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A BROOM FACTORY.
How a Very Useful Article Is
Made.
The Material Used in the Pro¬
cess of Manufacture.
IIow many housekeepers who do
some sweeping themselves or have
other people to do it for them ever
take the trouble to consider how the
broom is made? To begin with, the
sticks mostly come from Michigan.
They are made of basswood or maple,
which grow plentifully in that state
and afford a material that combines
the advantages of lightness and
strength. The wood is turned with
lathes into broomsticks, with a hole
through each end—one of them in¬
tended for the housekeeper’s string to
bang the instrument up by. Some of
the sticks are left in their natural hue
and others are painted red, to satisfy
the tastes of aii sorts of purchasers.
The rest of the broom is made of
straw chiefly, and this material is ob¬
tained from a sort of corn plant grown
expressly for the purpose. Doubtle-s
you have noticed the tassel on an or¬
dinary corn stalk. Wliat the tassel is
to the edible corn is found in the wisp
that grows from the top of the broom
corn, which bears no cars at all.
There arc turn kinds of broom corn,
roughly speaking—the coarse sort for
ordinary sweeping and the fine dwarf
sort for ‘‘parlor brooms” and whisks.
The fine stuff is plucked by band,
while the coarse variety is cut with the
knife. It is in bales of 300 pounds
eacli that the material reaches such a
factory as there is over in Georgetown,
which produces 75,000 brooms every
year to help scoop up the sweepings of
the District of Columbia.
Perhaps you would like to know
how often a broom is made. To begin
with the wisp tassels cut from the corn
tops must be assorted as to length.
This process is performed by an ex-
pert who takes the wisps from the
bale and distributes them among a se-
rics of coinpa tinents. The broom
whisps thus assorted go into the hands
of «* man who horns tne _____
a revolving vise with its end project¬
ing—the end, that is to say, which is
to be the broom. This operator first
passes a fine wire through the hole in
the end of the broomstick and by the
aid of a treadle makes the length of
wood revolve until it has taken up
three or four bindings of the wire
from the great coil below. Then he
grasps a number of whisps of long¬
stemmed broom corn, to serve for
what is known technically as “handle
stuff,” fastening them to the stick high
up with windings of the wire.
All the time while the w ire is wrap¬
ping the straw upon the stick it is
made to bind more tightly by blows
from a hammer. Next is bound
around the embryo broom which is
called the “shoulder stuff,” with
shorter steins, which, as was the case
wiih the handle stuff, is trimmed oil
close above the wire binding with a
sharp knife. Stalks yet shorter, from
which the stems have been cut off en-
tirely, are finally wound upon the out¬
side with more wire, and the whole
business is clinched and fastened
wdierc the broom meets the stick with
a strong belt of tinned brass, its cor¬
rugated edge bouud down with the
wire so that the straw is made as much
a part of the broom handle as if it
grew upon it.
Now the broom goes to the sewer,
who passes flaxen twine around its
middle and pierces the substance of
the broom through and through with
a needle provided with similar flaxen
cord, so as to bind the straw together
closely. Now it only remains to chop
the straw ends of the brooms off even
with a sort of cleaver knife and to
comb the seeds out of them with a re¬
volving machine armed with teeth, in
order to make them ready for market.
A first-rate broom is bought by dealers
at from $3.25 to $4 a dozen and sold
at from $4.50 to $4.80 retail. Some
brooms, for heavy sweeping of ships’
decks and outdoors, cost $G a dozen.
The coarse straw is best for those.
You can calculate the profits of the
manufacture for yourself when you
are informe 1 that broomsticks, white
or red, cost $14 a thousand, while the
straw' is 6 1-2 cents a pound for the
best of it, and an ordinary broom
contains 2 1-4 pounds of this latter
material. Broom corn that it slightly
green is much better for the purpos*
than the ripe material, because the
latter is brittle, and, on this account,
to deceive purchasers, it used to be the
custom for manufacturers of brooms
to tint their material green with the
fumes of brimstone. At present the
same effect is more cheaply obtained
by soaking the stuff in a colored mix-
ture. Supplies of broom corn for this
country are chiefly secured from
Chicago and Philadelphia, to which
points the farmers ship their broom
corn product, consigning it to com-
mission men, who sell it to the manu¬
facturers.— [Washington Star.
Hovr the Tzar Built a Railroad.
“The Winans brothers,” said Gov¬
ernor Curtin, “were among the first
railroad builders of Russia and the
story of their fortune-making there
reads like a romance. They first came
to the notice of the czar from a con¬
tract which they took to build a bridge
across the river Neva. In building
was much swifter than they supposed
and the river was deeper, and the re¬
sult was that they lost about $75,000
on the job. About the time the bridge
was completed the czar came down to
see it. He was told that the Ameri¬
can contractors had lost on it, and he
knew the amount of their loss. He
offered to reimburse them, but they re¬
fused, and said that in their country
men stood by their contracts, and that
if they had made $150,U00 instead of
losing 150,000 rubles they would have
said nothing about it, and they would
have considered it a fair business ar¬
rangement.
“This reply pleased the czar very
much. It showed him that the Wi-
uaus were honest business men, and
the manner in which they had made
tlie bridge showed him that they were
good civil engineers. He then told
them that lie wanted this road built,
and a survey was made for the pur¬
pose. The surveyors laid out the road
in a sort of a zigzag line, taking in the
biggest cities and the best grades.
This survey was shown to the czar
Nicholas. He looked at it and then
said: ‘That is not what I want, 1 and
taking down a map of Russia he laid a
icaci petto™ «!'***, ii, resting one end of
the pencil on tile city of Mosc®^ a]u j
the other on St. Petersburg. ‘There
is where I want my road to run,’ said
he; ‘it must be in a straight line from
one city to the other, and the railroad
will make other cities between its chief
points.’ The Winans built the road,
and through Latrobc got this twenty-
five years’ contract to run it.
< 4 After twenty years had passed the
Russians had learned all about the road
and its machinery, and they wanted to
take it out of the hands of the for¬
eigners. I was minister to Russia at
the time, and the Winans hearing of
this disposition of the czar came to me
and asked me what they should do. I
replied, “If the czar wants the road
you had better sell out to him and fix
a price on it when he offers to buy.
If you don’t lie will take it on some
pretext or other, and the chances are
you will have to take what they choose
to give.’ A few days after this
Winans was asked to sell the road to
the government. He fixed his price
at $9,000,000 and got it without a
word.”—[Chicago Herald.
The Dutchman’s Breakfast.
The coffee and bread which satisfies
the Frenchman and German—who
agree if in nothing else in their morn¬
ing meals—is no breakfast for the
“heartier” Dutchman. Cheese in two
or three different stages of oldness is
added, dried beef, probably worst and
almost certainly the small dried fish
called skat, which all Holland eats at
all times and which women ofteu carry
in their pockets, as small boys carry
apples. Even in Holland one does not
arrive at the chops or steak of the
Ilri on. Her butter is a tender point
with the Dutch housewife.—[New
York Commercial Advertiser.
Then He Adjourned,
live or ten minutes of cip harassing
silence had sped away into the voice¬
less past and then a bright idea struck
Mr. Nevergo.
“It seems like a Quaker meeting,”
lie observed.
* * Yes,” answered the young woman,
with a hopeless, dreary giance at the
clock. ‘*1 have been wondering when
the spirit was going to—to move you,
you know.”
[ FACTS FOR THE SICK!
A Letter from an Eminent Di¬
vine in Regard to the Best
Medicine in the World.
Read.
Wonderful Curos.
Atlanta, Ga., January 2, 1890.
Six months ago, at the request of a
friend who was interested in the sale of
King’s Royal Germetuer, I made a writ¬
ten statcuient of the benefits 1 had re-
ceived from the use of that medicine. Iu
that statement I expressed the belief that
it would cure me entirely of catarrh.
Within the last two months I have re¬
ceived letters from every quarter ol the
natiou calling on me for further iuforma-
tion in regard to my health. It has been
impossible for me to write privately request, to
each person who has made this
and I am therefore under the necessity cf
making another public statement.
I am free from catarrh. 1 believe that
I could get a certificate to this < ffect from
any competent physician. 1 have used
no medicine within the last six months
except King’s Royal Germetuer. My
health is better th*n it has been in thirty
years. I am in possession of information
which warrants me in saying that the re¬
lief which I have experienced from the
use of the medicine is not more certain
and radical than that which it has
brought to hundreds of persons in Geor¬
gia and other States.
I feel it to be my duty to say, also, that
the effects of this remedy upon my wife
have been even more signal and wonder¬
ful. She has been almost a life-long in¬
valid from Nervous Headache, Neuralgia
and Rheumatism. Iu a period of thirty
years she has scarcely had a day’s exemp¬
tion from pain. She has been using Ger-
meteur about two months. A more com¬
plete transformation I have never wit¬
nessed. Every symptom of disease has
disappeared. She appears to be twenty
years younger, and is as happy and play¬
ful as a healthy child. We have persua¬
ded many of our friends to take the med¬
icine, and the testimony of all of them is
that it'is a great remedy.
J. B. Hawthorne.
Pastor First Baptist Church.
Royal Germeteur builds up from the
first dose, the patient quickly feeliDg its
invigorating and health-giving influence.
It increases the appetite, aids digestion,
clears the complexion, regulates the liver,
kidneys, etc., and speedily brings bloom
to the cheek, strength to the body and
joy to the heart. For weak and debili¬
tated females it is vadfeat a rival or a
peer. and
If you are su ... |been offered _. , lase
fail of a cuU, I * in „
■ - «*-4.4s nit.,. life of Science
« vork micro¬
For sale bv on
teur Company" mu- M mode in
A j e
lanta, Ga., and iMits can unite . *
$1.50 per concent WlliCil
makes one gallon of f liTOcvue as per di-
rections accompanying each bottle. Can
oe sent by express C. O. D. if your drug¬
gist cannot supply you. 1 S
FORTUNES FOR MANY.
Allen, the blacksmith, is now a mil¬
lionaire through replying to an advertise¬
ment of unclaimed estates, &c., &c.—
Times, London, March let, 1888.
If your ancestors came from the old
country, write to The Eukopean Claims
Agency, 59 Pearl street and 24 Stone
street, New York city, inclosing 25 heir cents
for reply, and learn if jrou are an to
any of the unclaimed estates there, worth
more than half a billion dollars, that
rightly belong, chiefly, to American de¬
scendants of Europeans who came to
America years ago. If your ancestors
came over more than fifty years ago,
there is a probability that you are heir to
a fortune. Gt
THE GEORGIA ALLIANCE RECORD
Is a large 8-page weekly devoted to
Alliance news, agriculture, horticulture,
stock raising, literary and general news.
Send for a sample copy. Address
ALLIANCE RECORD,
4t Montezuma, Ga.
J. I. BLMBAIE,
—DEALER IN—
DRY GOODS,
Groceries ana Hardware.
A full line of HARDWARE am
CROCKERY. Quality of all Goods.
Guaranteed and Prices as low as the low
est. 1 also sell the famous
NEW HOME AND LOVE SEWING
MACHINES.
Buy from me, and thus save tht
A cuts’ enormous commission. U ill de
liver Machine anywhere within ten miles
of Knoxville. You can have ample time
to try me. Satisfaction guaranteed or uc
pay. ME.
CALL AND SEE
J. W. BLASINGAME,
Kuo villo, G-a.
CENTRAL GEORGIA ALLIAR
WAREHOUSE i
Cotton Received, Stored and Handled at Lowest Prices.
INSURANCE LOW. ■ - WFIGHT f
OUR MOTTO;
We Price Our Own Cotton
R. W. BONNER, Manager, Mat,
ALLARD BARNWELL , Salesman .________
C. G. HILSMAN &
dealers in |
IY GOODS OF FINEST Qlfl
GROCERIES,
Hardware and
Of Every Quality, Style and Price.
We also sell Wagons, Buggies and Sewing Machines, iu fact, nearly
to be found in either a city or country store.
We have established a branch store at Culloden for the accommodation
ustomers, and are now doing a general supply business.
We have an extensive ginnery with all modern conveniences.
Will gin and buy all the cotton brought us without delay and gn
satisfaction.
We solicit your patronage and cordially invite you to give us a trial.
HILSMAN & FINCHER BROS., Robley, Ga.
PATRICK. J. M. JM
H. T. FITZ
FITZPATRICK & JORD
Culloden, ■ Georgia
Experience baa taught us that the quick sale and short profit system
far the most satisfactory to both buver and Thi- oyster.
honest, dealings, are th^principles on which we base our hopes 6t succe
Ouf Stock Consists of
DRY GOODS, NOTIONS, SHOES, HATS, HiRDII
GROCERIES,
Amt m fact everything usually found in a first-class general
We handle the Celebrated OLD COLONY SU
in Men’s goods, and the QUEEN ANI
CRESCENT in Ladies’ goods- Every
pair guaranteed
We will open very soon a handsome line of goods suitable for Christinas
We guarantee prices arainst any market within your reach on eve; v
We heartily thank our many friends for the liberal patronage given us,
solicit a continuance of the same.
FINCHER BROTHERS.
WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS i
4 Harris House Bio
^ I.UJ989S m FORT VALLEY, GEORGIA. r.
4 -S? Keep a Full Line nf Watches, Clocks, GoidH
o 0 Sill Roll Plate Jewelry, Bridal and Christmas Pra^
•3. O ***** <2 At- SPECIAL
V5-- jP/j RAILROAD WATCHES A
Best makes at lowest prices, Will dup article
© of any city, North or South. Every
-- -i'.irr teed Just as represented. .
REPAIRING A SPECIALTY.
Silverware, Sewing
Spectacles, Etc* fi
i—A mm\
^pSliomer HAlt k Piano!
Finest ir. the Market
-
.
FINCHER BROS i
E L. BURDICK,
DEALER IN
Corn, Meat, Flour, Hay, Oats. Meal, Wheat, Bra
Sugar, Coffee, Lard, Syrup, Tobacco,
Salt, Bogging, Ties, etc.
lien you come to ^Micon call and see nic and get my prices.
E. L. BURDICK, Agent.
452 Poplar Street, - Macon, Geofl