USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Picturesque Hampden : 1500 illustrations > Part 18
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The product of the mill is twenty-three tons of book and engine-sized writing papers daily, and the mill is run day and night to fill orders. Henry S. Dick- inson is president and treasurer, and I. Warren Bullens secretary.
BROWN & SELLERS.
Among the manufacturing industries of interest, are the Wire Cloth works of Brown & Sellers at Holyoke. After many years of experience in this line of busi- ness, this firm established their works in this city in 1888; and by the introduction of new and improved machinery, made from their own designs, have produced a superior quality of fabric, which commends itself to the trade, and accounts largely for the success they have attained. Here the brass wire is drawn and woven into Fourdrinier wires, a fabric used largely in the paper mills throughout the country, for forming the sheet of paper. This firm are the owners of valuable patents, among which is the Sellers' Patent Truss Dandy Roll, valued for its lightness, strength and exactness of form. Many of the beautiful water-marks seen in
FINISHING ROOM OF THE TAYLOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, MANUFACTURERS OF PAPETERIES AND ENVELOPES, HOLYOKE, MASS.
sheets of paper are made from the water-marked dandy rolls made in these works. The interior view, representing looms in operation, gives but a faint idea of the interesting process of manufacturing these wire fabrics.
THE WIRE CLOTH LOOMS AT BROWN & SELLERS'.
133
ASHLEY B. TOWER, ARCHITECT.
A description of the most magnificent of the paper mills of Holyoke, as given in the preceding pages, would be incomplete without some reference to the archi- tectural genius which planned and built them, especially when one firm of architects has had a hand in all of them. The architects D. H. & A. B. Tower are the men whose engineering skill of construction have thus placed their impress upon the great mills of Holyoke, and Ashley B. Tower, who succeeded the old firm this year (the former junior member of it), after a partner- ship of fourteen years, has the proud distinction of standing unquestionably as the foremost paper-mill
TESTING CEMENT.
architect, builder and designer in the world. Of all the many hundreds of paper mills in this country, no two are built alike, nor would uniformity of construction be possible, unless the mills were to stand upon a dead level and use steam power. Where, as almost invariably in paper mak- ing, water is the power that drives the wheels, the location in reference to such power is the first subject to receive con- sideration. Another factor that comes into account at the same time is the amount and kind of product that it is desired to turn out. Given these, the architect either him- self makes or has carefully made a survey of the site, while he determines the ma- chinery that will be required to meet the purpose of the contemplated mill, the power which will be requisite, and how it is to be transmitted. It is at this time that the question of economy of construction, and of operation afterward, comes in, and it will be at once apparent how valuable wide experience in the laying out of similar plants may become. An error of judgment, which none but a trained builder could detect,
PICTURESQUE HAMPDEN.
might cost the operators of the mill thou- sands of dollars, which more careful plan- ning would make available for the divi- dend list.
Mr. Tower's office itself is one of the best possible for its purposes. It is lo- cated in what is known as the "Flatiron Block," at the junction of Main and Race streets, a few rods from the passenger station of the Connecticut River railroad, and occupies the northern portion of the second story. On the eastern side, with entrance near the head of the stairway, is the suite of apartments occupied by Mr. Tower and his draughtsmen and as- sistants, beyond which is a private apart- ment or consultation room. A long-dis- tance telephone is at hand in a convenient closet. The draughtsmen's room is on the west side of the block, into which one steps directly from the general offices, and is one of the finest apartments for the purpose imaginable.
A CORNER OF THE DRAUGHTING ROOM.
The planning and erecting of wood pulp, sulphite and soda fiber mills is made a feature of the business, and it is a very important part of the work, a large proportion of these mills in this country having been erected by Mr. Tower.
We might pursue this subject to great length, but the space taken and hints afforded by the illustrations on this page must suffice.
Sufficient has been written to show the importance of the business of which Mr. Tower is at the head, with the admirable equipment for its transaction and continuance, as well as the enviable reputation which has reached from this office, not only to all patrons of our own country, but to lands that are far away.
THE STENOGRAPHER.
Incidentally mention should be made of the care taken of patrons'work. As the drawings and plans are completed, they are stowed away, and large safes contain the most valuable plans and specifications. An apartment for the preparation of blue prints is one story higher in the building.
Nearly eight thousand draw- ings of mills, machinery and water-power improvements are on file in the offices.
DRAUGHTING ROOM.
DDDDDD
THE OFFICE.
CIVIL ENGINEER'S ROOM.
PRIVATE DRAUGHTING ROOM.
134
PICTURESQUE HAMPDEN.
VIEW OF THE MILL AND SALMON FALLS.
THE FAIRFIELD PAPER COMPANY.
Traveling westward from the flourishing town of Westfield, following the highway which leads on to the village of Fairfield, one encounters a success- ion of pleasing surroundings. These run from the well-kept streets of the town to the rugged wildness of the valley, upon which the mountains known as Tekoa and Nero look down with their less noted brethren. The traveler is not looking for the achievements of human kind, if un- acquainted with the valley, till he winds about the foot of a hill and beholds before him the typical New England village and the factory which gives life to it.
Prosaic business and the genius of manu- facture never found a field more richly dressed by nature, and the wonder is that Col. R. M. Fairfield and his happy assis- tants at the paper mill in this picturesque region are not distracted by the natural beauty of their surroundings. The scenic beauties of this part of the county will be found described in the main part of this work, while the engravings on and front- ing this page give further evidence of it.
It has remained for Roswell M. Fairfield, formerly of Holyoke, to bring this place to its full development as a paper manufacturing point, and his adherence to the motto on this page explains much of his success. Fortunately he has been aided by nature in his design of furnishing the very best goods in the market, for here crystal water, of superfine purity, has been placed at his command. Taking this place - in 1887, Mr. Fair- field began improvements which eventuated in the present complete equipment and better means of traffic and communication with the outside world. A hand- some stone depot was erected on the Boston & Albany railroad and a bridge was thrown across the river.
The purchase included not only the mill buildings, with the massive stone dam and water power at that point, but as well 1,000 acres of land in the vicinity, the right to draw additional water from Hazard pond, located among the mountains at a height of 667 feet, with an unused water privilege below the mill, which might be utilized to run another establishment of equal capacity.
Although there are in the mill two Hyatt filters and one of the National pattern, their task is very light, as may be imagined from the remarkable purity of the water used. This water comes from springs upon the moun- tain side, and flows into the mill without pumping, having a natural pressure of ninety pounds to the square inch. It is of remarkable purity, fully equal in this respect to the very finest paper-making waters of the Berkshire mountains of which Fairfield is a
part, insuring for the finished paper a beautifully clear and perfect tone.
The new company is satisfying the claims of nature by making also wedding papers of spotless purity, pro- viding linens of the finest texture, tempting the taste of the fastidious with Woronoco linen and ledger papers, "Fairfield " superfines, and making glad the hearts of the stationers throughout the land with its lines of pasted bristol boards for wedding cards, flat
COMPLIMENTS OF
Fairfield Paper®
FAIRFIELD
Nothow hea BUT HOW GOOD
OUR MOTTO
papers and ruled goods. One of the specialties is a very fine line of typewriter linens, which holds a high place in the market.
At the mills of this company whatever will conduce to the manufacture of the highest grades of paper is carefully and scrupulously adhered to, and nice regard is paid to educating the employes to a high order of production, not only by providing for them every con- venience and comfort, but also by inciting them to cultivate habits of cleanliness and neatness in the execution of their
duties. There are those employed about the mills whose sole work is to maintain constant cleanliness, an ob- ject lesson to the many workers. One hardly knows which to admire most, the thorough cleanliness and bright- ness maintained everywhere, or the convenient arrangement of the differ- ent rooms for forwarding the work of manufacturing. "Forward to Excel- lence " is the motto from the time that the teamster unloads his rags, and is echoed back all along the line.
One department in this section of the works is deserving of special men- tion, as it is peculiar to this company -the manufacture, upon their own premises, of the fine pasted bristol board for which the Fairfield company have so gratifying a reputation.
The finishing department is admirably lighted, and completely adapted in all respects to its purposes. Its outfit of machinery is ample, including eleven calenders, three presses, four large trimmers, a large breaker and two fine plates of the latest pattern, for use on wed- ding goods and the like. There is everywhere the most thorough precaution against fire. The spring water which is used in the engine room comes to the mill with such a head that it will deliver a stream over the highest of the buildings with gratifying force, and with this, hose ready for immediate use is connected in every room. There are also sprinklers, fire pails, and the like, while fireproof doors shut each building from its neighbors, so that the spread of the flames ought to be confined to any section in which they might originate.
The establishment employs some 250 hands, and for their comfort every arrangement has been made which thoughtful care could employ. The mills are lighted throughout by electricity, a 250-light Mather dynamo supplying current ; in addition to this a second dynamo is used to supply the magnetic current for the large patent iron extractors or separaters (patented and controlled by Mr. Fairfield) which are attached to each machine and by the use of which all the fine particles of iron are separated from the rag fibre, thus overcom- ing absolutely one of the paper manufacturer's most serious difficulties, namely, the prevention of rust spots in the paper.
On the first floor of the main building are the general executive and typewriting department, immediately connected with which is the private office of the president and treasurer, the suite being fitted throughout with an eye to convenience and a perfect system in the transaction of business. The remainder of this floor is occupied by the sorting, cutting, packing and shipping departments, the calenders being on the same floor in the new addition. The second and third floors throughout both portions of the building are devoted to the drying lofts-in all establishments of this kind . an important portion of the plant.
The spring water which is used in the engines is brought to the mill through an eight-inch pipe and six-inch pipe, and the supply would be adequate for several times the present demand. For turning the wheels of the mill the whole power of the Westfield river is available, but if that should prove inadequate, there is a double Corliss steam engine of 300-horse power waiting to lend its strength.
Mr. Fairfield is president and treasurer of the company, Oscar S. Greenleaf of Springfield is secre- tary; and these two gentlemen, with Thomas A. Mole of Adams, form the board of directors. It would probably be difficult to find three men better fitted by natural bent and mature experience for the successful conduct of a paper mill of the highest class.
PICTURESQUENESS ON THE STREAM.
135
PICTURESQUE HAMPDEN.
MILLS OF THE FAIRFIELD PAPER COMPANY, FROM MOUNT TEKOA.
136
PICTURESQUE HAMPDEN
MILLS OF THE WILLIAM SKINNER MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
The William Skinner Manufacturing Company was established in 1848, and incorporated in 1889, at Holyoke. The company manufactures satin sleeve linings, pure dye silk braids, mohair braids, silk serges, colored and black ; machine twist,
button hole twist and sewing silks. It has salesrooms at 508 Broadway, New York; 18 Summer street, Boston, and corner of Fifth avenue and Adams street, Chicago.
PICTURESQUE HAMPDEN.
137
MERRICK LUMBER COMPANY.
Holyoke is celebrated not alone for its paper mills, but the ease and per- fection with which her mechanics can assemble everything together for con- struction of anything, especially in the building line, and one of the fore- most and best known mediums in the latter respect is the Merrick Lumber Company, with its yards and offices at Holyoke, Westfield and Northampton.
The name of Merrick has been inseparably connected with the lumber business in Holyoke for many years. John Merrick was the pioneer for his name, in 1869, starting at South Holyoke. A. J. Merrick joined him January 1, 1873, and the firm of J. Merrick & Company thus continued until May I, 1875, when a new partnership was formed, with the admission of Timothy and J. S. Merrick to the firm. In 1884 a stock company was organized, with Timothy Merrick as president and Edwin Bradley as treasurer, under the name of the Merrick Lumber Company, and with a capital of $75,000. This
MERRICK LUMBER CO. MDRICKER
BRANCH YARD -NORTHAMPTON, MASS.
- OFFICE .-
MEHRICK LUMBERCO.
MERRICK LUMBER COMPANY -MAIN YARDS AND SHOPS -HOLYOKE, MASS.
LOMEDA NOVLGINGS
YARD
Lk
BRANCH YARD - WESTFIELD, MASS.
form of corporation has continued since with great success, until to-day the company employs 75 men and its pay roll annually amounts to $50,000.
The well equipped and methodically arranged lumber piles of the company in Holyoke are a familiar sight to the traveler on the cars, and the business there, as well as at Westfield and Northampton, has grown to great proportions.
The Merrick Lumber Company are not only dealers in all kinds of lumber, but they are wood workers. They furnish cabinet and stair work, fine finish, hand carving, veneered doors, panel work, mouldings, doors, windows, blinds, stuff chests, dye tubs, water-tanks, window and door frames and paint, oils and glass. Estimates are gladly given on these items at short notice.
Many varieties and all thicknesses of lumber are carried in stock, such as Norway pine, cherry, black walnut, white oak, maple, birch, white-wood, brown and white ash, quartered oak and sycamore, etc. These woods are all thoroughly kiln-dried and ready for working up at quick notice. One of the largest buildings on the premises at Holyoke, 40 x 80 feet and three stories high, is used for kiln-drying the timber and storing it after drying, and thus is insured absolute perfection in this important item. White- wood, maple and ash squares are also kept in stock, together with lath, pickets and shingles.
The company claim to have the largest and best equipped wood-work- ing shops in their part of the State, and appearances seem to indicate the justice of their claim.
Orders may be left at the branch yards in Westfield and Northampton, for anything which is to come from the main yard and shops at Holyoke.
138
PICTURESQUE
HAMPDEN.
MILLS OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, HOLYOKE, MASS.
Manufacturers of Lath, Shingles, Clapboards, Spruce Lumber and Spruce Piles. Mills at Hartford, Conn .; Holyoke, ¿Mass .; Mount @Tom, Mass .; McIndoes Falls, N. H .; Zealand, N. H.
GEORGE VAN DYKE, PRESIDENT.
BOSTON OFFICE, 17 DOANE STREET.
139
PICTURESQUE
SHOPS OF WATSON ELY & SON, HOLYOKE.
WATSON ELY & SON.
The name of Watson Ely is synonymous with the erection of many of the best buildings in the city of Holyoke. He has grown up with the city, has assisted materi- ally in its remarkable development, through his diligence and skill as a large contrac- tor. Although now sixty-seven years old, he is still in daily attendance upon business and can give points to many men younger in the trade, for, as we say, has he not seen the city rise and become great ? He built the Windsor hotel and Opera house block and the noble City hall, while many of the finer residences of the city, such as those of R. Crafts, J. G. Mackintosh, Messrs. Whiting and Perkins and others, are his handiwork. Mr. Ely has "worked for himself" over thirty years, and about twenty years since, with his energetic son Franklin W., "a chip of the old block," literally entered upon a new lease of business life, for the two are a strong business team.
The firm was formerly on Front street, but in April, 1891, moved to their present commodious and convenient quarters on the corner of Canal and Cabot streets, where they employ fifty men. The buildings and premises show in the engravings, and are
HAMPDEN.
the best arranged of their kind in the city of Holyoke, fronting about two hundred feet on Cabot street and about one hundred and fifty feet on Canal street.
Entering the large, well-lighted establishment, one is sure to notice two things if he is an observing person -the flood of light and the absence of interfering shafting. The value of light for the production of good work- manship is generally well understood, and the danger and often useless friction of unnecessary shafting is equally appreciated. In this place the shafting is all stowed away in the basement and a 75-horse power engine and 100-horse power boiler supply the motive power for the many useful ma- chines which in these days make wood working an easy task.
In addition to their workshop and lumber yard, the Messrs. Ely have a three-story dry kiln, indispensable for the class of work they do, and in- suring that very important quality - thorough dryness - which is often lack- ing, to the permanent injury of woodwork.
The firm do all kinds of mill work and sell all kinds of lumber. They build electric cars, water tanks, stuff chests, dye tubs, make mouldings, house finishings and window frames. In short, there is little in the way of the best quality of woodwork that they are not familiar with.
LUMBER YARD OF WATSON ELY & SON.
T. F. KEGAN'S SONS, STEAM AND GAS FITTERS.
T. F. Kegan's Sons of Holyoke, as steam and gas fitters, are one of the best- known firms in the business in New England.
The business was established in 1878 by Thomas F. Kegan, who conducted it with remarkable success up to the time of his decease, about three years ago, since which time his two sons, H. C. and W. E., have carried on the busi- ness. The former was with his father nearly all the time after the business started, and W. E. came here in 1890.
The firm occupy for their business a large part of the brick building Nos. 12 and 14 Appleton street - the whole of the first floor and basement-and the place is thoroughly equipped and supplied with steam and water power.
Messrs. Kegan's Sons carry on a large business as dealers in plain galvanized and enameled wrought iron pipe, steam and gas fittings of every description, and are considered experts in the steam heating line, being employed by nearly all the large corporations of Holyoke. The house carries the largest stock of pipe and steam fittings outside New York city, and commercial men often speak of it as the best equipped place of the kind in New England.
A business which has grown
largely within the past few years, and which this firm make a specialty of, is the furnishing of Grinnell automatic sprinklers for extinguishing fires. They are also sole agents in this vicinity for the New York Safety steam-power engines, of which there are now over forty in use in this city.
Employing a staff of thirty-five experienced men, and supervising personally all the operations of the busi- ness, it is not surprising that the Messrs. Kegan have now in control such a large and success- ful business. It has the envia- ble reputation of doing the best work of its kind, and this ac- counts for the fact that its con- tracts extend all over the New England states and into New York, Pennsylvania and Mary- land.
Messrs. Kegan's Sons desire to have it particularly under- stood that they make a specialty not alone of steam heating, but also hot water heating, and they would be pleased to furnish plans and estimates on applica- tion. They will also gladly supply catalogues and price lists when called for, and it is con- sidered by them no trouble to make estimates on any class of work, upon short demand, by correspondence or otherwise.
At the time of writing the company was carrying out a larger number of local contracts than any firm in Hampden county, and had orders for several months ahead.
FACTORY OF T. F. KEGAN'S SONS, HOLYOKE.
140
PICTURESQUE HAMPDEN.
· HOLYOKE
CITY FOUNDRY
S FLAM BOILER & IRON NO
KE STEAK BOLLER WORK
DAVID F.COGHLAN'S
HOLYOKE RO
THE HOLYOKE STEAM BOILER AND IRON WORKS.
THE HOLYOKE STEAM BOILER AND IRON WORKS.
To describe Holyoke from an industrial point of view, without treating of the great boiler works under the present management of T. H. Sears, as well as under the one who largely made them what they are- the late David F. Coghlan - would be almost unpardonable. The engraving which is shown at the head of this page is the representation of a picture familiar to every Holyoke mechanic and most business men, and here has been built up a business that is known in nearly every state of the Union, while even the "Paper City," with its great water power, has been forced to make fre- quent drafts upon these works for boiler aid to sup- plement the work of that .H.SCARS PATENT sometimes capricious ser- - 86 vant, water, and the great mill corporation in- terest of the city has been the mainstay of the Coghlan works generally, because its output in- cluded such mill neces- sities as tanks, penstocks, standpipes, smoke flues, rotary bleachers for paper FRONT OF THE SEABS RETURN WATER TUBE BOILKR. mills, water heaters, dry-
IMPROVED ROTABY BLEACHER.
ing pans, sand heaters, tar kettles, barlow keirs, wheel cases, iron doors and shutters, and in short almost every useful device into which hammered and rolled iron can be worked.
It is but twenty-three years since the late David F. Coghlan began the manufacture of boilers un- der the firm name of Coghlan & Mullen. He had previously been foreman in the Roach Brothers' establishment at Springfield, and long before this, in his apprenticeship in East Boston and his sub- sequent travels to gain experience, had developed those characteristics of ingenuity in construc- tion, progressiveness in method and faithfulness in detail which later on were exemplified in the productions of his own works, and which made the Coghlan boilers and other iron products from his place standards of comparison wherever his name was known.
"The production of honest work," was Mr. Coghlan's motto, as it is that of his successors to-day, and he expected and required as much faithfulness of purpose from the men in his
employ as he was willing to give himself. People who needed such things as he made soon ascertained this fact and showed their appreciation in such a substantial manner that within a period of five years he was twice com- pelled to move by the increasing exigencies of his business, before he at length decided, in 1880, to purchase the site now occupied by his works. Mr. Coghlan died April 28, 1891, and the American Boiler Makers' Association, of which he was an honored member, issued in the following summer a memorial testimonial to his worth. For four years previous to Mr. Coghlan's decease the management of the works had been, as it now is, under the direction of T. H. Sears, of whom this can be said,
SIDE BLEVATION OF THE SEARS RETURN WATER TUBE BOILER.
141
PICTURESQUE HAMPDEN.
From the punch to the planer, where the rough edges are taken off, and thence to the rolls to be bent, are steps in sequence. When the rolls have turned the plate to its proper circle, it is placed on the floor and con- nected with the other parts which go to form the completed structure, and the seams are riveted together. The tube sheets are now flanged, drilled and riveted into place, and the castings of the nozzle for the steam outlet, the manhole and the wall brackets to support the boiler are attached; the braces to hold the unsupported part of the tube sheets are riveted on, and finally the tubes are placed in the boiler and carefully expanded.
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