The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-18
A Test Of Straw Lumber.


The Northeastern LatDebeyD,a,a .piyes
the following interesting account Of a
practical test of the usefulness of straw
lumber: Some of the straw lumber from
the factory at Lawrence, Kan, which
was purchased by John V. Farwell, was
placed in his new building on Market
street, Chicago, as ceiling, in which d.
rection it serves very well, while floor
OF the same material was put into
wholesale building on the opposite side
OF the street. For this use the lumber
has come considerably short of the
confident expectations entertained for
1t by both the producer and the buyer.
1t has made a very poor floor. This is
more particularly so because the mate
rial furnished is by no means equal to
certain samples of straw lumber which
have been shown If it were as good
as the best that has or can be turned
ont, it might be very different ques-
ton about the success of the flooring
material. The floor in question, which
the Lan1beTnaGR representative was
given opportunity to inspect, was not
such floor as would satisfy ANYBODY
very fastidious. Practically it was not
success. 1t is laid in inch-thick slabs
about three feet square, each (which is
fastened in position by small nails driven
closely together around every side.
In this case the straw lumber appears
to have been laid as an experiment over
another floor, the slabs being first treat
ed to peculiar solution, which the man
who had the floor on his hands stated
was composed of lime and smearkase.
| There was considerable trouble and ex-
pense attendant upon laying it, the
slabs requiring to be placed and iointed
very carefully. There was in fact mora
| elaboration about the means than the
end justified The stuff was neither
durable enough for the purpose nor de-
void of varying tendencies. It was not
involnerable to the attacks of moisture
and heat, the result being occasional I'm.
even patches of surface, blisters, etc,
while some of the pieces withdrew from
any intimate association with the nails
leaving part of their property behind
Where water was spilled on the foo
the Industrious application of broom
amounted to triturating process. TIL,
1 u
stuff that was equal TO the emergency
no matter what might have been done
| 1t is very obvious that the utility o
straw lumber depends entirely on th'
question of making the best possible
article, and having it of uniform
strength and character. The possibii
tiles respecting future results are by n,
means deprecated. In the course o
time, when experience shall have dem
onstrated what can be done in that di
rection, it would not be strange if tn
process of making straw lumber, o
some similar material, will have re
solved itself into an unquestioned tri
umph, while the newspapers will
have a great deal to say about veget
able iron.
4 The safest way now, and that
largely the view taken by the manufact
urers, is to apply straw lumber to nu
merous smaller uses which will not re
quire the maximum of strength or en-
durance, until such time as there wi
be no question about the capability G
the machinery in use to make it, an
no uncertainty about the character O
the material and its reliability. Their
are, in fact, great variety of ways i
which it can be employed and the mer
fact of a few discouragements at til
: outset, by which the lumber may AZ
;; pear at a disadvantage, does not d
away with the probability that the mo:
of these difficulties will be conquered
and that the scope of straw lumber
the future will be wide one in indu
y trial economies.
There is too much lumber now in til
n market, and some of it too cheap
n really make it much of an object to pl
4 new material, which has not the vi
: tue of costing any less, into more or lie.
= heavy uses, which, to a certain exten
E are experiments. The Latm6e7nlan hi
e watched straw lumber from the star
has aimed to candidly consider i
claims, possibilities and drawbacks, al
it still has considerable faith in it, on Il
| whole, as future success.