The sun., 1895-02-03
OLD BUILDING MATERIAL.
THE TRADE ~ SECOND HAND
BRICKS AND OTHER FITTINGS.
A Ready snie OF Such Materials -Compett-
tion Among Men who take Down Bald
tcI, he mn ns Rnt.

| A Ready ssnie or Such Materials Compete
| tion Among Men who take Down Bald
inRs-Uses 20 which the stun IL Put
There Ia not so much difference one might
| suppose between contract to erect and one 10
wreck a building Many stipulntions and condi-
tions are the same Given this necessity of demol-
ishing and removing a building the dealers in
secondhand materials are invited to tender
bids, and the lowest bidder should secure the
contract. Usually, the most important cOnsid-
Grafton Is time and as May Is tho busy season
the bulk Of tho work follows closely thereafter.
The clause In the contracts In regard to the con-
tents of the building often leads to complica-
tions, a. happened In the College place improve
mcnt Nonresident owners Of property there,
unaware OF the changes to be made. found them
selves Obliged to prove ownership, in one case.
Of valuable machinery. Usually such matters
are not difficult u adjust.
There Is IN this business, rs in MI Others, buy
ing as well as selling value While 1t would
not he At all diilcut for any enc good at figures
10 calculate the value of II certain number OF
bricks or old doors and Windows at n certain
price. the cost OF demolishinp and removing the
bricks and the doors must he taken into con-
sderation. In this case, therefore, as in many
Others the man who makes IA specially and is
an expert has the advantage. This cost of
demoishnE is not unknown to him. He goes
over the property carefully, and when he has
finished he knows how many thousands OF
bricks there are. how many feet of lumber. and
the number of doors and windows. He throws
in as extras such trivial things as plumbing,
mantcls, and finds. His offer is made in
telligently, and as there is strong competiii3n
he is Obliged to offer all an old building Is worth.
The waste is very small. Nothing but the old
plaster is thrown away, and very little goes into
the junk heap except perhaps, the metal roof
II In very bad condition, and some of the piping.
skilled workmcn are required to do certain
experience are the only ones allowed to stand on
top of an lS-inch brick wall. perhaps sixty feet
high, and tear IL down. Accidents even then are
not uncommon. and are provided for so far as
possible by insurance.
Although all sccond-hand building material
has value and can be sod, 1t is not possible TO
sell 1t readily at all seasons. The demand Is
greatest IN the spring. and this makes 1t noces-
snry that the dealer shall have ample storage
room for the accumulations OF the winter. At
the same time he does not care to handle bricks
twice and endeavors To dispose of them as fast
as taken down. Generally this can be done and
nt 4 standard price; Just row the supply of sec
There is vast amount of material besides
bricks in an old building. and, If not quite SO
readily disposed OF it brings fair prices. A
care of. The stock is assorted and classified
just as carefully rs in any other bus mess. De-
tells bath tubs, and all the interior fittings of a
building. These are kept. under cover. They
that n customer may he supplied with exactly
what he needs. Gwen an ordinary house plan.
ana the inside ana OiltSluc ntllngS can Dc
bought second hand without trouble.
One may wonder what becomes of all this
stun. Beginning with the lum ber broken and
split and apparently worthless that goes over to
the east side, it in itself constitutes business
II ~ made into kindling and hrewOod. The
plant required Is hand axe and log of wood
The merchant in this line utilities his time be-
tween customers by chOppng the wood up:
Fully half the supply of josts, studding,
windows and doors goes out OF tho city. Some
times these things are shipped by rail or boat
a long distance. Most of them. though. are
used lIy, IL would IT the old iron
frames and fronts would have more value than
the wood, but such is not the case. Tho cost or
retittng iron is so great that new material is
cheapest. The doors in their original frames |
and the windows in their castings save an i'm |
nense amount OF work for the builder.
A carved walnut door stained glass win
dow is the poorest kind of stock for the second
hand dealer. Neither sells readily the |
palmer sort. In fact. the former can hardly be |
sold foc any price: The granite and blue stone,
together with old bath tubs. wash bowls. and |
other plumbers supplies find ready sale, and |
even locks and door knobs have value