1880 History of Ulster County New York - Saugerties Section

HISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK.
at four places,-Turkey Point, a little above Turkey Point,
at Eves Port, and at West Camp. Cottrell, Williamson &
Co. operated largely at Glasco, The National Ice Company
have their store-houses just above West Camp, on
the boundary line between Ulster and Greene Counties.
PAPER-MILLS-FIRM OF J. B. SHEFFIELD di SON.
In the Fall of 1825, Henry Barclay, the founder of Saugerties,
erected the original mill on the site of the abovenamed
mills, and in October, 1827, it was put in operation.
The manufacture of paper was continued by Mr. Barclay
down to 1851, a period of nearly twenty-five yeam. In
that year Mr. J. B. Sheffield and Norman mrliite rented
the mill, and prosecuted the business under the firm-name
of " J. B. Sheffield & Co." The lease expiring in 1857,
the firm purchased the property. In 1867, Mr. White
sold his interest to Mr. Sheffield and retired from the firm,
Mr. Sheffield becoming sole owner. In 1869, Williani R.
Sheffield, son of Mr. J. B. Sheffield, came into partnership
with his father, and the name of the firm was J. B. Shcffield
& Son. Mr. J. B. Shefield died Jan. 22, 1879, but
the business is to continue under the same firm-name until
the expiration of the period named in the last articles of partnership.
During the year 1868 the buildings were largely rebuilt
and improved, the manufacture of paper being suspended
for a few months- In 1872 the mill, which was a wooden
structure, was totally destroyed by fire, July 19th. It
was supposed to have caugllt from a gas jet in the
finishing-room. They were rebuilt in the short space of
seven months, during which time nearly 1,00O10(J0 bricks
were laid, and several manufacturing establishment~ were
kept at work night and day making the new machinery,
some of which was very expensive and even elegant, the
paper-machine alone costing $20,000. Since the mill again
started there has been no suspension of work, even during
the panic following the disastrous jear of 1873. Nearly
200 hands are employed, and the manufacture amounts in
finished work to an average of six tons per day.
The main building is an imposing brick structure of three
stories, with a peak and two large wings, the whole being
covered with substantial slate roofs. It is 42 by 150 feet,
and the wings each 110 feet long, one of then1 being 33
feet wide and the other 42. The ceilings are about 14 feet
high throu!$out, making the rooms very airy and pleasant
for the workmen, and are besides well ventilated. The mothe-power
is furnished by five Leffel turbine water-wheels,
two of 40 inches, one of 264 inches, one of 153 inches,
and one of 23 inches. The wheels give 420 horn-power.
The water supply is practically inexhaustible. The water
used for cieansiilg is brought from a spring one and a half
miles away, flowing through a large pipe to a reservoir 8
feet deep and 60 feet square, having a capacity of 600,000
gallons. The water is very clear and in strong contrast
with that of the Esopus, which is often muddy. The mill
pses four tons of rags per day, one-third of them linen,
bought abroad, and the other two-thirds cotton, bought
principally in the middle and western portions of the State.
The rags are received in the main building and pass into
a sorting-room, in which a large force of women separate
them after they are first passed through a dusting-machine.
The rags are then put through a coople of cutting-machines,
which chop them into small pieces. From these machines
they are carried on an er~dless belt through another dusting-machine,
which blows an incredible amount of dirt out
of them,-ten pcr cent. of the weight of the rags as brought
to the mill provin~ to be mere dust, and besides other forms
of waste and rubbish equal ten to fifteen per cent. more.
The rap are then dropped into two immense rotary boilers.
They are each 6 feet by 16, and will hold three tons of
a . In these boilers, aided by stcum, lime, and soda-ash,
the dirt is thoroughly loosened. The rap come out quite
dark, and next pass into two immense washers, into which
constant streams of clean, fresh water are constantly running.
The rags are made to circulate around the washer
and pass through a beating roller, which picks them apart.
They then pass under another machine, which by pressure
expels the dirty water from them. Prom the washers the
rags are dropped into huge cenient chests, covered with
chloride of lime, and left to bleach for one week. The resouroes
of this establishment are so great that the contents
of 114 washen can be kept bleaching at one time. The
bleached rags next pass into the t~nks for beating into pulp
and for coloring. This last is effected by the use of Prussian
ultramarine and carmine, with other chemicals. The
pulp is next placed in a tank mixed with a large quantity
of water, and from that is fed dircct to the paper-machine.
The large amount of water secures great thinness and even-
ness of distribution. As it enters the machine it is only
experienced eyes that can detect that it is anytliing more
than water. Passing over a Fourdrinier wire, the water disappears,
and then over the rollers the finished paper lnoves
rapidly from the machine.
The paper-machine is a magnificent affair, 100 feet long,
very finely finished and complete in its operation. The
stream of paper is 84 inches wide, after passing the
6~ dandy-roll," which imparts the water-mark, it goes over
about 400 feet of rollers before it reaches the cutters, which
requires about five minutes' time. TJnlike some processes,
the paper is here dried upon the machine. The paper next
goes to the calender-room, where nine calenders, attended
each by two girls, are at work. The calendermachines
are composed of six rollers, half of them paper
and the other half chilled iron. The ruling-machines are
in the same room, and these are mo'dels of successful ma-
chinery. Finally the paper passes into the packing-room
above, where it is assorted into perfect, medium, ordinary,
counted iu quires, folded, pressed, stamped, wrapped, and
cased.
The manufacturing part of this establishment is mu
night and day, but the packingroom is run only in the
daytime, except when the demands of trade are especially
large.
In 1877 a uew building was added, in which separate
machinery in part was placed, increasing considerably the
capacity of the mills.
Mr. W. R. Slieffield devotes hie immediate and personal
supervision to the entire business. Mr. T. P. Handbridge
is the bookkeeper, and Mr. William Dean superintendent
and foreman.