Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-02


OF sodium and potash. The gypsum
strata, which octcrops near this esty,
undoubtedly underhss nearly the ca
tire lower pen.nsols and the supply Is
therefore practically inexhausUble.
otuceo or ealclned plaster Was an
cary product OF the industry. The
nr-s piasterlng aud laying OF brick
cnlmneys with Inns mortar was done
Ia the home Of LOUIS Campaa, !, tho
house then standing 81 the corner of
Monroe and Waterloo streets. James
Clark did the sOfs. and the lime uscd
Vas made ny William McCourtlsnd.
10 Was burned ia kiln by the Tlver
rsnk near Huron street. aad was the
fiFst burned here. IL gave such aatis-
faction that Richard Godfrey, shortly
afterward had his house plssterrd and
a stacco finish pat on the gable ends
outside.
taicinIns Gypsum.
Mr.. Clark brought 10 this city the art
OF ealeimIning gypsum, process which
nas coined thousands OF dollars for
those sngaged IN the plaster business.
tie took some OF the rock broke IL into
small bits with a hammer, and had IL
ground in al Indian corn mill. lie
then boiled II IN cauldron, when IL
became stucco NJ for use. lie placed
10 tirst IN the form OF mouliings about
the circular windows Ia the gable OF
tue Campau house. The stuff fell of
and Mr.. Clark tried 10 AGAIN with better
success, the mouldlugs remaining In
place until the house burned IN 1850.
Five years previous To that time Daniel
Prindle had started the industry or
stucco flower pots. He also manufac-
tured stucco vases and other pretty
articles. The first cornice work
on interior decoration was done
on the Old house which stood
ut the corner of Crescent avenue and
Otta Wa stree! by Philip Stewart in the
year 1914. 4 new use for the virgin
stone Was formed In building. The
Rathbone home on North Division
street, and the fronts OF several busi-
ness blocks on Canal street were faced
with 1t. Ii finished veiy handsomely
the colors and veining standing out
brightly but II does not prove durable.
Walks have been made of it but the
stone Is too soft TO wear we'll. The
baptismal font in the chapel of 81.
Marks church IS constructed of gyp-
unique. Many of the old families re-
tain souvenirs of the ornamental stage
OF the gypsum industry in the form of
vases, goblets, paper weights, fruit
dishes and other articles both useful
aud pretty.
The Stucco Trade.
The stucco trade Is AN important one.
Grand Rapids stucco is IN demand in
all the markets as a superior article.
About the first shipments OF plaster bv
rail were made in 1859 over the Detroit
Il Milwaukee railroad. IL Sas the coarse
variety known as land plaster and was
sold to farmers. The price was $3.50
per ton and IN Michigan and surround
ing states It reached large sale as fer
tilizer. Up TO the year 1880 two-thlrds
of the output from Kent county was
in land plaster, only small per cent
OF calcined plaster or stucco being sent
out. Now the proportions are re-
versed.
For more than a hundred years gyp-
sum or plaster has been used as fer
tilizer, 1t having been introduced into
tins country by no less q parsonage
than Benjamin Franklin. AT first
farmers were sceptical concerning its
value as fertilizer. In order to force
conviction upon their minds Mr..
Franklin adopted a method at once so
practical that there could ne no escape
from the proof that ne adduced. In
the presence of number of them be
sowed plaster on portion Of
teld of grass on a
hillside in the form of large letters
outlineing the name "B. Franklin"
Within a few weeks the grass upon
winch the plaster was sown mad so far
outgrown the rest that the letters could
be easily read a long distance away.
or course there was no escape from so
clever a demonstration.
Theory of the Fertilizer.
Gypsum Is chemical compound Of
sulphur and lime, ana the theory of
chemists has been that as the winds
pass over = surface sown with q, the
ammon a, which has been exhaled
from a thousand barnyards and boys
having stronger affinity tor sulphur
than lime has, dlssOves the gypsum
and combines with the sulphur, form
Tag suiphste OF ammonia, which Is "a
POWERFUL stimuiant TO vegetable
growth. Whether THIS theory be er-
rOnesus the result obtained Is Indsput-
able and no farmer can Afford not to-
try II. Strangely enough thegood effect
- diminished by many and frequent
applications, but grassy hills and slopes
e. which u has never previously been
applied are greatly benefited Dy an
application. A gFass yield : increased
onc-third by a moderate dressing OF Il.
The most surprising effects from the
use OF plaster upon any crop - upon
sed clover. Clover IL plant winch
has great power 20 take ammonia rom
the ar and appropriate II H. Itself and
then IA Is gradual decay. II turned
under. 80 az 20 prevent It's escape II
volatile ammonia. will give II up 10
crops which succeed Il; bat by the aid
Of plaster it wiIi take up a far greater
amount aud thus add greatly Ia Is
feftilaNng quality. liz beneficial effect
up n corn. potatoes and fruit trees i
xeil known.
sxsb.sx~d wheat for Plaster.
Years ago TIE farmer used to come
- hent county for plaster from their
homes m Indiana, duvlng up with
tneIr team loads 81 shestsn returning
with their wagons loaded with plaster.
la iormef times much plaster WAS
saippsd dSva the river ~ boat. whence
Z va taken ~ the lake steamer. 10
different points The fa irosds. how.
ever. have saperceded the steamers ~
carrying the output iron the gypsum
csposlt. Of Kent county. All ct the
mills are reached ~ rail. aud cars are
saunted up 30 the mill door ard loaded
None II the output = nos carried ~
boat, bat the plaster men are anxiously
sWaff4ng deem NsteF tFaasr.4ff.f..t