New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-07-11
sTERN's BONE BLACK FACTORY.
Louisiana lndustry-Fertiiizers and Chem.
icols in Socinl Intercourse.

LOUISIANA Observation-Disclosures and Chem.
| icals in Social Intercourse.
| At four o'clock yesterday afternoon a
large party of gentlemen started from the
city to inspect the works of Stern's Fertil.
izier and Chemical Manufacturing Com.
| pany, On the line of the Pontchartrain rail
road. On arriving at the works they were
received at the gate by Mr.. Solomon Stern,
the superintendent. He conducted them
first through the large front yard. Here a
full view OF the buildings of the company
may be obtained. The chemical works are
| separated from the buildings Of the bone
factory. The space occupied consists Of
! four squares of ground of 300 feet front
each. In the yard are several immense
piles of bones newly received from the city,
and about to be converted into commercial
products.
The first object that attention was de-
voted to was an open shed where the bones
are assorted. Here women are employ ed
to pick out the old iron, glass, rags and dirt
from the bones and separate them into their
respective kinds Of hard and soft. The
jaw bones are also separated here and
| undergo process Of their own. After sort
ing, the bones are boiled that the oil
adhering to them may be taken away.
Then the party went up stairs and saw
the room where the hoofs are placed under
| hard lever and the hoof crushed off with
| one blow. The hoot is sent to one depart
ment to be used as fertilizing material and
the balance is put through another process
to produce meats foot oil. After going
through the process they are then adapted
for fertiliz;1g purposes. After the hoofs
are broken off the balance is dropped
down, washed sud ready for further mani
pulation.
The slaughterhouse was then reached.
This is not extensive. When the bones are
assorted properly they are put in the
''digester,' steamed, boiled and afterward
dried in piles. The grinding comes next.
After seeing the watts for boiling, the COM
pany proceeded to where the crushing and
grinding was going on in full vigor. Hero
the jaw bones of beeves and other animals
are placed in a machine and the teeth
VI uSuCu Out. AAC tCCeA uIOP uO"A OClOW =
and are used in the fertilizing department.
The rest of the bone goee into bone black.
Close to this is the crusher which cracks it
into small fragments. They are then gath
cred up and put into another machine and
pounded to powder. This is then taken up
stairs by an elevator. 20 60 through the
chemical process of making tertillzing ma
tenal. Above are fifteen retOrts. The
The cleaned bones are put into these retorts,.
which are Theoretically sealed with plaster.
No air is allowed to enter, or the bone
would come out white. They remain un.
der fire till the close of the day. The fumes
from these retorts pass through seventy.
five feet of pipe and become condensed into
raw ammonia. This is run into cisterns
and afterward into the mixer 1t is also
used for phosphate.
The "mixer" completes the process. 1t is
a revolving iron tank about twelve feet in
diameter and two feet deep. The ground
bone is first thrown into this mixer, and at
the same time buckets Of ammonia from
the cisterns are poured in from a tank
which receives it from the cisterns. Salt,
sulphuric acid, ground meat, ground bones
and hoofs are then added. In five minutes
ton is collected and the process stopped.
When this is thoroughly mixed by the tank
revolving and iron shovels playing in the
contents, then a stop is raised and the tank
completely emptied by falling through
the center hole of the wonderful fertilizing
material. 1t is ready for market, but so
careful are the concern that it is again
taken and relieved Of the Jumps in it by
being ground.
Thus far have been described the prin'
cipal operations of this Louisiana industry.
No mention has been made Of the three
immense furnaces which supply the fifteen
retorts with heat. The stalwart hands, who
seem to live in fire or breathe the flying
dust, come rosy y-cheeked to the sunlight to
answer questions; and we must pass over
the magnificent chemical works, where,
through chemical room 100 feet, being
twenty four feet wide and twenty-four feet
deep, sulphuric acid and the pures: acid of
commercial copperas is produced.
The works of the company are splendidly
arranged for convenience. A railroad is
all over their grounds. They are ip com.
munication by telegraph not only with
their own Office. No. l6 Chartres street, but
with the fire alarm telegraph. Uniting tele-
graphic knowledge with his business ca
pacity,sMr Solomon Stern is able to have
his fingers ends in every part of the city.
After inspecting all the processes OF the
establishment, the many guests proceeded
to cool little Outhouse and partook of an
elegant lunch. Boned turkey. luscious
salad. tender tongue and sugar cured ham.
with the aid of pure claret and clear white
wine. disappeared like magic.
When the first pangs of appetite which
the necessities of commerce had excited
were appeased, Mr.. c. NJ. Soria quietly
raised his glass and proposed the health Of
the president.
Mr.. Joseph Scherck said. in welcome to
his guests. that he and his directors had ex.
tended the invitation, not for the purpose Of
receiving compliments, but that stockhold.
ers might see that their money was ex.
pended properly. He only wanted to see
the manutactory carried on as an honest.
legitimate enterprise.
The vice president, L. +. Generes. said
few words. Hon. Etiingham Lawrence.
made a few remarks. Many other gentle
men added their words to the general ap.
probation. All the officers of the company.
Joseph Scherk, president; L. F. Generes,
vice president. j. Seidenbach, secretary;
Henry Stern, treasury; and E. Skeep,
James Kock, Christian Nieble and G. NJ.