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- W : THE MINNEAPOLIS JOURNAL'. y^* *&^w%&$&i # FRIDAY ETByiyG ATTGTJS T 29 1902. * ? * = * FLOUR AND LUMBER HAVE MADE MINNEAPOLIS FAMOUS MINNEAPOLIS FLOUR FEEDS ALLTOEWOED The City Has Done astMnch for the Hilling Industry as the Industry Has Done for.the CityMinneapolis Millers Have Been Ear in * the Lead in the Development of Scientific Processes and Their Efforts Have, Made a Market for Spring Wheat Products Origi- nally in'Second Place. \ F o r the first seven (months of the pres ent year Minneapolis flour mills shipped 8,85V,482 barrels of flour against 8,493,- 461 ffi the same period of last year. Al though some features of the trade of the local jmills are umsaitlsfactory, the de mand *for Minneapolis flour from other Quartern has been suoh as to indicate a hlga\rcord for the present year. The present total daily capacity of the local mills is 80.516 barrels, or in round numbers about 25,000,000 barrels per an num. Flour mills are never worked to their full capacity for any expensive period. In some parts of the country Where considerable flour is manufac tured millers do not produce 50 per cent f their capacity. Minneapolis maintains a standard proportion, of production to Capacity of about 65 per bent. Two new mills are to be- built here this year which will increase the totat capacity several thousand barrels. In 1QS4 Minneapolis imllls were grind ing 9,000,0*0 barrels of flour. In 1901 {reduction macte a new record of 16,922,-" Ofr barrels. The production in 1900 was Ur08a,000 and in! '39 the- mills ground 14.- S|92,000 barrels. The, Pillsbury-Washbnrn company's to tal daily capacity is in the neighborhood of ^81,150 barrels ' the "Washburn-Crosby Company, 27,516 the Northwestern Con solidated Milling company, 18,000 four Other mills will reach nearly 6,000 bar rels. The daily capacity of-the Pillsbury MA" mill is about 15,000 barrels and of the Washburn "A," belonging to the Wash burn-Crosby company, about 10,400 bar lels. These mills are famous all over the world and the flour manufactured in them lias "been advertised and pold in nearly very quarter of tine globe* In 1878, when Minneapolis flour produc tion began to increase its, importance -in the world's supply, this c?ty was produc ing about 950,000 barrels per annum. In the next year the p roduci ion went up to 1,500,000 barrels. The year 1885 was the Single one in which there was any halt ing in this progress. Production was then Jn the neighborhood ot 5,250,000 barrels. In 1895 the total had reached 10,000,000. The mills have shown' a rapid increase since that time. Domestic Trade- Growing. While the export trside has not been satisfactory this year, the people of the astern states are buying Minneapolis flour in increased proportion. This has compensated the millers' to some extent for shrinkage of trade beyond the salt seas. In the battle between spring whea* and winter wheat flours for preference in the domestic marked, the hard wheat product is winning. This is having a fa vorable effect upon the amount of busi ness done by Minneapolis mills in the southern and eastern states. It is grad ually adding to their territory at home while the miller is strenuously endeavor ing to fortify himsetff against any lean years that may come,by holding his place in the export trade or bettering (it Jto some extent. In this connection the past year has brought some good results, although they have not as yet assisted in the sale of flour. The millers' argument that export flour should be given the same rate as export wheat, pBus the small difference in cost of handling, is making friends among traffic men in all parts of the country. American wheat, cheaply transported to the United Kingdom and other European countries, has furnished the foreign mill er an opportunity more successfully to combat the invasion of the manufactured product from Minneapolis. The correction of this evil lies with the transportation companies- The miller has been forced to conduct a campaign of education on the transportation of flour in order to overcome prejudice in many quarters. Gradually, however, many traffic men have been won over, and there is much io indicate that the transportation com panies will Anally adopt a rate policy that will send more of the manufactured product and less of the raw material abroad. The Canadian Wheat Supply. One important result of the present year has been the successful experiment ot the W a s h b u r n - C r o s by company In gfInking Canadian wheat in bond. "This experiment was put through under con ditions which were far from encouraging at the start. Canadian transportation companies were finally reasoned out of a wrong and prejudiced position and the wheat brought to Minneapolis. This com pany will repeat the experiment whenever *the price of wheat in Canada will make it profitable. Although spring wheat flour has many hard battles ahead in its progressive cam pafgn for a world teritory and bigger sales, the progress it has made is a mat ter r much congratulation to the men identified with this big in'iustiy For a J01 r. time -i ider the old methods of mill ing little faith wa placed m thb fiituro of Minnesota as an agricultural .=ta*e. The IJ u.r made from spring Wiieat was darl-or than thar made from winter vheat and the value of spring wheat and sjvng vha flour wss consequent!/ less than winter wheamillingitsthproduct. t and Byr the d Jm'shod8* in , e hard oute coloro! ing of sp-ing wheat was m c e or les? pul verized and ]assed throuph the boiling Clotrh with the flour. The uno pa of b r a ns:x, i wit h th e flour attrvteidtitles? mo ! s - * ure in hot 01 damp climates so that The flour soon spoiled. Therefore it could not be readily exported. In the markets of Chicago and Buffalo five bushels of spring wheat rarely sold for as much as four bushels of the same grade of winter wheat. Prior to 1870, practically all of the flour t of the world was made by what is known " as the old process of low grinding in \ which the upper millstone was set low, or very close to the lower, and the wheat *- wa? reduced ^to flour by one operation. { - Between 1870 and 1890, this method gave 4 place to the newer process the highly per- ' 1 fected machinery of to-day being the cli max of the inventor's skill so, much m _ -evidence in the last thirty years. In the meantime spring wheat places1 wit h winte r wheaflour t productchangedthnisha e estimation of the consumers t h e ^ o r l d - over and Minneapolis is a flourishing me- , tropolis, the greatest flour market in the .?- world, in one of the richest agricultural sections on,the globe rapidly developing the acres from which is to come her fu- - ture supply. The new process as Introduced /by George H. Christian consisted of reducing ^_ grain to flour by two or more successive Vgrincllngs. As a result of the first grind ing, the grain was reduced to small par ticles or granules. The resulting chop ^ was passe dthrough the bolting apparatus -' and separated into Its component parts. flour, middlings and bran. The middlings 1 containing the more valuable portion of '^tbe wheat were reground on separate f stones. Later, rollers were substituted \ lor stones, but' the principal governing v *fcoJr us,remains the-same, as in tho sys- tem of high grinding with stones. It is the gradual reduction of grain to flour by a number of distinct processes, instead 6t by one grinding, which has contributed to a revolution in the flour Industry. New process and cheap power furnished by the falls of St. Anthony, together with ag gressiveness of the local manufacturers, have given Minneapolis brands of a world wide name. First Mill at the Falls. The first mill erected in St. Anthony for grinding grain was built in May, 1861, by Richard Rogers, and it had one run of stone. Its location was on the east side of the river between First and Second av enues southeast. It was only a grist,mill, but is was a beginning. The following year Franklin Steele be came a partner of Mr. Rogers, and they added another run of stone to this mill for the purpose of supplying flour for local consumption. The mill burned in 1857 and was not rebuilt. In the spring of 1854, the Minnesota mill, referred to above, the first to engage in the manufacture of flour for the public market, was built on Hennepin island, by J. W. Eastman and his two associates. Machinery for this mill came from Pitts burg and Buffalo. There was not a com plete machine shop in the territory of Minnesota at that time. W. W. Eastman joined the firm soon after its inception. In 1857 Mr. Rollins retired from the firm, and in 1858 W. W. Eastman retired, while in 1863 Mr. Upton retired and W. F. Ca hill became a partner with J. W. East man, and the name of the mill was changed to the Island mill. In 1868 Major Morrill became part owner, and in 1870 the mill was sold to Edward Brown and Harmon Martin, who operated it until it was destroyed by fire, March 5, 1872. In 1856 Prescott and Morrison built a grist mill on Hennepin island, adjoining the island mill property. This mill burned with the. island mill, in 1872. Milling on the west side of the river be gins with the erection of the Cataract mill in 18W by W. W. Eastman. Mr. Eastman came to St. Anthony in 1854, his brother John W. Eastman having preceded him. The Cataract mill had Ave run of buhrs. it is ?uit remarkable that this mill should still be in operation. Mr. Eastman also built the Anchor mill with twelve run of stone. This mill Is now one of the,Pills bury plant. Mr. Eastman soon engaged in other manufacturing enterprises and W. S. Judd and George A. Brackett became the owners of- the Cataract mill, which they operated until 1867, when Mr. Judd retired and Mr. Brackett continued in the management of the property 4or one year. He sold the mill to Commodore Davidson, of St. Paul, who leased it to W. M. Brack ett. Mr. Brackett operated the mill until the fall of 1869, when Commodore David son sold it to D. R. Barber, of Minneap olis, and it has since continued in the Barber family, the manager at the present time being E. R. Barber. D. R. Barber died in April, 1886, after a residence in Minneapolis of thirty years, during- which time the town had grown into a city of 150,000 population. Following in order the Union mill was built in 1863 by Henry Gibson, operated by" him for several years, and afterward by Gibson & Darrow, George A. Brackett, Hobart & Shuler, Darrow & Dibble, W. I. McAffe. This mill is still in operation un der lease by the Northwestern Consoli dated Milling company. It is owned by the United States Milling company, of New York. In 1864, Frazee & Murphy built the Min neapolis mill. Its capacity was 250 bar rels per day. , The Advent of C. A. Pillsbury. In 1869 C. A. Pillsbury commenced his milling career in Minneapolis, and with G. W. Crocker and J. Welles Gardner as partners under the Arm name of Gardner, Pillsbury & Crocker, they proceeded to put the Minneapolis mill in first-class condition. In October, 1871, the mill burned. It was rebuilt and enlarged to 360 barrels ca pacity. Mr. Gardner sold his interest to Woodbury Fisk at about this time and the Arm name was changed to Pillsbury, Crocker & Flsk, and continued so for several years, when C. A. Pillsbury & Co. sold out to Charles W. Moore, and the firm name was changed again to Crocker. Fisk & Co. In December, 1881, this mill was again burned with one or two others, but was rebuilt, and Its capacity increased to 600 barrels, and later this capacity was increased to 1,500 barrels as new ma chinery came into use. In 1887 Mr. Moore sold his interest in the mill to Louis W. Campbel, who became manager, assisted by W. G. Crocker, son of George W. Crocker, who had retired from active connection with the property. In January, 1889* Mr. Flsk died and later the mill passed to the ownership of Wash burn Crosby company. George W. Crock er had previously built tha Arctic mill, with a capacity of 300 barrels. In 1864 Stamwltz & Schoeber used the basement of a furniture factory in St. Anthony for a twO-run mill, known as the St. Anthony, which was operated until 1871, when It was burned. In 1865 the Summit mill was built be low the Island mill on. Hennepin island, by Kausbe & Co. This'was the last mill built on the island, and it was swept down the stream in the Eastman tunnel wasn out in 1869. x In 1866 Taylor Brothers of Philadelphia built the Alaska mill, which contained six run of stone. This was counted a very fine mill, and later it became the property of Gardner & Pillsbury, and in 1874 title pasesd to Charles A. Pillsbury & Co. and this became the Pillsbury "B" mill, now the property of the Pillsbury-Washburn Flour Mill company. The mill burned in December, 1881, and was rebuilt at once with increased capacity. In 1866, also, George W. Crocker and Edwin Rowlandson built the Arctic mil} next below the Union mill. They sold out In 1869 to William Tomlinson and W. L. Tiffany. W. H. Dunwoody soon after bought the Tomlinson interest. In 1874 N. G. Elliott and B. P. Shuler bought the property. Mr. Elliott died soon after and his interest was purchased by J. W. Ho bart, and the firm became Hobart, Shuler & Elliott, and later Hobart & Shuler. The Northwestern National bank came into control of the property in 1879, when it was sold to George Hineline, W. G. Plank, and S. R. Wheeler, who Increased the ca pacity to 825 barrels per day, and changed -the name to the St. Anthony. After operating the mill a few years these gen tlemen sold it to Samuel Morse and T. A. Sammis. They increased the capacity to 600 barrels, and when the Arms of Morse & Sammis and D. Morrison & Co. were consolidated in September, 1883, under the name of the Minneapolis Flour Manufac turing company, this mill became part of that property. It is now owned by the Standard Milling company, of New York, and Is operated by the Northwestern Con solidated Milling coinpany. C. C. Washburn's Service to Milling. Then came the advent of the Washburn interests, and it is at this point that the progressive milling in Minneapolis began. Ex-Governor C. C. Washburn owned a large interest in the Minneapolis Mill com pany, which controlled the water power on the west side of the river, from which the flour mills drew their power, He was un questionably the Nestor of Minneapolis milling. In 1866 he built the 'mill that was after wards named the Washburn "B." At that time this was the largest mill west of Buffalo. It was 66x100 feet and six stories high* and was completed In 1866. It had eleven ruh 'of stone, and a capacity of 800 barrels. The cost was $100,000. The build ing of this mill had much to do with at tracting investors to the northwest, and especially to Minneapolis. It seemed to settle the questron of the permanency of the power derived "from St. Anthony falls, also to firmly establish this point as a milling center. General Washburn leased this mill to W. S. Judd and George A. Brackett for Ave years at an annual rental of $12,000.- In 1867 Mr. Judd retired and Mr. Brackett operated the mill for one year, when 'he sui rendered liis lease. At this time Mr. Brackett was the largest miller in Minne apolis, operating as he did the Cataract and Washburn "B," the two mills having flfteen run of stone. Then came the Christians. Governor Washburn found that George H. Christian knew something about the grain and flour business, and he interested him in the Washburn "B" project. Governor Wash burn saw in Mr. Christian a practical manager. The " B " mill was furnished with buhr stones and bolts, according to the milling process of that time, but this did not satisfy Mr. Christian. He began to Btudy into mill machinery. He em ployed by chance a French journeyman miller named La Croix. This man told Mr. Christian that mills in France had a way of purifying the middlings, by which a part of the wheat berry which under the machinery then used adhered to the hull was detached and added to the flour. Mr. Christian saw in this an opportunity to effect a large sa\ mg of flour materail. He and La Croix went to work on a machine, but without much success, but Mr. Chris tian aid not give up the idea. His head miller, George T. Smith, suggested the employment of brushes to temove the fine dust from the screens, and on trial this proved practicable. Mr. Christain and La Cioix turned their information over to Mr. Smith, and the latter obtained a patent for the middlings purifier. Rolls Are Introduced. Governor "Washburn at once supplied his mill with these machines, and it became apparent that a superior process of mill ing had been discovered. Rival millers were shut out from the Washburn "B" Minneapolis introduced the new process secretr but the information was soon passed around and the other millers of Minneapolis introduced the new process.s When Governor Washburn decided to build the Washburn "A" mill, Mr. Chris tian went to Europe for the purpose of in vestigating the whole question of fVour mill machinery. He visited the best mills in France, and also mills at Budapest and Trieste, and elsewhere. He found that he was at a disadvantage in not being able to speak the French language, and so he set out to learn the language that he might read for himself the publi cations having "to do with the technical side of milling in France. H^e decided on the purchase Of French buhr mill stones and these were imported for the "A" mill. The Budapest mills had about that time introduced rolls and Mr. Christian in turn introduced these into the "A" mill. Minneapolis was now easily at the head of flour milling in the United States. In 1875 Mr. Christian sold his interest in this property to his brothers, J. A. and Llewellyn Christian, who continued the business with Governor Washburn. George H. Christian's connection with the Wash burn "B" mill began in 1869* under the firm name of Christian, Tomlinson & Co. In 1870 the Arm name was changed to G. H. Christian & Co., the partners being Governor Washburn and Mr. Christian, the latter retiring about 1875, as stated above. The new Arm of Washburn, Crosby & Co. took possession of the "B" mill in 1877, Governor Washburn, John Crosby and W. D. Washburn being the owners, and this company, under considerable re organization, has, continued to operate the mill until the present time. In 1867 the Dakota mill was built by Russell & Huy. They were succeeded by o. B. King & Co. Up to 1873 the mill was known as the Russell, after R. B. Russell, the builder, but in this year H. F. Brown, W. F. Cahill, F. L. Greenleaf and S. S. Brown bought the mill and named it the Dakota. H. F. Brown and Mr. Greenleaf later became the owners of the mill. This was the only frame flour mill ever built in Minneapolis or St. An thony. In 1870 McMullen and McHeron built the North Star mill, on the East Side, with a capacity of 250 barrels. In 1871 the mill was sold to H. J. G. Croswell and was run by Croswell & Lougee and others until 1885, when the mill burned. It was not rebuilt. In 1871 Leonard Day and M. B. Rollins built the Zenith mill, with capacity of 500 barrels per day, five stories high. In 1872 Llewellyn Christian bought an interest in the mill and the firm became Christian, Day & Co. In two years Mr. Christian re tired, being succeeded by Day, Rollins & Co. In the great mill explosion of 1878 this mill was destroyed by fire. It was immediately rebuilt and operated until 1883, when, upon Mr. Day's death, Sidle, Fletcher, Holmes & Co. assumed control. The mill Is now the property of the North western Consolidated Milling company. It has a capacity of 2,000 barrels per day. Founding of Pillsbury Interest. The Pillsbury milling began In 1870. John S. Pillsbury located in Minneapolis in 1855, the first of the Pillsbury family to settle in Minnesota. He engaged in the hardware business in St. Anthony, but lost everything In the panic of 1857. He secured a new stock of goods, however, and continued in the hardware business until 1874. In the meantime Charles A. Pillsbury had reached Minneapolis, in 1869. At that time there were only four or five mills at the falls, nearly all old- fashioned, using buhr stones for reducihg the grains to flour. Governor Washburn had Just introduced the new purifiers and the roller process Into his mtlL The younger Mr. Pillsbury secured an Interest in the Alaska mill soon after his arrival, and in 1870 the firm of Charles A. Pills bury & Co. was organized and this mill came under their control as the Pillsbury "B" mill. Charles A. Pillsbury became manager of the company. He made It a part of his policy at the start to Introduce new machinery as rapMly as new inven tions made it practicable to do so, and the great success of the firm was at tributed as much to this part of the firm's policy as to any other single feature. The middlings purifier was introduced at once into the Pillsbury mills. Then came the introduction of the roller process. The old buhr stones were thrown away the new process flour was a success, and "Pills bury's Best" began to sell throughout the United States. The coming of the rail road made It possible to ship flour to the east with considerable convenience. The business of the company grew so rapidly that they found it necessary to make new leases. They accordingly came into con trol of the Pillsbury "B," Empire, Ex celsior, and Anchor mills. These were fitted throughout with modern machinery. It was about this time that grain elevator building in the northwest began on a large scale. The Pllsbury company soon found It necessary to build a new mill. It was now Mr. PlUsbury's turn to go to Europe and see what the millers were doing on the other side. He visited Budapest, where the best flour of Europe was made, and gave a thorough Inspection to the ma chinery used there. He returned and at once proceeded to build the largest flour mil in the worldthe Pillsbury "A" of Minneapolis. Mr. Pillsbury associated with him in the business, his uncle, John S. Pillsbury his father, George A. Pills bury, and his brother, F. C. Pillsbury. These men continued as owners of this splendid property until 1889, when a con trolling interest in the mills was sold to an English syndicate, with headquarters in London, England. More Mills Built. Returning to the deelopment of the flour Industrv in Minneapolis, in 1872 the Holly mill was built by William F. Cahill, C. M. Lorlng, Loren Fletcher and George Hine line. They operated the Holly mill until June, 1878, when it was purchased by W. H. Hinkle & Co. The original capacity of the mill was seventy-five barrels later increased to 600 barrels, and C. McC. Reeve became the owner, under the name of the Holley Mill company. Previous to that purchase, A. W. Krech operated the mill for a time. The Hollv mill was finally purchased by the Pillsbury-Washburn Flour Mills company. In 1872 Leonard Day & Co. built the Pal isade mill, which cost $100,000, with capacity of 500 barrels. Leonard Day died i f'l Washington Ave. N. and Eighth Ave. Will Move October 1st.