Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-19
Straw Lumber.

From the American Architect.
There can be no question that straw lumber
is admirably adapted to many kinds of finishing
work-barrels table and counter tops. fine doors,
and ornamental work; and we are assured that
it can be produced and sold in competition with
the finer grades OF pine or in competition with
wide walnut. at about one-half the price of the
latter. The standard manufacture is in widths
of thlrty-two inches. length of twelve feet.
and thickness corresponding to that of surfaced
boards. These dimensions may be varied to suit
SUCH orders as may be given. and embrace any
width, length or thickness. Unlike lumber how
ever narrower widths are the most costly The
straw lumber may be ripped with the hand-saw
or the buZZ-saw: may be run through the sticker
for the manufacture of mouldings, and takes a
nail or screw about as we'll as oak. 1t may be
finished with varnish or with paint. and is sus-
ceptible to high polish. 1t is practically water
and flre-proOf, being manufactured under 500
degrees OF heat, and we are assured has been
boiled for some hours without any apparent
change OF structure. It's tensile strength is
greater than that OF walnut or oak. and its
weight about One-fifth greater than the former
when dry. 1t is made from any kind of straw.
including hemp and t1aX-tber--in fact from any
material that will make pulp-and ton of
straw will produce 900 feet of boards. The
pulp rolled into thin sheets, a number of which,
corresponding with the thickness of the lumber
desired, are placed together with peculiar &C.
ment which is claimed to be waterproof, and
are then rolled under a pressure sufficient to
anna lgamate them into solid mass, which NAV
be worked with plane if desired
When 1T is remembered that it takes one hun
dred years to grow tree to maturity. suiting
it to commercial purposes-and tree producing
.2-lnch lumber will require fully twice that
t.ne-while 20, 900 feet per acre is a large yield
under the most favorable circumstances. it will
at once be realized that where 5000 feet can be
taken from an acre of ground for an indefi-
mite number of years, the process which enables
such result to be accomplished and which will
yield a really valuable lumber. is one of vast
Importance. We look for valuable results in the
future in the manufacture of lumber from what
Is practically a waste material. but which will
be produced in endless quantities so long as the
United States maintains its character as a grain
producing country.
How Baby's Picture Was Taken.
From the Hartford Times.
1t was baby's ''off day." still she was at
Stuarts gallery to have her picture taken.
Papa" was there, and so was mamma and so
was ''auntie.' The little one didn't like the
surrounding, and she showed her dislike by
playing little game of bawl. This ANNOYED
them all except the artist. When he got ready
he posed baby, who was still crying at the top
notch of good healthy pair of lungs. Mamma
eXpOstulated with the artist: Don't take baby
when she is crying" by no MEANS" chimed
in papa. and even auntie yentured to eXpostu-
late. 'Oh, no: we won't take her till she stops
crying. good naturedly responded the photog-
rapher. Baby was in the big chair the camera
was aimed at her, the artist was ready and still
the little one was addressing the crowd in an
angry voice accompanied by facial contortionse
that didn't in the least remind one of the trade
mark of Williams Jamaica ginger. All hands
tried to quiet her. Stuart whistled and drum
med on the camera, papa was waltzing around
with the artists two cats, one on each shout
der; mamma was initiating a canary bird, and
auntie was going through the motions of play
ing on a banjo, still baby kept on crying Di-
rectly one of the cats which had climbed up on
to papa's head slipped, and as she went down
struck both claws sharply into the side of his
face, causing him to emit a yell that would have
frightened an Indian. For an instant baby
stopped crying, as though trying to take in the
meaning of the war-whoOp. and then set to
again louder than ever. 81 guess we will have
to come with baby some other day. said the
disappointed mother. sob, no. remarked the
artist, II have got good picture of her.
caught her with an interested expression" And
so he had instantaneous photography did it,
Still papa thinks that taking a good picture
under such circumstances was a scratch"