BRICK MAKING and POTTERY INDUSTRY AT HUNTLY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1827, 22 March 1884, Page 2

BRICK MAKING a nd POTTERY INDUSTRY AT HUNTLY.

Within the past twelxe month's it" has been oiu pleasing duty to chtonicle from time to time the steady inciraso of new and piohtablo mdustiius in the W..ik<ito. It is pleading to find that the idea ot .stimulating our piogiess and pu)speiity by other than the agricultural pin suit is iecei\ - ing the attention it doseixes, for though we luxe every leasou to bo proud of the standing of Waikalo in an ajiicultuial sense, .stiil we do not see \xhy other mdustues of a minor but iinpoitant natuie .should not receixe a fair .shaie of public attention. Industries of this nature have moie than one consideration to lecoininend them — that of labour employing ; each new enteiprise may be looked upon as another step towards dcx eloping our local icsouice*, of piovidmg settlers with a locally manufactured aiticle at a cheap rate, and of bringing the district m>re prominently befoie the business public. The Uuger the number of oav mdusti ies, and the greater the vaiiety, the greater xxill be our piosperity, and, therefore, we should all exeit ourselves to mutually favour and assist every new effoit in our midst. About a fortnight asro the new pottery works of Meshis Metcalfe and Wright commenced work at Huntly, and manufacturing operations are now in full swing. A few days ago we paid a visit to tho works, and were pleased to notice the exten-iva soalo upon which the industiy was baing carried on. Some tune ago the excellent quality and suitableness for pottery making purpose* of the led and fire clays for xvhich, as well as coal, the vicinity of Iluntly is remaikable, attiactcl atteution, and as Auckland afforded a goon maikcfc foi pottery x\ aie, tho oppoi tnnity of starting a prolitable 111dustiy in connection theio with was soon eiubiaced. The workshop and premise 1 ?, geueially, of Messis Metcalfe and Wiight at Huntly are a very extensive and finished charactoi, and together with the machinery &c, which is ot tho newest make, represent an inxested caj)ital of about £2003. The potteiy i-3 situated almost immediately 0:1 the line of railway, and covers the very considerable area of one acre. The sheds are constructed, principally, of galvanised iron, and one is very .spacious. There are in all thiee large dixisions — the mill shed and (hying sheds, the foimci measuring 00ft \ 30ft, and the two latter loSit x 20ft and 120 ft \ 20h, lespectixely. The machinery is by Clayton, Hoxvlett and Veuables, London, and is worked by one of Taugye's horizontal engines of 10 horse power. The piincipal item of tl>e machinery is a thiee pioces& machine, xvhich grinds, pugs and moulds the clay. From the mould the clay passes through a patent lotary orifice die on to a lever cutting table, xvhich deliveis eight bricks at a time into bats without any handling whatever. This machine presses bricks and pipes from H inches diameter to six inces, and pugs and grinds clay for the whole woiks. The large pipe press is also worthy of special notice. The clay for this machine is taken fiom the three process machine, and drawn in a small truck up an iucliue to a stage, wheie the pipe press is arranged. This press moulds pipes from Din. to 30m. diameter, and on passing through the mould they aie delivered on to a balanced table, which is so counterpoised as to sink as tho pipe is expressed. At the presont time eight men areengaged inthe works. Though operations have only been commenced about a fortnight since there are at present about 30,000 bricks in the drying aheds. The kiln has not yet been erected, but this will be commenced so soon as the bricks are ready for it. Theie is at preseut a large demand for fire-clay bricks in Auckland, so within about a month's time it is intended to send an instalment, the firat, from the Huutly works. The principal products of the pottery will be fire-bricks and pipes, the demand for these in Auckland being greater than the present supply. As an instance of the success xvhich the proprietors of the Huntly works may anticipate, it might be stated that at the present time one of the Auckland potteries has to fetch its supply of fire-clay from Huntly as well as its coal, which' means a, very high price for material, and a pottery, therefore, carried on under such favourable circumstances as that at Huntly cannot fail to prove a successful enterprise if properly directed, which we have little doubt, under the able management of, the proprietors, it will. We wish the new industry every success. , ,

, Next week is positively the last week of Mr' Morris Moses' great- clearing sale' of drapery, clothing and boots, fcq., uk Caml?r,i4gQ; Still