Rolling Out the Barrel

 An interesting article from the Evansville Courier and Press, March 11, 1956

Marion Fights Off Threat of Economic Depression

 

Natural resources have once again been utilized to help this one-time spar mining center escape the throes of economic depression.

 

This time it’s the white oak tree which is bringing needed dollars to Marion and vicinity.

 

The white oaks are being turned into barrel staves, mostly for use of the bourbon industry, at Leslie Freeman Stave and Heading Company’s new mill near here.

 

Principal source of income from the oak tress is through the payroll distributed among the mill’s 28 workers. But the timber is also bringing thousand of dollars to area farmers from whose land the white oak in taken.

 

Operation of the mill, which was started last August, is an interesting one.  First capturing the eye is the staggering number of staves the tiny mill produces.

 

The major items of machinery in the mill are a double blade cutting saw, which cuts the stave bolts (timber from which staves are made) to the correct length, and the circular saw which slices the slightly curved staves from the bolts of white oak.

 

But these saws are kept busy almost all the every day by 28 men working two shifts. The result: Several acres literally covered by neatly stacked staves – more than three quarters of a million of them.

 

Mill Supt. Denver McCabe, RR3, Marion, hopes to make a million staves for the spring market.

 

The mill buys lumber from dealers who cut and deliver it; or standing timber is purchased by the company and send its own men to do this cutting.

 

All staves classified as bourbon staves are to be sold to National Distributing co., Memphis, Tenn. A few staves classified as oil staves, for storage of food, oil vinegar, etc., are sold in Cleveland.

 

So far only five carloads of bourbon staves and six carloads of oil staves have been shipped from the new mill.

 

The company also has plats in Evansville, In., and St. Louis Missouri

 

(This stave mill was located near the railroad tracks, beside one of the old fluorspar mills. There the staves could be loaded onto the railroad cars.)