Adamant Porcelain Co. running at full capacity

MAKING PORCELAIN WARE.

Harrisonburg Pottery Running at Full

Blast and Turning out High-Grade Product.

The first output of the Harrisonburg branch of the Adamant Porcelain Company has proved a success and the plant is now running at its full capacity to meet the demands for its product. The initial kiln of porcelain ware was burned a few days ago and the contents were immediately shipped in car load lots to eastern markets. The average output will be about three carloads a week.

The Adamant Porcelain works are located at the old Virginia Pottery plant on the Kratzer road, north of town. The property was purchased for $3,000 last fall by Gen. John E. Roller, principal stockholder of the company which has been operating the old pottery at Broadway for more than a year. Considerable time was consumed in preparing the pottery, which had not been in use for several yearn for the manufacture of porcelain ware. A force of men has been at work for several months putting the two double-deck kilns in proper condition and making all the necessary arrangements, preliminary to the manufacture of ware. Since January the plant has been turning out saggers, cylindrical and oval shaped pots, which are receptacles for the fine porcelain articles as they are burned in the kilns. About 5,000 of these were required and all were made from native or Hoover clay.

Every precaution was taken to make the first kiln from the plant an up-to-date one in every respect. The greater part of the material for the porcelain ware is imported from England, while portions come from Maine and other states of the Union, where the necessary ingredients are to be found.

A part of the first shipment, which was made in carload lots, was packed in specially prepared boxes for export in accordance with the rules of the custom-house inspectors, but the major portion of the shipment was distributed throughout the United States, through jobbers in the larger cities.

The two plants of the Adamant Porcelain Company, located in Harrisonburg and Broadway, are among the best in this country. Their products consist of electric fixtures and insulators, and are in about 60 different shapes and sizes. There is a heavy and constant demand for this class of goods in all parts of the world and the local manufactories are likely to enjoy a share of the resulting prosperity. The Harrisonburg branch now employs the same number of men as the Broadway pottery—about thirty-five when running at full blast. These are divided among the different departments, of the plant, which is under a systematic management. A. C. Witte, of Trenton, N. J., an experienced pottery man, is foreman of the Harrisonburg plant, while the two branches are under the general supervision of W. H. Tantum.

The management of the Adamant Company hopes to be able to turn out two kilns of ware a week. The contents of each kiln makes about one and a-half car loads.