mill, as may be inferred from the foregoing, are very extensive, and, while producing standard Card Clothing of all kinds in immense quantities, at prices just to the consumer, this company will furnish to order carding machines of every description, manufacturers' supplies of every variety, all kinds of cotton and wool hand and stripping cards, etc.. etc. The Agents of the company in New York are the well-known and extensive hardware firm of Sargent & Co., No. 70 Beekman street, and in Philadelphia, the successful builders of Woollen Machinery, Furbush & Gage. |
