The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-01-10
The Savings Of Science,
LFrom lhc sri.n.lN- AmcrlcanL

Doubtless many Of on readers have be
rused Dickens excellent roycl "cuy Mutual
Friend" and hence are, in Il measure, tamil.
lar with the London dust heaps. Perhaps it
will be remembered how the great writer de
ECrihcs their contents, and, in his inimitabC
style, sketches the queer people who often
spend their lives among them in seeking for
treasures Those paticnt scarchcrs are ere
atoms OF the past Their tOilsomc occupation
is gone; for Science with her inventions and
processes. has extended her sway even to the
worthless dust heaps, and from the filthy
waste brings out the shining gold. The ordi
mary waste Of slngic household may hc
roughly estimated at barrelu per day, ard
london, it i, said, contains five hundred
thousand houses. Hence, the reader may form
some idea OF the wonderful ingenuity which
cCntriyCs to utilize the enormous aggregate
Of one hundred and eighty millions barrels
a. REFUSE in the short space OF but a single
year
Tho local authorities Of London sell the
privilege OF removing dust and garbage from
each district to q contractor, who carts 1t
away to large yard in the suburbs There
hiii women sieve in hand, separate the mass
by q rude analysis, into component portions
The most valuable of the latter are the vast,
pieces Of coal, and the breeze or coal dust and
ta.lOurHl aSic'' Inc amount oi Wastc oI th'
tAttcr may DC measured Dy inc l"ct that, aitcI
'eIing the larger pieces 10 me poor, inc re-
iU-o breeze Is suL!cichi I" oahe inc b!ICk'
that are rebuilding London. The material is
used by the contractors who generally com
biuo the builders trade with their regular call.
ing fer the purpose ofcmbeddinG the newly
made brick, into compact squares. The coal
dust having been fired the mas, burns with
,Ow combustion for two or three weeks, aid
cd by the circulation of air which /, kept up
by the method Of stacking. The other con.
.iiucnts of the dust heap are separated bv the
sitter, with the utmost rapidity; bones, rags,
uaucr. old iron, glas, and broken crockcrv,
and even bread as they are eliminated from
he mass, being piled in separate heap, The
lone, are put to score OF different uac-. OF
thC scycra! tuns OF bones that arc picked ont
Hi The dust in the course Of week, SOME 60
Immediately 10 the boiling houses, where cv
rry portion Of fat and gelatin they can yield
extracted, the former substance /, bought
ny Tho >oap-mahCr the latter l. utilized tot
uakC The patent preparations employed in
cookery photography, etc. The larger bones
re used by the turner's, and are converted in
20 huadrcdso OF hnick knacl,,, 80 that the bone
YOU may have picked at dinner again enters
e oar mouth Micr many changes, a7 "a tooth
ri,N az tooth-uiuNh, While The smaller pieces,
far aught you know, have been calcincd and
.Qym the very charcoal 'ootrpOwdcr ON your
'oilet table. Fragment, that cannot other
wise hc employed are ground very fine and
.,eatcd with -ulphuric acid, constituting an
excellent artificial fertilizer Bone dust is al
~ sOmctlmc- used 10y bakers Tor purpose, of
,dulcratiou. 50 that the poctical remark OF
ua giant in the fairy tale,
.I,, ..:..,,s. ,.,.,,.. ,,,.,r,. ma. I,r.,l~
,.'r ,.,.,u..
iu.h!icu. pom h9ura'i''il anu ii'ciaHf
Ano'h'I Important lrouuC' IN.t"o''u ''" -,
zones Is phosphorus Tor "nich tlCIc n'' az
endless number ol USES ana, nhui'!' ''' 90 90
hat l. saved IN Inc process OF p"'iINS' 10 ',''
HIol'G NY u'' NudP''""N''N 81 ''''''''''- "
rommonr. N1Hd 'I soap
Scraps OBJ paper abound in the du~, heaps
These are an carefully sorted, the white iron
.hc Colorcd and the printed The sole,
.lccc,, which cannot hc prohtably rcmanu
,c,urcd. are used to make papicr machc oina
.acujs dolls heads, etc; the clean paper l.
.eturn i 20 the mill, and even the printed pa