St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-25
REFUSE AND WASTE.
People May Look Forward to tn
Time When There Will Be None

People May Look Forward to the
Time When There Will Be None.
Boston Herald.
Among the achievements of modern
invention. those which have effected the
utilization of waste and refuse matter
take very important rank. Conspicu-
Gus examples of this are the uses made
of cottonseed, now product of the cot
ton crop that has enormously increased
its value; the conversion of the waste
of gasWorkS into aniline substances
and other by-products now indis-
pensable; the distillation of wood
alcohol in charcoal burning; the con-
version of sawdust into useful articles;
the use found for coal screenings as
fuel, and the foundry Stag as building
material and as fertilizers. All these
things were formerly either permitted
to cumber the ground or to escape into
the air or water. often to the ANNOYANCE
and detriment of the neighborhoods
about the scenes of operation This
process OF utilization of waste NAV be
expected to 20 on until some use is
found for everything that is left over
III every process of production, which
Will thus lead up to some subordinate
productive process which will make the
ever, instead of detracting by so much
from its resultant value in consequence
of the incumbrance of the waste and
cost of removing it.
We may thus look forward to the time
when there will be 10 such thing as
refuse; when nothing will be thrown
away. Inventors nave therefore a fer
tile field in considering, whenever they
see anything that is now wasted, what
use it may be put to. Among the great
wastes which we may expect soon to
see utilized may be mentioned the mill
ions OF feet of hydrogen gas that now
annually pass into the atmosphere in
the coke-producing regions. 1t ought
to be an easy matter to collect this gas
and employ 1t for fuel or motive power
in the neighborhood, either in manu-
featuring or for heating purposes in
centers of population near by. The
great economies thus effected in the dis
posai of various forms of waste concern
the entire people, for the saving de-
creases by SO much the cost of prOduc-
ton, and consequently of living.
The disposal OF city refuse constitutes
one OF the most important aspects of this
general problem, for it affects the health
and comfort Of great masses of popula-
ton, and has to do with the conversion
OF things that are now Accountable
nulsanceS, causing disease and diScom-
Tort, into products of value to the com
munlty. One of the best results that
may be looked for from the effective
reorganization of the street apartment
that has taken place is that whichshould
come from the inquiry now going on as
TO the best means for the disposal of
refuse. The account given in our city
nall news the other day of the opera
lions or the REFUSE Disposal company in
LONDON was exceedingly interesting and
instructive. 1t suggests query as to
the practieabilIty of Introducing here
similar method OF Transforming the con
tents OF the duStbinS of our dwellings and
shops into valuable products. In the
studies OF the governments of Glasgow
and Birmingham, recently made by DIR.
Albert shaw and others, we have been
told or the valuable dispositions made of
the street sweepings in those cities.
Inc disposition of garbage is matter
OF grave concern. In the sale of house
onal to farmers for swill we have had
utilization that has brought the CITY a
considerable revenue, but the economy
mas only been apparent. The piggeries
In the suburbs where this offal is con-
sumed are nulSanceS to the neighbor-
hoods, and since pork from swill-fed
animals is pronounced unhealthy by
sanitary authorities. the product returns
10 plague us as cause of disease
among our inhabitants. 1t is likely that
some method of utilizing this will soon
be found. Cremation has been sug.
gested as the best means for dispOsing
of it.