Granite Plant01

 

WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

January 19, 1900

 

The Granite and Crushed Stone Plant

 

            A trip over to the Waupaca granite and crushed stone works yesterday was quite a revelation since last we were there.  A tall sightly screen house up in the air over seventy feet at the plant makes a mark to show to passing trains that there is to be some business done there, and there is something more than show.  Some $15,000 or $16,000 is being put into buildings and machinery to quarry the granite and crush the stone, which will be shipped away to the big cities for street making and other purposes.

            The main building is 60x68 feet on the ground plan, 32 feet high. Then there is four bins with a capacity of thirty-three carloads of crushed granite, from the fine dust of the size of a hens egg.  These bins are on stone foundation high enough to admit three or four freight cars, where the four sizes of crushed stone can be loaded in the cars by simply pulling a slide.  One largest size and one medium Gates crusher are bolted to immense granite foundations.  The rock cars will be pulled from the quarry by cables up over the crushers and automatically unloaded.  The large rock will be put into the big crusher and as fast as ground the crushed product will be elevated to the screen house up seventy feet, where a steel screen will receive it and separate the product into sizes, each of the four sizes falling into its proper bin, the larger pieces which will not sort falling into a slide and will be conveyed down a spout to the small crusher, there reconverted into the proper sizes desired.

            Mr. Carl Nelson, who has the contract, has had a crew of men busy for some time putting up the building which is a strong and serviceable structure bringing every part of the business except quarrying under roof.  The engine is 70 horse power, and all ready for business.  The machinery is all in place and work will probably commence next week.

            Mr. Nelson piloted us up several flights of stairs to the screen loft and we were convinced that it would puzzle a cyclone to shake it down, so strongly is the work stayed.  Still a person not used to lofty heights feels quite squeamish up there.  But what a point to get a birds-eye view of the city!  We predict for the Waupaca and crushed stone works a big and successful business and it will give employment to from twenty-five to fifty hands the year round.