New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-07
STERN'S FERTILIZER AND BONE
MACK FACTORY.
New Orleans Enterprise.

l
It will be seen that Colonel bennett fully
appreciates the great enterprise and energy
OF our fellow citizens. Messrs. Louis Stern
& Brothers, in thus establishing here in
New Orleans a mandatory of such I'M
portance. That the product of this manu-
factory, Stern's raw bone fertilizer and
| phosphutes. are very valuable for enrichinc
the poor and WORKOUT land of this and
neighboring States, cannot for !, moment be
| doubted as we have seen certificates from
hundreds of prominent planters and scien
titic men who have tried them over and over
again. with astonishing results We COM
mend the following. therefore, for perusal :
| TIE MEN FOR TIE TIMES
| Last week we visited Storms pure raw
bone fertilizer and bone black factory, near
the Elysian Fields and Pontchartrain rail
road, New Orleans.
| This enterprise is far more important to
| this State than we supposed it to be. The
Stern Brothers are. in this matter setting
an example which. if followed in other
| branches Of business all over the country
would soon make this State prosperous in
| spite of the politicians
TIE STOCK OF BONES.
| A Nc entered the premises. in company
| with Nh. Stern. we found huge piles OF
| bones and the piths of horns in mounds. in
! reefs. outdoors. III the buildings. every
where and ON all sides. Their whole stock
of bones and fertilizers is estimated at
two thousand tons.
All OF the sl;,ughterliouscs of New Orleans
sell all Of the heads. horns and feet of
beeyes slaughtered for the New Orleans
market. and all their waste bones to the
Stern Brothers. and every bone thrown on
[ the streets or i'll the back yards Of the city,
are PIC ,led up, sold to the Junk shops, theu
sold to the Stern Brothers. SO this factory
absorbs all the bones of the Crescent City.
and utillzc> them III a manner which in
crcascs the wealth OF the State.
GROUNDS AND BI BUILDINGS.
The grounds of this factory are over IA
hundred yards square. The principal build
ing is one hundred ami thirtyt two feet long,
torty-two feet wide. and forty feet high. In
this building they manufacture sulphuric
acid. And the manufacturing process is
very simple.
- The CHAMBER.
An aia fght chamber. made of sheet lead
ei.hty9.&t long. twenty-five feet wide, and
twentIA feet high. the bottom about
ten feft above the ground. receives steam
from a boiler. and the fumes of burn
ing sulphur and saltpetre from furnace
below. These fumes and the steam blend
III the chamber. drops OF sulphuric acid
accumulate on the leaden roof and walls
and tlickle down the sides to the bottom.
This is taken to an evaporatif1g furnace in
the same building. where they reduce the
bulk, and increase the strength of the acid.
This they use in the manufacture of bone
fertilizers. and they sell the acid in the New
Orleans market. They make one hundred
and fifty carboys. one hundred and seventy
pounds each. daily. Wholesale price. four
to SIX cents pound
In another large building near the above
they grind bones. horns. manufacture bone
black and ammonia. mix bone meal. sui
phuric acid and ammona. a fertilizer.
and bag 1t tor market. extract the meats
foot OIL from beeveS feet. and the tallow
and soap grease from beef heads and other
bones.
A magnificent steam engine. manufac-
tured hy Leeds 4 Co.. in New Orleans,
scvcntytlvc-horse power. runs like a top.
brushes bones corn mill grinds corn.
ard au endless belt. with cups. delivers the
bone meal in Il chamber in the second story.
The bone black furnace is in the form of
brick kiln. There are cavities inside to
receive the bones. The bones must be fresh
and the kiln red hot inside to do the work
perfectly Iron pipes receive the ammonia
as it escapes from the heated bones. and
conducts it to receivers beyond the furnace
'
placed in air tight iron receivers. each hold
IN. about tour barrels, and left to cool.
From these they are sent to the mill to be
ground to powder. In sugar retinerics
they filter their syrup through this material.
which takes all the cololins matter and all
impurities from the sugar. From this
syrup. thus clarified. crushed and loaf |
sugars are made.
The trough in which they mix bone meal.
ammonia and sulphliric acid is a curious in
vention. Ii il Il circular iron basin ten feet |
i'll diameter and about fifteen inches deep.
II reN"lves around an open centre. which |
- opened or closed at the will OF the |
operator. and Il mixer inside of this makes |
counter revolutions. mixing the material |
perfectly. This done. a plug in the centre |
i raised leaving an opening fifteen inches |
il diameter, an iron stationary drag is |
dropped down into the trough while in |
motion. the fertilizer is forced to the hole in |
the centre. through which it drops to be ,
Jagged for market in the room below. in |
new bags appropriately marked and la
Dcied.
In their boiling and stea1nins apartment
they extract all of the Oil. tallow and grease
from the bones. feet. heads. etc. that they
contain. They work out about three bar
refs OF meats foot Oil and eight to ten bar
refs of tallow and soap grease daily.
The chemist had been married the day
previous to our visit. and we Thought him
,Xcusabc for not being in his office. But
we saw his chemical apparatus and rOOns
where he anal yses. weighs, measures and
notes results. His scales are delicate enough
% weigh the twentieth part of Il grain of
sand. His services are of much Importance
o the establishment.
The former buildings used for manu-
acturing fertilizers were destroyed by
ire. On this account they have the prem
ses carefully watched every night in the
ear. The watchman has a portable clock.
md ii card which he fits to ii every quarter
II an hour. on which is recorded a pencil
lot He can make that dot in no other way
ard tells the tale on him III the morning
n'i he is promptly discharged.
In addition to this. they keep three or
our savage watch dogs. which are chained
" day and let loose at night.
The Stern Brothers keep teams of large
inc mules and horses, and wagons to match
dying between the factory and different
'arts Of the city. The whole establishment
o"ks business-likc, and appears to be strong
nd full of the elements of success.
The Stern Brothers are making good
hing for the State ont of Il material which |
vas thrown away in New Orleans from the
imc that city was first settled until within
Ii" last few years. And these bones were
oinrIlv Il nuisance to the city. How many
Millions of money have been lost in this
tate for want Of Just such a factory. and
list such men. ever since the city has been |
f enough Importance to sustain such an
Enterprise. 1t would be Il low estimate to
ut the real value of the bones thrown
way i'll that city since its first settlement