USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Picturesque Hampshire : a supplement to the quarter-centennial-journal > Part 19
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Mr. Van Dyke is a native of that part of Canada near which the lands of this company lie. He was made president of the company when they united their prop- erties with his, and he manages all the company busi- ness in cutting timber and delivering it at the saw mills. They buy logs of other owners of lands, to the amount of nearly half their annual consumption. The extent of this logging business may be vaguely imagined from these facts about the men, camps and teams which were needed ; say in the winter of 1889 and '90: There must have been nearly fifteen hundred men and five hundred horses at work to produce the sixty millions feet of timber cut during this last season. At the three mills, MeIndoes Falls, Mt. Tom and Holyoke, about four hundred men find employment fully nine months in a year. The driving requires, to begin, about 1000 men. These are discharged gradually, until about three hun- dred come as far as Turners Falls.
The sum paid for labor by this company amounted in 1889, for log-driving and the manufacture of lumber to the sum of $685,000, and over $100,000 for railroad freights. About thirty cars are loaded daily at these three saw mills. Having given a summary of the oper- ations of this business, it may now be interesting to the readers of this work to know something of each step or process by which our river is filled with logs every summer. Take a map, and look for Connecticut lake aud two smaller lakes about it, which may be called the sources of the Connecticut river. Then note all the branches which feed the river as far down as Lancaster, N. H. Some of the largest of these branches entering the river from the west come out of Canada. No branch of much size or importance in contributing timber at this time, now flows into the eastern side of the river. The timber on the New Hampshire side of the river, below Lancaster, originally was pine in larger proportion than on the Vermont side, and was mostly
VIEW OF MILL OF CONN, RIVER LUMBER CO. AT MT. TOM-LOOKING EAST.
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PICTURESQUE HAMPSHIRE.
VIEW OF MILLS OF CONN. RIVER LUMBER CO. AT MT. TOM, LOOKING WEST.
ent before 1860, leaving spruce and hard woods as the principal forests on both sides of the river. Spruce timber is now cut all the way from the upper lake to Guildhall, Vt., and large lots come out of the tributaries of Connecticut river. The whole distance along this logging region is fully seventy-five miles. Now, of course, the getting out of sixty millions feet of timber, which requires about 600,000 trees to be ent and hauled to the river, is such an undertaking as few of us can easily comprehend. The first necessity for logging is to have a road good enough for sleds to run on. In deep snows, a rough surface soon gets filled and hardened so that teams can work, but the best road is none too good, and a thaw will soon make a very rough one unprofitable to work on. The next necessity is a shelter for the choppers and teams. A log house, with low sides and steep roof, with a platform along each side, on which the men sleep in blankets, is snch a camp. A long log building for the teams is near. The common method of beating a camp-house has been to leave an open space along the ridge-pole for smoke to escape, and to keep a fire on the ground nearly the whole length of the building, in the middle; then have a door at the end, and draw in logs the full length for fuel. Sleepers would lie on the platforms each side, with their feet towards this fire. An additional room was made for the cook. But camps are now warmed by stoves and the eook has his stove. From twenty-five to forty men live in one of these camps. These are choppers, teamsters and sometimes a sealer, or man who measures the timber. It is impossible to make very long days in the northern woods. Everybody works as early and as late as they can see.
Logs are piled upon sleds and hauled to the river or lake now only by horses and if there is room, they are put on to the ice, so that a thaw will leave them afloat ready to be started on the drive. The longest roads on which spruce timber has been hauled on to Connecticut river are not much over five miles. Since the timber within that distance from the river has become more scarce, a beginning has been made to use a railroad and cars for hauling logs. Doubtless this method will gradually take the place of horses, on sneh lands as can have a reasonably flat road built upon or near to them.
Stations will be made along the tracks, and horses will haul the logs from each side to these. None of the camps on this river are so far from settlements as to be compared to those in Maine, which are often many days' journey from any inhabitants. These Maine camps require all provisions to be carried to them before snows fall, but teams go from camps to some place where provisions can be obtained, every day, in the region which I am describing.
The cutting of timber is kept up as long as snow holds on the roads, and so far north, and with so much shade, the season is good for logging long after we think spring has begun. When the river opens and there is a good height of water, these logs are taken in
hand by drivers. With about twenty batteaux to take men anywhere that logs lodge, and plenty of hands to start the masses, beginning with those down stream, to make way for those behind; these men hurry along the drive ; we should say, a "drove," if it were cattle.
A body of cooks go along shore and get meals ready wherever the drivers will be at the hungry hour. No labor that is seen here can be compared to this of the log drivers. They work, often in the water, from daylight to dark, seven days in a week, from one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and fifty days, until they bring the last logs to the mills. They eat four times a day, and at night they lie down in their clothes, under shelter tents, with fires to dry their feet and clothing. This labor is not as severe as it was twenty years ago. Here is seen the great gain .
them, often half a mile from the channel, were formerly the most dreaded of any places. Just above these meadows there always are narrow places where booms can be hung across the river to hold drives. This large company has had means to build booms at six such points, and if the river is rising so fast as to lift the logs over the banks, men are stationed at these booms to close them, and hold the logs until the water falls. A good specimen of this kind of boom may be seen at Shepherd's Island. In former years the breaking of jams, or starting of piles of logs, was a risky and often fatal work. Men went in batteaux below the jam, found some logs which might be ent to let the mass start, and chopped enough to free the movement of the whole. As the body generally started gradually, the choppers almost always had warning, and time to jump into the batteanx, and be rowed ashore or down stream in safety. Bnt sometimes the jam moved suddenly, and every year one or more men would fail to get off the logs, and would be drowned. This danger no longer threatens the drivers. Now the men find the log which bars the passage of the others, bore a hole in it with a long auger, and put a charge of dynamite in, and with a long fuse from the shore blow up the logs which hold the mass. Often it is only necessary to throw the dynamite loosely into the water, let it be sucked under the pile, and exploded so as to lift the whole jam over the stone or other obstruction. We will consider briefly what has been gained by bringing logs down this river to mills here, instead of sawing the lumber nearer the forests and using cars to transport it to market Many persons here can remember when sawn lumber was floated in rafts down to these markets. Nearly all the pine in New Hampshire and Vermont come in this way. About six weeks time was spent on these journeys. There were half a dozen lock and canal companies on the way to lead rafts around so many falls, and $3.50 per 1000 feet in tolls was paid to get through these canals, from MeIndoes Falls to Middletown, Conn. The man from whom I bought the MeIndoes Falls saw mill
VIEW OF MILL OF CONN. RIVER LUMBER COMPANY ... HOLYOKE,
from having combined capital and large operations. A handsome fortune has been spent, within a few years, in clearing the river from obstructions, so that the current does not pile timber into such jams and in so many dangerous places, as we heard so much of years ago. But the jams were not the drivers' worst enemies. The low meadows all along the river, over which a sudden freshet would drift logs, and then, as suddenly falling, would leave
in 1865, told me he happened along at Smith's Ferry with a raft of pine lumber just as Miss Lyon began her first building for the South Hadley school. She bonght lumber of him and took it from the raft directly to her ground. This rafting was all ended soon after the railroad was built. For about twenty years the railroads could supply this region with such spruce frames as were needed. But the growth of the cities and towns had been such
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that after 1870 they could no longer do it. Again the slab and other waste wood was worthless at the Vermont mills. It cost us a large sum daily to burn, and otherwise destroy, such wood there. From three to five thousand cords of good fuel was wasted every summer. It may be said now that the cost of driving logs down to these mills, is so little that no railroad can bring sawed lumber two hundred miles for that sum. These logs come from 200 to 250 miles. But a new use for the waste wood of saw mills has grown up so fast as to add another gain to this business.
The Mount Tom Sulphite Pulp company will soon begin to turn all the clean pieces of spruce, of much size, into paper stock. They will probably nse all the wood from both the Mount Tom and Holyoke saw mills after their full operation begins. Mr. Russell of Lawrence has taken large lots of this wood from Mount Tom, and also from Melndoes Falls, to his paper mills in Lawrence for two years past. It will readily be understood that all this wood floats down to these mills without paying railroad freights, and also brings all the slabs, which are eut into laths.
If it were not for this use of the Connecticut river, to bring timber down to these mills, every house frame and all spruce building timber in this vicinity would cost builders at least one-third more than they now pay, and their boards and laths would cost a larger percentage. Those facts may reconcile many to seeing the noble stream nsed as it was before the railroad came, to convey the prodnets of northern forests to the very doors of people who live near its banks, in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
OFFICE, BOARDING-HOUSE AND OUT-BUILDINGS OF LUMBER COMPANY AT MOUNT TOM.
Some annoyance to individuals, some offense to the tastes of artists and scenery admirers may well be endured, for the sake of this incalenlable advan- tage to every man or woman who is striving to secure a home here, and to every property owner who begins to build a business block or factory to increase our local trade or manufacturing.
Looking back to the year 1866, and considering the state of this spruce lumber business in comparison with what I have written about the Connecticut river lumber company, I find no other staple product of New England which seems to have met with a more noted increase in output and nse than has this sprnee timber on the Connecticut river during these last twenty-five years. In 1866 1
manufactured, at Melndoes Falls, Vt., less than two million feet of timber. This was all that was brought down the river that year from the region which I have been describing; it was all that the Connecticut river valley, in Vermont and New Hampshire, furnished to the markets from Brattleboro to Hartford that year. It was not possible to get enough cars to deliver that amount of humber when builders were anxiously waiting for it.
The use of the river as a carrier, and the increased energy of the railroads, now bring, from the same regions, and into nearly the same markets, probably more than twenty-five times as much lumber as I manufactured in 1866. S. B.
Other Manufacturing Interests.
A. Kingsbury & Son-Box Manufacturers.
In no business has manufacturing made greater strides in the last few years than in that of paper-box making. Where a few thousand boxes were turned out wholly and laboriously by hand, a few years ago, they are now manufactured by the million in a single factory, through the aid of machinery. Such is the case with the business of A. Kingsbury & Son, the senior member of which firm himself designed the machine which ents the blanks for the boxes. The
firm now have five factories, at South Coventry, Rock- ville, New London and Willimantic, Conn., and this city.
The business was started by A. Kingsbury at South Coventry, Conn., in the spring of 1868 and at first only one girl was employed, the cutting and preparing of the work being done by himself and the box-making by the one girl, but soon a demand sprang up that called for more help and more room which was supplied by a new building 24x38 feet, with two stories and an attie. After a year or two of the box business a need was felt
for better facilities for getting box labels and Mr. Kingsbury made his first trip to Boston, to buy a small job printing press, the press and material costing a little over $100. The business continued to grow, but only very gradually for the first five or six years, then a box manufacturer at Rockville, Conn., failed, and left the town and his machinery and stock was offered for sale and bought and a man from Coventry sent to take eharge. At that time Mr. Kingsbury began to make boxes for the firm of Belding Bros. & Co., and by this addition their business was largely increased, not only by the addition of new enstomers, but by increase of the volume of business done by them all. This continned until 1876, when the amount of business called for more room, which was supplied by an addition of twenty- seven feet to the length of the shop and again in 1879 by still another addition, 26x40. In the fall of 1879, Mr. Kingsbury came to Northampton, upon the solicitation of business men residing here, but not finding suitable rooms nothing was done until the following spring, the request being renewed, when he found suitable rooms in Union block, hiring two small rooms, intending only to supply one or two customers that had before been supplied from the South Coventry factory, but as soon as located thus the demand increased so rapidly that more room was demanded and supplied by gradually taking room after room, until the whole upper floor had been taken, and that no injustice should be done any one an offer was made and accepted for the machinery, stock and good will of F. A. Rust. This machinery and stock was moved to Union block and the business continued to grow and in 1883 Arthur L. Kingsbury admitted to the firm. About 1885 Mr. Kingsbury invent- ed a gheing machine, which is still in use and also the machine for cutting box blanks, which machines have contributed much to the firm's success, especially the machines for cutting blanks, which are capable of turning out from forty to fifty thousand a day and do it perfectly. As the demand for paper boxes has increased and that rapidly, so has the business grown, until the ‘ firm were obliged to have more room and have it in the new factory, and now the combined production of their shops amounts to upwards of ten million boxes a year, giving employment to over 150 hands and doing over $100,000 business annually. One of the specialties by which Messrs. Kingsbury achieved their suceess is the furnishing of printed labels with the boxes.
MANUFACTORY OF A. KINGSBURY & SON, NORTHAMPTON.
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Ordinarily there is considerable delay with box-makers because of being obliged to wait for labels, but Messrs. Kingsbury avoid this by printing labels for those who wish thus to avoid delays.
Mr. A. Kingsbury is interested also in the Kingsbury & Davis machine company, of Contoocook, N. H., which turns out the machine he invented for cutting blanks, as well as other paper box machinery.
The Hill Machine Works.
If the village of Florence ever regains the manufacturing supremacy it held in this region in the old sewing-machine days, it will be largely because one man has put his shoulder to the wheel, and is doing the best he can towards it. And to make his work of the best effect, he has wisely chosen, probably, the distribution of his interest among several promising industries, helieving that a diversity of manufactures
is more likely to insure permanently beneficial results to a community, and that the fluctuations and varying fortunes of trade will be less apt to bring all to misfortune than one or two.
Among the most promising of Mr. Hill's ventures are the machine works and foundry, near the Consolidated road depot at Florence, where not only the new Ulrich oscillating engine is made, hut a large quantity of general mill work is turned out.
Much attention is given to entlery machinery, in which the works are achieving a wide reputation for the excellence of everything they make. All this class of machinery, as here manufactured, possesses many points of superiority, that will readily be appreciated by the practical mechanic, and everything built is thoroughly tested and warranted first-class in every particular. The works contain all the latest and most improved trade appliances for successfully carrying on the industry. Steam supplies the power to operate,
As the steam valve enclosing the named chest is con- nected firmly to the steam cylinder by bolts, it must take part in the oscillating motion of the latter, thereby opening or closing the ports respectively and leading the steam to or from the cylinder.
It may be noticed that by the construction of the steam chest and valve herein set forth, several advan- tages are attained, among which are the reduction of "waste room" in the ports, also the absence of lateral pressure against the steam eylinder, because the valve- operating parts are in a cylindrical surface, concentrie with the axis of oscillation ; also a complete balancing of steam pressure so far as the valve operation is con- cerned, and facility in securing and maintaining steam- tight joints in the wearing parts.
The engine-rod is one single casting, to which all the several parts, as the boxes for front and back trunions, shaft-boxes and governor-valve are attached in such a manner as to render them independent of any other
ULRICHS PATS
THE ULRICH ENGINE, WITH BOILER.
THE HILL MACHINE WORKS, AT FLORENCE.
and a large number of skilled hands are employed, building both this class of machinery and full lines of paper machinery. Engine building enters largely into the industry, and we wish, in this article, to call attention to the latest, styled
THE ULRICH ENGINE,
Which is calculated to meet the demands of users and consumers of small power, especially of those who are not skilled mechanics or not accustomed to run engines. One will readily see that in order to meet such a de- mand the engine must be of an exceedingly simple de- sign; hence the number of moving parts must be reduced to a minimum, and that this has been accom- plished at the Hill Machine Works, all unite in testify- ing. A few facts in relation to the special engine will be of interest. It consists of a moving steam cylinder and moving valve and a stationary steam chest, thereby dispensing entirely with the following mechanical arrangements usually found on engines: the eccentric valve-rod, complicated connecting-rods, slide, rockers, etc. So it will be seen that this kind of an engine, if properly constructed, is the only one that can be so simplified in its design and still gain the ad- vantages which are expected from a good working motor.
The steam after passing the governor valve enters a cylin- drical shaped stationary chest, which is held in place by a bracket. A solid partition run- ning in a vertical line from one end to the other, divides this ehest in two separate chambers, one for the live steam, the other for the exhaust.
support, thus making the engine self-contained. A parts are easily accessible and always in sight of the operator. Between the two shaft-boxes are placed the combined belt and fly-wheel, thereby equalizing the wear on the said boxes. Inside the belt-wheel an im- proved shaft governor is se- cured, moving its valve posi- tively by a stem (not belt). The danger of the governor be- coming detach- ed from the en- gine and possi- bly destroying the latter, is en- tirely obviated. By this method the governor is well protected from outside ae- cidents. The governor itself is of simple con- A. G. HILL, ESQ., FLORENCE. struction and as all parts are per-
fectly balanced the action of it results in a high degree of sensitiveness. The fact that the engine is self-con- tained enables its makers to test and adjust it at their own works, and during shipment this adjustment is maintained so that any person of intelligence can set and start the machine without the aid of an expert, for after connecting the steam pipe with the boiler the en- gine is ready to run.
It may be stated that this motor has been in use for the last four years, giving perfect satisfaction.
The works are prepared to furnish boilers of any
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size, capacity and style, but for moderate power the manager recommends the upright tubular boiler as the safest and most effective steam generator on the market.
Besides the simpler engine showing in the engraving the company manufacture a duplex reversible hoisting engine, particulars concerning which can be obtained upon application.
It is impossible, in a brief notice such as this must be, to describe in detail everything here produced, but handsome catalogues may be had showing the different engines, and as the latter have been sold in this vicinity they can be seen in working order and inquiry made of the owners concerning their practical operation. One can be seen in operation daily at the Hampshire Gazette office in Northampton and one was placed on Mt. Holy- oke this last summer, to furnish motive power for the ears which draw passengers to the summit. One bought by a farmer at Westhampton, to saw his wood, cut
Upon releasing the lever after firing, the hammers automatically resume their former position and remain there until the lever is again pressed home and the trigger pulled. In case the gun is not fired it is only necessary to release the lever by opening the hand when the springs are at once passive, making the gun absolutely safe from accidental discharge from any cause whatever.
The simplicity of the gun is something that will at once commend itself to the sportsman, as he will not need a small gun repair shop to take the gun apart when he wishes to clean it. The engravings given on the fol- lowing page show thegun with and without the stock and reveals its simplicity. All the handler has to do to take the gun to pieces is to take out the tang screw and two trigger-plate screws, when the entire action slips from the stock. In safety the gun has no equal; there is no possible reason now for the poor and idiotic excuse, "I
very rarely adopted. The muzzles are not contracted by pressure, as is the case with a great many guns, but the stoek is all taken from the breech ends with tools peculiar to the company, after the aetions and stoeks are fitted; the barrels are fine bored when they are ready to test and target, each gun being targeted before it leaves the factory, and also well tested for its strength. The targets are all preserved, and are made of paper disks of 30 inches. The number of pellets in the circle is recorded and some targets we were shown were notably marked, one made by 10 gnage at 35 yds, 1-4 oz., No. 8 shot, showing 498; one a 12 guage, same distance, using same load of shot having 501 pellets in the magic circle. The 10 guage gun was for one of the crack trap shots of Chicago and the 12 guage for Col. Geo. D. Alexander of Louisiana, who is one of the best authorities on guns in the country and who is a regular correspondent of such sportsmen's papers as the
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FACTORY BUILDING OF THE WHITNEY SAFETY FIRE-ARMS CO.
fodder and make cider, has given the best of satisfac- tion, the cost of running it being very little.
An exhibit was made last month at the fair of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics' Association in Boston, and there the machine attracted great atten- tion. With proper introduction to the public, there can be no doubt about the success of the inventor and a large sale for his engine.
The Whitney Satety Fire Arms Co.
The works of this company are in the building pictured on this page, formerly occupied by the Lamson Cash Carrier company, at Florence, occupying the entire first floor. Mr. Whitney, the inventor, here gives his personal attention to the work of manufacture.
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