[narfforc]

I had always taken Ted Sandymans mill as a representation of his boyhood memories. The description of: a great brick building straddling the stream, which it fouled with a steaming and stinking outflow, add the fact that Sandyman is: grimy faced and black handed, also the great chimney and it is obvious that Sandyman is working/cleaning some kind of machinery, in fact it was filled with wheels and outlandish contraptions to grind more and faster according to one of the Cottons. Coal/Wood-Chimney-Steam are what I always thought was going on here, maybe I am wrong, what else is he up to, did Saruman import his Tekromancy into the Shire?. After Sharkey turns up there seems to be some sort of industry going on in the mill, but the ruffians are said to be carrying clubs and no other weapons, if the mill was now a smithy surely they would have iron/metal weapons.