The Portland daily press., 1867-03-30
Plastic Siafe-again, by rr.~;

Some weeks ago we made request tLot
some Gisinterested person, who has the means
of a correct opinion upon the subject, would
do us and the public tbe favor to Say whether
the extraordinary claims put forth in the adj
vertisements of the New York Plastic State
Company" in behalf of the material they
have patented for covering roofs and other
purposes, are, or are not true in fact, but as
yet our article has called forth no response
The most which we have been able personally
to ascertain, are :he statements of a gentle
man farmer in Norway, Oxford Co., who in
forms us that last summer he covered the
roofs OF some OF his buildings with the mate
rial, and that il answers the descriptions put
forth i'll the advertisements, which he had no.
ticed in the N. E. Farmer, at Boston, He pur-
chased the requisite quantity OF slate -four of
a licensed manufacturer in Skowhegan, which
he mixed with coal tar, to the consistency of
common lime mortar, and, after covering the
roofs with paper ielting, applied the plaster
very thin with trowel; from that time N
this it has been impervious to water, and "a
not affected by heat or cold. lie thinks of
applyingit to his barn the coming spring
Other persons in Norway, we understand.
have used it with like success. He says it
costs about as much as roofing with the best
piue shingles. OF course, if it hardens into
solid slate, 1t must last much longer, and be a
protection to the building from lire falling ap-
on il, We are inclined TO the opinion that it
is no humbug, but that it may be found a val
liable thing. In our former article we expross-
ed the suspicion, that If the particles OF slate
were held together by the yiscid propertv of
the coal tar, that property would disappear
with the evaporation of the fluid under the in
fiuence of the sun and weather. and that than
the slate would disintegrate and cru,nble 10
pieces. Other persons, il seems, have enter
tanned the same suspicion; for we notice in
the N. E. Farmer of March 9th, communi-
cation from j. NJ. Allen, the clerk OF the COM
pany, who answers this objection as started
by Mr.. Norman Stone of Fitchburq. Mass--.
The testimony of Mr.. Allen is interested, and
not therefore such as wo have solicited uey-
ertheess, we feel 1t due to the subject. since
we have introduced it in these columns to LET
our readers see what he says. We therefore
give below the gist of Lis reply to Mr.. Stone:
Will the Plastic Slate dissolve, or the parti
ces OF slate separate from each other aittr + the
TAR m ~ naS an Passeu away! wen, think lt must
40 one oi Two tnlhSs' III must gradually sGpa-
rate, or it must gradually solidiIy Ii the oar
tcleS OF slate separate, (and they surely will
unless there is something besides tar TO hold
sheh ooseeneil 'heh IL Is Dut temporary COW
erins; but If they unite and petrify SO as to
compose solid out OF nadstic, tuen it must he
permanent and OF inestimab,e value, At tbis
point huhdreds OF Intelligent men have stood.
they say 'this POINT must be settled aftiIma-
tNely OF L Won't invest my money in it,"
fro'e IL. frove IT. Wei, r, take thus slate
hour ana mix u with coal tar--now make 1t in
TO cake ana lay IL IN the CRATE right ON the
red Goals, letlt purn tlll Ii rs all red and will
burn no more. What have you got? A cake
of schd stone, somewhat cellular, but non-ab-
soroeht anu ihaestrue' 'ioe. Now lake another
cake ana put III an oven 100 10 go dess., of
heat-bake II two weeks, What is 1t? a cake
OF STATE stone, not 50 cellular as the other aud
incapable OF IurGhef change by the elements.
IL i5 hoh-aDsofDeht But what nd it? What
MADE ~ INTO stone? don't know, .uule
me neat diu Al. Ihe chemist says the affinity
oi the parLcies ior each other, ana their ansu-
iar shape did II. cont know. l only know
10 is done. but what has that to do with roof
lug; you doh calculate to burny your roof after
u ~ spTeau on u, 90 youY Well, no, not ox-
iy-pu' 40 calculate TO let the sun shine
on AZ sonie eies' ana that VIII do just as we'll
- t'.; ~. Soou ueai oe'.eI because the slower it
petllles ehS more sold ~ VIII be- Now look at
eJ ON I, 100 tIr,.. .,o meie actuAHy expos