Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-07-26
MONEY IN OLD TIN CANS,
How an Ingenious Ohio Negro Ii Maxim,
from 81 to So Per Day.

from 81 to So Per Day.
Elliot Spillin is an ingenious maj
or color who claims to have amassec
fortune by reducing the solder useC
In making tin cans to its origina
shape. Down under the Ohio ter
min:l Of the Southern road the re
mains OF cans are strewn all over the
ground, and In places lie In great
heaps The old fellow was hard al
work the other day when a Cincin.
natl Times-Star reporter invaded thi:
canstrewn territory. A sheet-iror
box ten feet long, two feet wide and
one deep served the purpose of fuf
mace and fierce wood fire burned liz
the midst Of what appeared to be
about hundred tin cans Of all sizes
SDillin busted himself keeping the
Dire hot and examining his stock He
explained that 1t required the solder
from l2o cans to make one pound.
He gets out from ten to twenty
pounds every day, he says. and sells 1t
for from 81 to 12i cents a pound to a
Pearl street tinsmith. The process
he employs Is simple. The solder all
melted from the cans the latter are
scraped up to one end OF hs box OF
furnace, while the solder and ashes
are dipped up in a shovel and put
Into kettle to be re-heatcd. Then
the whole mass is sifted, the a hes
easily separating from the solder.
which runs out as bright and clean as
when first put on the cans. 1t is al.
lowed to cool and harden In cakes and
are offered for sale In that shape
GThis miniature smelling establish
mcnt Is operated right out on the
levee a few yards from the water.
edge The city's garbage boat is
moored near by and he;e is VIII. IRE the
sinelterer gets his tin cans He helps
load and unload the boat and this la
Dor is taken in lieu Of other consider
alton in payment for the cans. He
gets most OF them before the boat
pushes off for the garbage consuming
plant down the river. but when he
misses any they are generally taken
care Of and brought back to him
The city's garbage supplies him with
more than thousand cans a day, so
II can be seen that he is kept pretty
db "'A N. ~ ID OD CCU W
ha die the cans as he gets them. but
occasionally they get abe id OF him.
lie generally does his smelling during
the morning and collects hi; cans in
the afternoon, but TO keep them from
accommodating he sometimes SINE ter,
all night long. He makes all the way
from 81 To s. day. and has kept il
up for seven years, although he has
been in Cincinnati only one year.
Spillin was laborer at the groat Ar
gentine smelling works at Argentine.
Kan, until he conceived the idea OF
getting into the business himself. He
had learned something about 1t, ana
being intelligent beyond the ordinary
launched his fortunes in the venture
He first operated at Kansas City, but
tin cans grew scarce there after a
time and he resolved 20 seek better
location. While at Kansas City,
however, he made money rapidly
and this invested judiciously put him
In easy circumstances He was still
eager to add to his wealth, however,
50 he pulled up stake and came to
Z. ncinnati. While his business does
not pay as it has in the past, Spiliin |
plods merrily along, we'll satisfied |
With his lot