Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-26
LOCAL LINES.
A New Kind of Lumber
Factory.
THE MATERIAL ABUNDANT HERE.
What the WOrkingmen Have to Say
About an Alleged Ticket in
the Field.

Among the visitors to this city is Col.
L. p. Lawrence, OF the International
Terra Gotta Lumber Company, gentle
man who has travelled great deal dur
ing his lifetime and who has made him
self familiar with many localities. A
reporter of the HERALD, learning that
Colonel Lawrence had been inspecting
the country in the vicinity OF Los Ange-
les, called upon him last evening at the
Hollenbeck to ascertain his opinion rela-
tive thereto. In reply to questions,
Colonel Lawrence said that he had re-
Gently looked over the country and was
satisfied that there was great future in
store for it if it's resources were only de-
veloped. He, in company with Mr.. j.
L. Cherry, of the California Sewer Pipe
Company, had visited the clay beds of
the company at Elsinore, and was sur
prised at their extent and the many va
rieties found there. He said that he had
never seen beds which were so prolific OF
valuable. These beds were ap-
parently. inexhaustible, and they
were, in his opinion, worth for
tunes to their owners. Colonel Law
renee said that he had come to Los An
geles if possible to make arrangements
to establish here mandatory of
terra Gotta lumber, the patent for which
is owned by his company. The company
had already established two factories in
Australia, four in Canada, and about
thirty in the United States. When the
company was first organized it was sup
posed that its lumber and tiles could only
be manufactured from fire clay, and the
factories could only be established where
this could be obtained. Recently il had
been ascertained that the common kinds
Of clays could be used to better advant-
age. This had widened the field, and
factories were being started all over the
country where clay was to be found. In
his visit to Elsinore, Colonel Lawrence
had found that the clays there
which could not be used for
the manufacture of sewer pipe
was Just the kind for making the best
terra Gotta lumber. This lumber, for
which the International Terra Gotta
Lumber Company has patent, is pecu-
liar in this, it is the only perfectly fire.
proof building material so far. Every
one is aware that stone and other build
ing material used in making so.called
fire. proof buildings will not stand the
effect of water when it is heated, and
when fire attacks the interior of build
ing, some material is needed which will
not give way when most needed by flying
to pieces. Terra Gotta lumber and tiling
will stand any degree OF heat, and when
suddenly cooled by water is not in
iured in the least. This product is
composed of clay, but made in such man
ner as to be very porous. The whole Sc
cret is in the mixture of the clay with
the sawdust. When fire is applied for
baking, the sawdust burns out and leaves
nothing but the honey -combed clay now
burned into brick. This product can
be cut with saw in any
shape desired, or it can be
nailed to wood, which it will perfectly
protect. 1t is non-conductor OF heat,
and the uses to which it can be put are
legion, as will be found when it is manu-
factured here. Colonel Lawrence said
that he had made one discovery here
which was of advantage, considering that
there were no sawmills in the county
where sawdust can be obtained He ex-
perimented with greasewood. which
grows abundantly hereabouts, and found
that it would serve admirably for mixing
with the clay.
Colonel Lawrence gave many interest
ing descriptions of the use and manufac-
ture of terra-cotta lumber, which lack of
space prevents publishing. He will re-
main here some time in the interest of
his company.