Our Business Firms

The business of the Central Mills wa establislied fifteen years ago this winter both the present partners being theu connected with it, and having for an associate Mr. Robert K. Ailes, the or ganizer of the mili project, whose inter est was later purchased by them. In carrying on that business, changes al most innumerable have been made. The mili was built after the maehinery for equipping roller flour milis had been greatly improved. Yet, while the outines of the mili remains as at flrst, the nterior has received one change in naehinery after another. Improvenents in llour making have come thick and fast and the owners of the Central Mills early determined to keep in the ront rank of Michigan flour makers. To-day they own a mili that lias been brought down to date. Jts brands of flour are favorites in al! markets wlien introduced, and no mili in this seotion )f Michigan has been so hard pushed with orders during the past fall as the he Ann Arbor Central Mills, whose rade extends into nearly every state east of Michigan and south as far as "lorida. lts customers of 15 years ago are still dealing with this firm, two of hese customers having placed orders or 600 barrels of flour with the mili within the past few days. Locally, its trade with farmers has always been large, as for farmers use the mili has possibly the completest arrangment in Michigan, doing not only the ordinary work of feed grinding but grinding corn and cobs together, and comminuting the cobs until they are as fine as wheat bran. In this department is also full apparatus for making granulated meal (Gold Dust), graham flour, rye flour, and a complete outfit for manufacturing buckwheat flour. Here too, is found the large dry-kiln, the only one possessed by any Michigan mili, ou which thousands of bushels of wet grain have been dried and saved to the farmer owners. Grain is sometiines sent here from poiuts 50 miles away to be cured. The fact tbat corn and buckwheat coutaining any moisture are always dried before grinding, is the reason that meal and buckwheat flour fron this mili never spoil. In city trade, the White Loaf brand of family flour lias become in many homes a household ne cessity because of its uniformly good qualities, while the Jumbo brand reaches a large sale in directions where only the best is good enongh. The question will be asked, "were all of the changes in machinery necessary? The 'flour of our fathers' was perhaps a ittle darker hut was it not good enough, and more wholesome than the white flour of the present time?" Mr. Allmendiager answered this question by ing the Courier's representativa a box containing severa] kinds of material. First, buckwheat huils which ourfathers ground into flour, removing what they could by bolting devices afterward. ■'We remove them before grinding and burn them up. They are a rank poison and have caused total blindness in a wliole drove of animáis, to my knowledge," said Mr. Allmendinger. Because of their presence the oíd style buckwheat flour was unwholesome, and because of their absence the new flour can be used the whole year through. Next we see this mass of dust which was formerly ground into the flour. It comes from the ends of the grains of wheat. We remove it aud burn this also by the ton, as we regard it as unfit to feed, to say nothing of flour. Fiually notice this lot of tacks, bits of irou wire and other like bric-a-brac which are re(Continued on Sth Page.) 4 OUR BUSINESS FiRMS. (Coutluued from lstpnge.) moved from tlie wheat by large magnets used for that purpose. In the time of our fatheis uiuch of all these things was pulverizfd and went into the flour. It has been suggested that the tacks, etc, would bc a means of getting iron into the blood, and we can't dispute ir. All we say s, the bejtter and purer the flouT Ithe better for tlie eater. We will not provide straw or hran in our branda of flour. If man regards himself as a herbivorous animal, let him eat baled hay, and irot domand in the flour wliat in a pure state is not a part of it. And if we want flour like that "of our fathers," all we have to do is to grind the hulls, the dust and the iron back into the product of the mili. We believe that in the regeneration of the race the flour mili plays its part. Take the case of the emigrant who has been used to the "black, sodden and sonr" bread of Europe and change lus diet to the white and sweet American loaf. Is it any wonder that, unconsciously to himself, he straightens up, and that with the better food his character changes? I know the larger manhood is sakl to be due to the air of freedom. In my opinión the quality of the loaf of bread used has a good deal to do with it." The erop failure of recent years has greatly euibarrassed Michigan millers. To overeóme local shortages the Central milis have acquired elevators at Vernon in Shiawasse county, af Oaklawn in Livingston county, and at Azalia in Monroe county, at which points MessrsAllmendinger & Schneider are doing a arge and iucreasing business in grain, which is entirely independent of the nilling business. This fall the firin lias commenced to haudle and ship beaus ind seeds, and the new branches of jusiness have already attained considerable dimensions. At Anu Arbor jeans have been marketed which have )een drawn twenty miles to reach this market. Within a few days beans have een drawu right through Ypsilauti to reach Ann Arbor. Heretofore Aun Irbor has had no beau market, and the opening of such a market here should ( bring to merchants in otherlines alarge rade not before available. Duriug the fit'teen years of its existeuce the firui has operated the Delhi milis nearly two years, and the Argo milis of tliis city were under its management for sonie five years past, he sauie being rehnquished last summer. Both members have also been counected witli the Ann Arbor Oigan Company from its infancy. The firm lso organized the Anu Arbor Fruit and Viuegar Company, and managed it I serend _ctis, stlti reiarmng les nterest but haviug dropped the active management. lts policy will henceforth be to give ts undivided attention to the Central milis whose business, with that of its levators, is this fall in volume by far he largest in its history. The promise t this time is of still larger growth, and 'ie meinbers of the íirm propose to give ■heir best efforts to tliis growing business, and insuring the accuracy of the statement that the Central milis will be in the future, as in the past, of the best.