The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-18
LUMBER MADE FROM STRAW.
Project of the strawboard Trust for

Project of the Strawboard Trust for
Utilizing Its Product.
Information has just come from New
Portage, little village few miles south
of Akron, Ohio, concerning the establish
ment of a new and valuable industry there.
For some time it has been known that
several large companies were busy putting
in plants there, but scrupulous secrecy re-
garding the nature of the business to be
carried on has been maintained, aud 1t is
only now, when one company is nearly
ready for business, that the nature Of the
new undertaking, which is on large scale,
is made public.
The mandatory will be connected with
the Portage Strawboard Works, and its
business will be nothing less than making
lumber from straw. 1t is the intention to
make material that will be available for
large number of uses, but will be particu-
larry adapted for building purposes. The
plant is large one, and has back of it the
Strawb0ard Trust, OF which q. G. Barber
of parlOr-match fame, is a leading men,
Der. The men interested, it is understood,
include members of both the Strawboard
and Match trusts, and have accordingly
the most substantial financial backing Ii
the hopes of the projectors are realized, an
immense business will be speedily built up,
and houses finished IN various shades and
fashions OF straw-lumber, instead OF hand
some hard woods, will become common.
The establishment will be the first OF its
kind ever built, and its product will differ
in many respects from the material out OF
which the so-called paper bucket is made.
1t will begin work the first OF the coming
week, and as soon as enough OF Its product
is finished to make it possible 1t is intended
to erect house out Of the material and see
whether g vii! stand the weather. The
company is certain that it will be adapted
to all kinds Of inside musings, II
tAaA For n nd
pect it to take the place of plaster 10 some
extent at least. 1t will be made in great
variety of styles for inside use, and can be
marbeZed so perfectly that 1t is difficult to
distinguish it from the genuine stone itself.
In this shape II is expected that 1t Will be
found available for use in halls, bathrooms,
and like places.
This new strawboard lumber mill adjoins
the strawboard works that have long been
in operation at New Portage, and will use
their product. the only difference in the
product of the strawboard works being IN
delivering it in rolls instead of sheets.
The strawbOard works, which are large,
win turn over their entire product to the
new establishment, and 1t is understood one
of the incidental things that commended
this straw-lumber scheme to the Strawboard
Trust was the ability through it to utilize
works that now run only part OF the year.
All the old machinery of the strawboard
works will be used in manufacturing the
new pIOuuCl, tilt Ouly chdDSto ptIuS VIC
addition of some endless belt carriers,
boilers and engines.
The strawboard product will be turned
over to the lumber mill in sheets of 1900
pounds and in that form will be subjected
to pressure OF 5000 pounds to the square
inch under certain conditions not yet made
public. 1t is then ready to be finished off
in any style desired. The company expect
to be able to put the straw lumber on the
market as a substitute for Hath and plas-
ter at cost about the same as the actual
plaster, and claim ii will be more durable
and easier to use. In the marbleized form
il will cost, ii is calculated, about one-third
as much as marble. In interior fniShings
wide market is expected for it as an en-
bossed decoration similar to lincrusta wal
ton, but costing only one-third as much.
The company believe their product will
withstand the weather and prove available
for fancy tiling for roofing purposes and
the like, and that it will be both water.
proof and weatheT-prOof and in measure
tre-proof as well. Should their eXpecta-
tons be realized it is almost needless to say
that there is wonderfully wide field be-
fore this new enterprise.-N. Y. Times.