Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-14
.rapru RAILROAD TIE.
uursble. Light. ssd Elastic Hopes 81
It's Iuvessor.
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pursbIe. Light. ssd Elastic Hopes ef
Its Iavcssor.
lTribune.l
uThst IL railroad to-" II was OF
the regular size and polished ~ smoothly
"A a piece Of Italian marble. The
Grain was 80 fine and the whole APP
oesrsnce WAS 50 artistic that il might
easily have been taken for q chip from
: pilisr of Grecian temple instead OF
such practical thing as railroad tie.
The speaker was short, stout, sad
faced man with largo head and over
hanging brows, and was the inventor Of
his aesthetic sleeper, and in his little office
in Fulton street there were many mod
els Of cars and railroad tracks scattered
about. This" said he, as he patted
the railroad tie lovingly, is the result
Of years Of labor, and believe now
that it is perfect. 1t is made OF paper,
which | believe is to enter to . large
extent in all building operations OF no
distant day. The great enemy to the
use of paper for many things is mois-
ture, and in my invention, of course,
means had to be discovered to prevent
dampness from having the slightest
effect, as a railroad tie, being in the
ground, is subjected constantly to it,
and rotten tie might cause the loss Of
many lives and much property. The
process Of manufacture is secret
to certain extent, but the
tie is absolutely fire and water
proof. There will throw piece Of
the prepared paper into the fire. You
see it will not burn. | have submerged
it for weeks and months in both hot
and cold water, and the moisture has
never been found inside the surface.
Consequently it cannot rot. Though
apparently as hard as iron, an ordinary
spike can be driven into it without diff
Guilty, and when the spike is in position
the material is Of such nature that it
closes around the iron and holds it so
firmly that it can never be shaken
loose. There is also certain amount Of
sprirg in the tie, and when there is a
load ON it it operates as . sort Of cush:
ion and takes away certain amount
of jar from running cars. Under GER
tain conditions, by slightly altering the
combination Of materials, the paper
can be made so hard that it will turn
the edge of the hardest tool without
being more than scratched. The ordi-
nary wooden tie will last about five
years under the most favorable condi-
tons, while this paper tie will stand
any kind Of weather for at least thirty
years.
"Tbo paper used is generally made
Of straw, though almost any kind of
fibre will do as well. Straw is pre-
ferred because it can be easily obtained
and the supply is unlimited. There are
mills in the West where the straw is
made up into boards. 1t is large in
dustry and was first started to utilize
the waste straw in the vast West for
fuel, instead of wood. This is paying
business, and fortunes are being made
out of what only few years ago was
thrown away or burned up as useless.
These boards are put together in layers,
and after being treated TO liberal dose
of cement are put under tremendous
pressure in hydraulic machine. This
forces the atoms together in a solid mass.
Under pressure q dozen boards will
take the place of one. Heat is also an
agent in the manufacture of paper ties,
and they are thoroughly baked in an
oven at high temperature. Under the
present imperfect conditions and appli-
ances it takes considerable time to make
ate, but with everything builtin accord
ance with my plans they can be turned
out quicker than they can be cut from
trees and at a much less cost. The
number Of wooden ties used every year
to construct new and repair old roads is
enormous, and is large element in the
disappearance Of forests in this country.
1t is my relief, from what | know Of
paper, that it is destined to take the
place of wood in many things, aud this
will give protection to our forests.
Legislation can never protect the forests
as long as there is such large demand
for wood.
1.-THE strength and durability Of pa
per is well shown in car-wheels made
of this material. 1t makes an iron
wheel sick to contemplate light paper
wheel running for years after it has
been thrown away as useless. Paper
will not only take the place Of wood,
but also of a good many metals and Of
stoneware. A portable paper bath.tub
is one Of the latest ideas, and pots,
plates, knives, forks, stoves, and
engines made Of paper have a
large and increasing market. A large
part Of the beautiful bronze ornaments
and statues seen in public places and
offered for sale in stores devoted to the
sale Of ancient and modern bronzes are
made of composition the principal
element of which is paper or fibre.
A man to-day can wear paper shoes
and clothes, eat from paper dishes
WAN oOiNON
upon paper table, Sit on paper chair,
sleep in paper bed, in room car
peted with paper, wash in paper
tub or bowl, live in paper house,
ride in paper car or carriage,
sail in a paper boat, build
up fortune on paper; and yet the
industry is only in its infancy. Are
any railroads using my tie? No. They
all admit its usefulness and are willing
to try it with a big it, This means
that have got to satisfy the clique,
which is part of every railroad in this
country in the purchasing department,
and the only way that this can be done
is to present them with your invention
or q controlling interest. l am fighting
against this and will try to beat them,
so that | can get some benefit out Of
my labors."