History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 169

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 169

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Moore's Woolen- Yarn Mill .- It has been already stated that in 1862, Mr. Hamblet sold his flouring- mill to the Moore Brothers,-they were Messrs. Seth and John Moore,-and they immediately changed the flouring-mill into one for the manufacturing of wor- sted yarns. In 1881 Mr. George C. Moore, a nephew of the brothers, purchased the mill of them and has continued the manufacturing of yarn till the present time. Mr. Edward A. Moore, a brother of the owner of the mill, is the overseer of it. They have manu

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

factured worsted carpet yarns, and of about the same quality as the yarn sold by Abbot & Company. They have foreign machinery in the drawing department and home machinery in the spinning-rooms. They employ 65 hands and their sales amount to about $156,000 per year. They use both steam and water- power. They are using mostly camel's hair for their yarn, making the yarn entirely of it. Most of it is bought in the New York market, and such quantities do they use, that, a few years since, they were compel- led to send to China for much of their supply, having already purchased two thirds of all the hair that came to this country. They have increased their working capacity very much from the beginning; for they used only two machines at first and now eighteen, and they intend to soon build a two-story stone addi- tion, 197 feet long by 52 feet wide, the foundation of which is already laid. It will be more than twice the size of the present mill, and they will then also employ two or three times as many hands.

They have no strikes connected with their industry. They take an interest in their help, as can be readily seen from the fact that, with the exception of one or two, all have been with them for ten years or longer ; some have remained all the time since the present mill was started. The help are paid well, so that they are satisfied, and thus all strikes are avoided. The writer visited the mill and brought home some of the camel's hair that was in process of preparation for the looms; it is fine and silky, and makes-it is claim- ed by them-the best carpets in the world. The yarn is sold to the commission merchants in Philadelphia, who sell in turn to the weavers. There is evidently a good market for the yarn, as the firm sell all they can make, and larger quantities will soon be produced on account of the increased facilities for manufacture, soon to be in operation. They have a chimney that lacks an inch or two only of being 125 feet high, 10 feet square at the base, with a six-foot flue ; 105,000 bricks were used in its construction. The writer was specially interested in a manikin made by Mr. E. A. Moore's father ; it was in the position of the front wheel of a trycicle, and when the crank was turned, its legs and feet would all move in regular order and as naturally as life. It was of life-size, with internal machinery, which moved accurately every part. The elder Moore has made also a horse manikin (?), which moves forwards or backwards and as perfectly as the former. Much study must have been required to make so perfectly all the adjustments. Both are cu- riosities. It remains to be seen whether they can be applied to any useful purpose,-they show at least mechanical skill and an inventive turn of mind.

Sargent's Machine-Shop .- Charles G. Sargent was born in the town of Hillsborough, N. H., in that part called Hillsborough Upper Village, July 17, 1819. He worked on neighboring farms, and his schooling was obtained in the meantime. At the age of four- teen he began as an apprentice the trade of cabinet-

maker, but his employer sold out before the expira- tion of his apprenticeship, and he then entered the services of a clock-maker, with whom he remained one year and a half. He then went to Lowell, Mass., where he obtained service with a job contractor of the Lowell Machine-Shop for three years as an ap- prentice. Having mastered the machinist's trade, he engaged to do machine repairs for a worsted-mill at West Chelmsford, where he stayed four years, em- ploying his spare time in learning the details of the manufacture of worsted yarns, in which he became proficient.

In about the year 1841 he entered the service of the Lowell Manufacturing Company, and the next year was made an overseer. It was while connected with this company that he invented a valuable burr- ing-machine. In about the year 1850 Mr. Sargent resolved to enter into business for himself, and, although being offered good inducements to remain with the Lowell Manufacturing Company, he gave up his position and hired a small shop on Market Street, and began the manufacture and sale of wool-burring and other machines ; afterwards he took in company with him a partner. A few years after he entered into co-partnership with Marvel & Lane, and the firm erected a large stone shop on Fletcher Street, which is now used as a worsted-mill, where they car- ried on the machine business. He sold out his interest in this company to Marvel & Lane, and a short time after he again went into the business of manufactur- ing worsted yarn in a small stone mill on Broadway, near the corner of Fletcher Street, Lowell, which he continued for several years, but, owing to ill health, he was forced to relinquish it.

On October 17, 1854, Mr. Sargent and Francis A. Calvert bought the mill property and land connected therewith belonging to Asahel Davis, formerly be- longing to Thomas Richardson. This property, situ- ated in Graniteville, then called Stone Quarry, con- sisted of a saw-mill and grist-mill. Forming a part- nership January 8, 1855, and converting these mills into shops for the manufacture of wool machinery, they engaged in that industry. Mr. Sargent moved with his family to Graniteville in the spring of 1855. During the same year (1855) Mr. Sargent entered alone into partnership with the Abbots, retiring from the firm in 1857, when Mr. Cameron took his place.

These buildings (Calvert and Sargent's) were burned December 5, 1858, and then what is now Mill No. 1, a two-story building, 185 x 52 feet, with a con- necting L, 32 x 40 feet, was erected. Meanwhile the business was pursued in a rented shop at Lowell. They moved into Mill No. 1 in the fall of 1859; two years later they built Mill No. 2, a two-and-one-half- story wooden building. Mr. Sargent bought his partner's interest January 1, 1863.

Between the years 1864 and 1865 he erected Mill No. 3, on the other side of the dam. This building was occupied at first by Frank Calvert, Jr., and F. G.

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Sargent, for the manufacture of carded worsted waste, in which they continued for several years. This partnership being dissolved, Mr. F. G. Sargent entered into partnership with C. G. Sargent January 1, 1873, the firm's name being C. G. Sargent & Son. In the same year Mr. Sargent started the manufacture of hosiery in mill No. 3. In the year 1874 he took Mr. M. H. A. Evans into the firm, the name of the firm being Chauncy Hosiery Mills.

In 1877 Mr. Sargent commenced building the new machine-shop, which was completed in 1878. His death occurred July 16, 1878, a short time after. In March 1, 1880, A. C. Sargent became a partner with his brother, F. G. S., under the firm-name of C. G. Sargent's Sons. About April, 1884, Mr. Evans re- linquished the hosiery business, and the building was taken by C. G. Sargent's Sons. Their business has been very prosperous, averaging about $85,000 yearly sales of machinery.

These machines are the Wool-Duster, Washer, Dryer, Burr-Picker, Crabber and various others ; also waste cards and all kinds of wire and steel cylinders.

They say in their catalogue concerning their Wool- Washers: "Through the several styles of machines now made by us, embodying our latest improvements, we think we can justly claim to have invented the best systems that have ever yet been devised for scouring the various kinds of wool. We believe that our machines will thoroughly scour more wool in a given time, at a less cost in material and power, and render the wool in better condition, than has ever be- fore been attained. Our machines are built in a most substantial manner, with parts interchangeable, and duplicable, and are capable of enduring the strain of severe use, and even abuse, to which latter wool-washing machines are too often subjected." The dates of the patents on these machines are given, thirty-five in number, from 1873 to 1886. These ma- chines have been purchased by 151 parties, who are using them in their mills for the cleansing of wool.

Their Automatic Wool-Dryer has been patented nine times, and there are twenty-seven parties using it in the preparation of wool for the loom.

Their Wool-Duster is used for opening and dusting wool before the process of washing and burr-picking, and for cleaning card-waste, noils, etc.

Their Burr-Picker is made in two styles, with slight modifications in details to suit the character of the stock operated upon. It is claimed to be " the leading machine for burring wool and for removing all dust, burrs and loose foreign matter from wool and other textile fiber. Many improvements have been recently made, and the machine differs from any other offered to manufacturers in many important particulars." It is used in 174 different manufactories.

An Improved Metallic Waste-Card is used for work- ing or reducing worsted and woolen yarns, waste of flannel and knit goods to their original fiber state. It requires less than a two horse-power to run it.

Single and double Crabbing-Machines are made and sold. "They are used for scouring, rinsing or crabbing worsted cloth, also for bringing out and pro- ducing a finished face on the cloth as is produced on ordinary woolen goods by the fulling-mill."

An Atomizing Wool-Oiler is made, which oils at the feed-rolls on breaker cards and has many advan- tages. "By oiling at the feed the oil is completely broken into fine particles like mist, and precipitated with force into the evenly spread wool; and as the wool passes the feeding-rolls, the oil and wool are thoroughly mixed."

Sargent's Sons are prepared to furnish the Best Steel Burr and Licker-in Wire; they have now a "Patented wire which is made with parallel sides, sharpened the same as a steel ring cylinder and is made stronger than the beveled wire."

Improved Rotary Pumps are made for pumping scouring liquor from the bowl up to the showering device. These are also made for general purposes, where the draught is not too high.

They make also an Improved Blower or Suction Fan; it is made to fit in the side of the automatic screen dryer, and the wall of dye-houses or other rooms, from which air is to be exhausted or into which air is to be driven. It would pay any one who is in- terested in machinery, and can do so, to visit the shop and see the machine and the machine that makes it !

Haywood & Burbeck's Grist-Mill .- It is not known just when this mill was first started, though it was the third one erected on Stony Brook. The first man who is now known to have owned it was John Cum- mings. LeviT. Fletcher owned it sixty-eight years ago. Then it was owned by Otheo Fletcher, a brother of John B. Fletcher. L. Haywood purchased it in 1842. It was then owned by T. H. Hamblet. S. P. & F. Wright owned it about 1846-47. George W. Hey- wood and Luke L. Fletcher bought it in 1862, and Mr. Heywood purchased Mr. Fletcher's interest in the mill in 1863. In 1864, Mr. Heywood sold a half interest to Charles H. Fletcher, who, in the spring of 1867, sold his half to W. H. H. Burbeck and Henry Chamberlain. In 1869, Mr. Heywood bought out Mr. Chamberlain, and the firm has been Heywood & Burbeck ever since.

The business of the mill has increased with the years. A comparison is here given of the amount of grain sold the first year Mr. Heywood became a share-owner of the mill, and the amount sold during the past year, 1889. In 1862, Mr. Heywood and his partner bought and sold but one car-load of corn, and this was the only kind of grain sold till 1869, when they began to sell oats. In 1889 they sold 14,059 bushels of corn, 7874 bushels of oats, 60,000 pounds of middlings, 81,000 pounds of shorts, 37,900 pounds of gluten, 38,500 pounds of cotton seed, 4 tons of hen feed, 12 tons of phosphates. About thirty-five car-loads of grain were bought and sold the past year,

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Heywood & Burbeck trade chiefly with their towns- men and have given good satisfaction, as their amount of business clearly shows. Their mill is the only one of the kind in town and is well patronized. They use but one run of stone, but that is kept running much of the time. A new run of stone has recently been put in ; the old one was put in by L. T. Fletcher fifty- eight years ago. The old stones were granite and were purchased in Peabody ; they were drawn by four yoke of oxen and were only two days on the way. The new stone is also of granite, though burr-stone is gen- erally used, imported from France -- " French Burr."

Water-power is used for running the mill, as the little river, Stony Brook, furnishes all that is needful.

In 1874 the firm found that their business had increased to such proportions that elevating machin- ery was needed, and it was accordingly purchased. The grain is bought mostly from the West and of the com- mission dealers.

The Saw-Mill .- In connection with their water- power, Heywood & Burbeck run a saw-mill. It was erected about the time of the grist-mill, and is on the opposite side of the dam. The same parties have owned it that owned the grist-mill ; the two mills have always been bought and sold together. At first, in common with all early saw-mills, the upright saw was used, but in 1875 it was exchanged for a circular one, which does more and better work. At the same time the firm put in Swain's improved turbine wheel, of twenty-five horse-power. Since these improvements, the amount of lumber sawed has averaged 300,000 feet each year. The logs drawn there are mostly pine, and the work is custom work.

Wheelwrights. - Westford has two wheelwright- shops,-one at the centre, and one in the eastern part of the town. The one at the centre is carried on by Mr. Nelson L. Tuttle, who came to town in December, 1872, and immediately began working at his trade in a shop put up for him, the autumn be- fore, by his father, who died September 19, 1886. Mr. Tuttle began the manufacturing of express and farm wagons, also carts and sleds, and has kept to that line of work pretty much till the present time. He has made a few sleighs, but has done mostly heavy work. He has usually worked alone, and has had all he could do, some of the time being driven with work. He has used a horse-power in his shop for all his sawing, and connected with the power is a planing-machine, circular saw, gig-saw and turning- lathe. He has recently put in a six horse-power steam-engine, fully capable of running all the ma- chinery and heating the shop as well. Most of his lumber is purchased in town, which is always of the best, and is kept seasoning for three years before it is used; and when shaped and strongly put together, in the form of wagons and sleds, lasts (hyperboli- cally) till the whole gives out, like the "One-Horse Shay." His work remains mostly in Westford, though some of it has gone into the surrounding

towns, and cven to Pennsylvania. Hc does fully as much repairing as building.

Mr. James A. Walkden settled in the castern part of the town in 1875, and immediately opened a wheelwright's shop ; he still carries on the business, generally employing help. He not only repairs, but makes market and farm wagons, sleds and sleighs. He has a six horse-power engine, and with it runs a band-saw, planer, circular saw and boring-machinc. He does good work, and has all he can do. He sells his work in the town as well as in the surrounding towns, and sends some of it quite a distance away. He is a pleasant man to deal with, and strives to please his customers. The writer saw him at work in his shop upon the frame of a market-wagon, which was strong and neatly put together, and he thought that any one ought to be perfectly satisfied with such work.

Westford supports the usual number of black- smith-shops, and they are a credit to the place. Satisfactory work is done, and much of it.

Mr. John Feeney came here on February 12, 1887, and built a saddler's shop, and from the first has had all the business he could attend to. He sells all the harnesses he can make, and some of them go to the towns surrounding.

STORES .- In 1839 the present store of Wright & Fletcher was built and occupied by Sherman D. Fletcher and his father-in-law, Sherman, under the firm-name of S. & S. D. Fletcher. They continued to do business together till the death of Sherman, which occurred in the year 1860. Mr. S. D. Fletcher then carried on the business alone till 1873, when his son, Sherman H. Fletcher, and Nahum H. Wright bought out his interests and are occu- pying it at the present writing, uuder the name of Wright & Fletcher. They keep a general coun- try store, which is supposed to contain nearly every- thing! Situated so near the cities, it could not be expected that they would keep all the finer goods found there; but all the essentials are here sold, such as groceries, dry-goods, boots and shoes, paints, oils, seeds, farming-tools, fertilizers, grain, some kinds of clothing, some hardware, patent medicines, candy- nuts, the inevitable tobacco, a few fancy articles, etc., etc. Their sales amount, upon the average, to about $21,000 per year. They keep a good line of good goods, dealing only in first-class articles. The writer has been assured by them that they had rather their customers would find fault with the prices charged than with the goods themselves, while it is their endeavor to have no fault found with either. Their large trade, and the general confidence shown by the community in the firm, testify to their business integrity.

They are courteous and obliging to all, and, it is believed, conduct their business upon strictly honest principles. They evidently believe that " hon- esty is the best policy," and they seem to carry it

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out in all their transactions. It is assuring to know that when one goes there to buy an article he can depend upon the statement made concern- ing it by either of the firm. Such dealing pros- pers in the long run, and this store has stood for this kind of dealing for fifty years. It is often said now that business cannot succeed that is carried on in a strictly honest way, but this store is a strong protest to all knavery and trickery. Next to the church and the school-house, an honest country store exercises a civilizing influence in the com- mnnity.

Mr. H. B. Hall came to town in 1882, and opencd a city grocery store, hiring the old store building that Miss Clara Wiley owns. He remained there about five years, when he moved his goods to the rooms he had fitted up out of a shed and the L part of his house. He uses a part of the barn and cellar of the house for storage. Mr. Hall was a successful business man in Boston, but was over- worked, and desired to move to some healthful country village where he could sell a city class of goods and educate his children. He "prospected " all through the western part of the State, as well as the eastern, and finally settled here; for he found on Westford Hill what he desired-good air, water and schools. He wished to settle in the most healthful village in New England, and now, after a residence here of eight years, is better pleased than ever with the place. He was very delicate in health when he came here, but now says he is perfectly well and works hard.

He has what is termed an "order trade," keeps two horses and has plenty of work for both of them to do. He carries goods to Parkerville, Granite- ville, Forge Village, West Chelmsford, North Chelms- ford and to farmers living between the different vil- lages he visits. On Monday, Tuesday and Friday he receives orders for goods and delivers them the same day; on Wednesday he obtains orders and delivers on Thursday; on Saturday he goes to Bos- ton, or draws goods from the depot, or puts up packages in the store.

Mr. Arthur Wright, having associated himself with Mr. N. Harwood Wright, commenced the general merchandise business in Graniteville February 1, 1868, under the firm-name of Wright & Co., and con- tinued until 1875, when Arthur Wright bought his partner's interest and continued the business alone until February 1, 1882. He then formed a co-part- nership with Mr. Henry S. Bemis, of Lawrence, Mass., under the name of Wright & Bemis, which has con- tinued until the present time.

In 1883, owing to the steady increase in the busi- ness, the firm secured the Music Hall building, classi- fied their business and opened a new store of dry- goods, fancy goods, boots, shoes, etc., etc. At the old stand they carry a full line of groceries, flour and general merchandise. They have a large trade, and

the firm is respected by all who know them. Mr. Wright holds an official position in the Methodist Church at Graniteville, and his business affairs are conducted in accordance therewith. In 1887 he rep- resented the district in the Legislature of the State.

BOARD OF OVERSEERS .- With the exception of four years Mr. Edward Prescott has been overseer of the poor since 1862, and has striven to care alike for the interests of the town and the well-being of the unfortunate people committed to his charge. He has the first account-book ever kept by the board, and it is more interesting to look it over than to read inany others which contain simple statements of business transactions ; for here we find continual changes in the number and character of the inmates of the poor- house as well as the cost to the town of maintaining them.

On April 5, 1824, the town voted to purchase John Read's farm for the sum of $2500; and in 1831 or 1832 the brick house known as the Alms-house was built. A committee had previously been appointed to devise the best means of maintaining the poor, and upon their recommendation the farm was purchased and stocked. Power was given them to receive pro- posals for a Master and Mistress to take charge of the farm, and the poor living upon it; and also, to devise the most proper regulations of caring for the inmates. It seems that formerly the unfortunate poor, in many places, were "farmed out" or "sold to the lowest bidder," i.e., they were taken in charge by men who were to receive the smallest amount from the town as payment for their support. Of course, such men would endeavor to make something from the transac- tion and would, therefore, keep the poor as cheaply as possible, often making them work beyond their strength; so that it came to be looked upon as a cruel way of caring for them. A growing spirit of hu- manity finally brought a change, and by-laws were enacted in Westford whereby the master of the alms- house must be "a man of temperance, prudence and good moral character." "The use of all spirituous liquors and any liquor, part of which is spirituous, is strictly prohibited, except when ordered by a physi- cian, overseer or master." The overseers are required to look after the wants of the poor, and to see that the instructions of the town are all carried out by the master. Notice has come to the writer, recently, of several towns in New Hampshire, that have given up the farm system and have returned to the older way of caring for the paupers : letting them out to people who will keep them the cheapest. They are made to work and thus to pay for their keeping as far as pos- sible. Some towns in Massachusetts do not have a town-farm, but hire other towns to care for their poor, finding the expense less than to have a farm-house of their own. And it is true, that it would be less ex- pensive for Westford to "hire out" her poor; but tlie town had rather be at a little more cost in the matter, and have the satisfaction that everything possible has

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been done for their comfort, health and happiness. The expense of the poor has varied with the years: in 1862 the Board of Overseers drew $350 from the town treasury for their support; in 1863 only $150; in 1864 the amount was $350 again, while recently the board has drawn as high as $3000.

In 1820 there were thirty paupers cared for by the town, while at the present writing there are only four at the alms-honse, and only one of them is considered a pauper-the other three heing indigent soldiers, who can live here easier than anywhere else, and who receive aid from the State. The number of in- sane has increased in the town-seven are reported now, though the town cares for only two of these. The poor at the alms-house are mostly aged people and seem to enjoy their town-home and the good care they receive; and their kind treatment by the overseer has not served to put a preminm npon idleness nor in- crease the number of paupers; for even the unfortn- nate do not really care to go "Over the hill to the poor-house," however well cared for they shall be while there. There are men in the cities who will sometimes in the autumn commit a petty crime, in or- der to be sentenced to prison, where they will have shelter and food for the winter, and but little work to do ; but Westford is not troubled by men who allow themselves to become indigent for the sake of a winter at the poor-house !

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 169

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1226

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226