OCR Text |
Show Smith Mattress Factory Modern and Complete In AH Equipment i Erected on the Charred Ruins of the Old Plant It Will Be aj Payroll Builder, Adding Its "Bit" to Ogden's Progress in Industrial Life. , ' I " A forward step in the progression f'of the city is boing made in the con-! con-! struction of a modorn mattress nnd bedding factory by tho Smith Bedding Bed-ding company. The plant formerly occupied by the company, which was 1 doing a capacity business, was burned to the ground last winter. Stops were immediately decided on for 'he erection of a much larger and com-1 com-1 plPtcly modorn and firoproof structure struc-ture by the owner and manager, J. I. Smith, who journoyed to the east, whero he visited all of the large fnc-' fnc-' tories, gaining ideas of tho most mod-I mod-I orn methods of construction and of j tho akinmg of bedding. Then ho set j to work planning a building that would bo one of tho finest mattrosa , factories in tho United States and. I when tho prcsont structure is com-1 com-1 pletcd, his ambition will bo realized. Tho completed structure will involve an oxpoudituro of approximately $50, 000, although it cannot be determined exactly what tho outlay will' bo, owing to tho fact that much of tho old structure can be used In the building of the new factory. Tho walls arc still standing and wore not injured by the fire. ! When completed, tho factory will do a business of $200,000 yearly and tho payroll will amount to $15,000 per year, thus adding to tho city's already largo payroll. Besides thcroanufac-i thcroanufac-i turo of mattrossos. the plant will be equipped to mako comforts, to do up- holstoring and to do carpet cleaning. ' Lacr, other departments will bo add-I add-I cd. Tho best machinery for the pur- pose that monoy can buy is being : suippuu iui iiisiiiiiuiiuu. in wiu eastern east-ern factories Mr. Smith visited, ho found machinery that was old and somewhat out of date. This was true ! in the largest mattress factory in tho I United Stntofi. if not in tho world, lo-, lo-, catcd in Pittsburg. Therefore, ho i figures that when he has tho Ogden , factory completed, it will bo equal t j the best in tho country. Owing to the serious shortage of labor at the present time, only a part of the plant now will bo built. It is owing to ho labor problem that the plant is not running at the present time, Mr. Smith said. In tho first placp, Mr. Smith was unifble to get carpenters to construct, tho forms for the concrete used in the bujlding. When th?so wero available, ho could j not get masons, and so it -went, all through the summer, until now tho best he can hopo for is to start work I in the early winter, j The exterior appearance of the I structures will be made most attractive, attrac-tive, as it will be finished with what Is called pebble dashing, giving it tho appearance of tho roughest sort of sandstone. Attractive entrances and windows and artistically arranged flower beds will make it a most pleasing pleas-ing institution. In addition to the former building, another is being constructed on the east side. In it, the materials for the stuffing of mattresses and comforts will be prepared, which will be carried car-ried to the other building by automatic auto-matic conveyors, where the constructive construc-tive work will be done. In the first building a large cotton opener, two stuffing machines and a felting machine ''will bo installed, which are for the preparing of the cot-ton. cot-ton. After it has been run through those large machines, it is combed, cleaned, curled and packed into folL It is then conveyed to the other building build-ing and made Into the market product. pro-duct. To do thh involves the use of a tufting machine, comfort maker and a tick sewing device. Besides this machinery, in this building will bo Installed a large electric generator, generat-or, an air compressor and tank, a governor and switchboard. Power Is generated from the water that runs from the canal passing the plant on tho cast side. Mr. Smith has a water right dating from 1852. A turbine mill bo placed in tho stream I between the old and tho new build-I build-I ings. To generate DO horsepower rc-I rc-I quires a fall of soven foot and this 1 was socured by building the new addition ad-dition to tho plant two feet highor than tho old one and by deepening the stream bolow the factory. With prior rights to tho water, power is available every day in the year. When tho ontire factory has been finished, It will havo a floor space of S.51G squaro feet. Tho new building is 35 by SO feet, and tho old building is 35 by S7 feet, with two floors. It will bo well lighted and with its attractive at-tractive cxerlor and pleasing surroundings, sur-roundings, will be a scenic spot in f the city. One feature will bo the front en-: trance. Tho stairway to tho second j floor has boon constructed of largo i cobblo stones, gathered by Mr. Smith from all parts of the state. Thoro aro all colors imaginable to be found among them. The general construe- i tion of this ontrancoway represents I as fine a job of concreto work as has ever been done in the city, so the architects who have scon it, say. Tho roof of tho two buildings was constructed in a most interesting manner. man-ner. Not being able to get an elevator ele-vator .for conveying the concrete to tho roof, Mr. Smith's ingenuity canie , into play. Mr. Smith tok a 1910 model Buick auto and made a hoist. By substituting a drum for one of the rear wheels, ho had a direct 1 drive elevator hoist. With this apparatus ap-paratus he has saved a great deal of tlmo In finishing tho structures, as the forms were in place a long tim before the idea occurred to him. Tho roofs aro of C-inch concrete and tho second floor of the old building is of S-inch concrete, both reinforced with steel. Throughout the factory, connections have been provided for tho use ot compressed air In cleaning. A hose may be attached and any dirt blown out of the building. This will also bo used for cleaning carpets, when that department is added, which will not bo in. the imraediato future. Modern offices will be built In tho front end of the former building. They will consist of a private office for tho- manager and a general office for the clerical force. These will be the last word in modern office construction con-struction and the furnishrftgs will bo most complete. Mr. Smith stated that gotting tho business when ho is ready for work again is the least of his troubles. The excellent quality of mattresses raado by the old concern has caused tho product to be In great demand and ho says that he has many letters now, asking him when is the earliest poa- f slblo time he can begin filling orders. The entire concern is a tribute to Mr. Smith's ability and "stick-to.it-iveness." In tin face of complete loss by the fire last winter, he sot to work to rebuild. With but little capital cap-ital to work on, he has succeeded in getting the work far enough along so that he can soon figure on market prices and profits. But partly covered cov-ered by insurance iwhen it burned, the former factory was a most discouraging discour-aging proposition. In spite of this, he set about to build on a larger scale than ever, with the result that, when completed, it will be the finest factory in tho region and one of the finest in the country. ' |