Our New Organ Factory

The new factory of the Ann Arbor Organ Corapany is nearly completed, and makes a moet hnposing appearance. The addition is live stories in height, 100 feet long and 40 feet wide. The arrangements ;for By9tematizing the work in all stages of organ construction are excellent. The buildings are situated on the corner, with First street on the east, and Washing-ton street on the south, with a wide alley on the west and north. The lumber is drawn through the west alley to the dry kiln, where it is loaded on the cars, and after passing through the dry kiln is moved on the same care on tracks leading to various parts of the lumber sheds,and when ready to be used is carried on the same cars direct to the saw table in the basement of the factory. Here the arrangements are most admirable, the location of the machines being such that the board passes without needless turning or handling through each machine until the separate parts are ready for the cabinet maker, these parts being loaded on trucks, run on the elevator and carried to the second floor, which is used for cabinet making. The offices, stock rooms and salesroom are also on this floor. When the cases have been made, they are again placed on the elevator and taken to the flfth and top floor, where they are carefully flnished. This floor is planned especially to facilítate fine varnishing. The varnish and flowing room, 32x40, is separated.by a briok partition from the main room, and is carefully ceiled, making it as nearly dust proof as possible, the main part orthe room being used for rubbing, filling and polishing. The third floor is given up entirely to action making, and here are seven timing rooms, separated by carefully deadened walls. Thefourth floor is used for fly finishing and in part for finished work. The old portion of the factory lett standing will be used for storage purposes, KW linished oi-gans, for boxed organs and for shipping. Tlie office, stock room and salesroom are finished in Not-way pine, varnished and rubbed down, and present a neat appearance. One special feature in the factory arrangement is the seperate brick schute in which runs the elevator. This is outside but joined to the faetory and separated by fire-proof doors, and is very convenient, leaving no openings in the floor and affording excellent flre protection. The new engine furnishing power is of the Allis-Corliss type, 125 H.P.,while the boiler furnishing steam for dry kilns, for the engine and for the heating, is of 200 H. P. The Company expect to occupy the faetory within the next ten days, and are highly elated over the prospects for an excellent trade. The increase in their business the past year is enal, the shipments for October showing an increase over the same month in 1894 of 170 per cent. and over October of 1893, 153 per cent. September, '95, shows an increase over the same month ia 1894 of over 70 per cent., and in 93, of over 80 per cent., while the increase for August shows 20 per cent. over the corresponding month last year, and 140 per cent. over 1893. The Company are already several hundred organs ahead of any previous year, and as with their increased facilities they will be able to turn out a largor number of instruments and correspondingly decrease cost of production, they have every reason to feel encouraged that their business will increaso still more in the future.