The Roberts Tile Factory

Business called us to Roberts on Tuesday afternoon and on Wednesday morning, in company with Christopher Anderson, the proprietor of the new tile works, we inspected the establishment which had just started up and was running very successfully, turning out six inch tile at the rate of ten to twelve a minute, or 6,000 a day, which certainly is a rapid gait for the size. The buildings are much more substantial than those usually constructed for the purpose, consisting of a boiler room, a building for the machine and engine 24x60 feet, drying sheds 23x150 feet, enclosed entirely and heated by steam pipes so arranged as to create an intense heat which dries the tile equally on all sides and prevents the cracking caused by unequal shrinkage when dried by the air. The system of heating is by iron pipes placed under the floor and extending the entire length of the building into which the exhaust steam from the engine discharges and into which steam can be forced directly from the boiler when desired. An additional advantage to be gained by this system is that it will enable him to keep his works going in winter as well as summer. The power necessary for the operation of the machinery is supplied by a forty horse power boiler and a splendid thirty horse power engine, which will not only operate the machine, but will work a system of cars arrranged on a tram way for conveying the clay to the mill, which will save a large amount of labor when completed. His kilns are of the improved down-draught system, and are being very substantially constructed by L. E. Bressie. One is just completed and will be tested next week. Two more will be built at once, each having a capacity of 25,000 to 30,000, which will enable him to turn out an immense amount of tile. The clay used was thoroughly tested before operations were commenced, as there can be no question of the superior quality which will be produced, and we can congratulate Mr. Anderson on the spendid prospects of a large and we believe paying business, and Roberts on having among its citizens one of capital and enterprise to engage in and bring to a successful issue so important a manufacturing enterprise. 
 

--Paxton Record. 7 June 1883.

This article is from 1883, so this building/buildings were destroyed by fire in 1886 and Christopher Anderson rebuilt and reopened in 1886.