The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-09-15
The Value Of Scraps.

Few people appreciate the value of little
and apparently insignificant things. In
some foreign countries the litter Of domes-
tic animals is carefully collected and sold
to farmers. Not few people make a iv-
ing gathering fertilizers in this way.
In the shops of jewellers and others
where articles are manufactured of gold
and silver, great care is taken to prevent
the waste of the precious metal. Every
particle of filing, scraping or grinding is
preserved for the assayer. The wheels up
on which gold and silver have been polish
ed, when worn out, are burned, and the
ais which could not be seen by the naked
eye. Even the sweepings, after great care
LAS been taken to pick up every bit of met
al that may have fallen on the floor, are
preserved, and in New York city sell for
$40 barrel. It is calculated that when
jewellers shop floor is to be renewed, the
dirt accumulated in the crevices will more
than pay the cost of the new floor.
It is said that the receipts from the sale
of the refuse of starch mills, which is used
by farmers as feed for hogs and other stock
co. stitutes q large part of the profits, and
that if this refuse could not be sold, some
mills would be compelled to stop or be run
at loss.
The paper trimmings" of q large print.
ing Office like the Harpers' and Arpletons'
are worth thousands OF dollars year.
Lumbermen have found uses for nearly
every pant of tree, and scraps that few
years ago accumulated SO rapidly as to be
source of inconvenience and consequently
expense, are now sold fer a good price and
are in great demand.
There are in nearly every branch Of bust
ness scraps" Of various kind that, If care
fully collected, could be sold at a pecuniary
| advantage, but this is particularly SO in
the tobacco business. The value Of the to-
bacco scraps is more highly appreciated
in Europe than in America, but even here
in the manufacture of cigars very little is
allowed to go to waste, Tobacco costs too
much to be wasted by the manufacturer.
| The stems and ribs of tobacco leaves chat
are rejected by the cigar maker are sold to
odd scraps are sent to the cigarette manu-
facturer, or to Europe for pipe smoking.
Even the floor dust has its price and is
used as an insect destroyer in hot houses
md gardens. The great waste in tobacco
! is with the consumer. It is estimated that
about one third of the tobacco made into
cigars is thrown away in stumps, and that
| the smokers of the best cigars throw away
the biggest stumps. This enormous waste
| in this country is attributed largely to the
\ very limited use Of cigar holders, which
| are moro popular in Europe.
In Paris the gathering of cigar stumps is
recognized industry, and in the place
| Maubert there is regular market for them.
The stumps are collected by boys and girls
and beggars, and are bought in large lots
! wholesale dealers, who manufacture them
into low grade of smoking tobacco that is
/ either sold to the poorer classes or export
| ed. Scores of New YORK boOtblacks and
Italian ragpickers may be seen every mern-
ing gathering from the cutters, for their
private consumption, harvest of cigar
stumps which have been swept into them.
The @tip" or head of the cigar, which the
American bites off and throws away, is
carefully preserved III Europe. and In some
localities is the basis Of vast organized
4 charity. Its use for this purpose dates back
only couple Of decades A German phil
osopher. observing that much valuable 10.
bacco was wasted by the rejection of the
| cigar tip. conceived the notion that if q gen
/ eral collection of tho tips could be made,
and the material put to use, handsome
revenue, would result He was laughed at
by many, while number of smokers hall
seriously agreed to assist him by contribute
ing their tips At first the lack Of an or
ganized effort did not produce encouraging
results, but those Interested kept talk
ing about the movement and public atten-
4 ton was excited. After awhile aspitzel-
vereine, or tip societies. were organ
ize0 in all parts of Germany, and regular
system Of collections was devised. Every
member made it his business to collect ci-
gar tips from his friends, and boxes were
placed in tobacco stores and saloons. The
tips were collected monthly, and at the end
OF the year sold to snuff or smoking tobac-
co manufacturers. The system in time
grew to extraordinary proportions, and
hundreds Of poor children in Germany are
to-day clothed and fed through this simple
agency.
4 This 4tip" collecting plan has been adopt.
ed in England, where the proceeds are
given to the hospitals; and in Denmark
where lie tips" help to sustain charita.
BILE hospital in Copenhagen, and pay fol
he education and support Of number Of
toor girls until they are able to take care Of
themselves.
Starting Dramatic Epidemic
Little did Miss Anderson think, when
she started out from Louisville on her pros
fessi onal life, that she was dealing destruc-