The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-09-29
4 Wonderful Substance.

Among the MOST interesting develop
ments which have followed IN the wske
of the discovery Of petroleum is the
immense trade which has sprung up IN
ozokerite, or ozocerite, as Webster has
IL. No fairer substance ever sprang
from most unpromising parentage than
the snowy, pure. tasteless, opalesceni
wax which is evolved from the LOUD
smelling, pitchy dregs of the petroleum
still. The Mining herieU thus sums uF
the many uses to which this remarkable
substance is applied: This comely, i'm.
questionable article, with all its smooth,
soft beauty, defies agents which can
DESTROY the precious metals and eat up
the hardest steel as water dissolves
sugar. Sulphuric and other potent
acids have no more effect on ozokeriN
than spring water. 1t is alike Impervi-
Gus TO acid and to moisture. Its advent
seems to have been q special dispense
ton in this age of electricity.
Every overhead electric light cable
or underground conduit, or slender
wire. cunningly wrapped with cotton
thread; all these owe their fitness fol
conducting the subtle fluid TO the pres
ence of this wax. And in still mort
familiar forms let us outline the utility
of this substance Every gushing
school girl Who sinks her white teeth
into chewing gum chews this paraifine
wax. Every caramel she eats contain;
this wax, and is wrapped in paper sat
urated with the same substance. The
gloss seen upon hundreds of varieties OF
cenfe tionery is due to the presence oil
this ingredient of petroleum, used &c
give the articles certain consistency, q
the laundress uses starch. SO that 3
product taken from the dirtiest, worst.
smelling of tars finds its way To the
millionaire's mansion, an honored serv-
itor. 1t aids TO make possible the
electric radiance that floods his rooms
or, in the form of wax candles, sheds q
softer luster over the scene. Ii polishes
the floor for the feet of his guests. and
il melts in their mouths in the costlies'
candies. For the insulation OF electric
wire, paraffine wax has to-day no SUI
cessful rival, and the growth of the de
mand for this purpose keeps pace with
the marvellous growth OF the electro
lighting system. A single Chicago flrn
buys paraffine wax by the car load
Its price is but half that of beeswax
and yet the older wax yields readily tC
sulpnuric or other &C q, this being :
test for the presence of beeSwaN in par
affine. The demand for paraffinc 10
candles as vet heads the list.
Then comes the needs of the papeI
consumers. In 1877 q single firm II
New York handled 1900 reams o
waved paper. Not only for wrappin:
candy is this paper valuable, but fn'
cutlery, hardware, ETC., incased ii
waved paper is safe from the encroach
ment OF rust or dampness. Fish ant
butter and score OF other articles ar,
also thus wrapped. and there seem!
literally no end to the uses found TO
the paper saturated with this pure by
drocarbon. In the chemists laborator!
it is invaluable as q coating for article
exposed to all manner of powerful dis
solvents; brewers find it a capital thin9
for coating the interior of barrels. anC
the maker OF wax flowers simulate
nature in sheets of paraffine. And yet
until Drake drilled his oil well in 1858
| the existence in this country of thi
boon to civilization was unsupported
and it lay in the depths of Pennsylva
MIA rocks, where thousands, pOSsIbl
millions, of wears ago it was stored b,
the hand OF an ail-wise Creator.-Sc.
eniifc american.
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