The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-23

lime treated as concrete, was adopted
The mass hardened rapidly and even
after a few days the walls were firm
enough to support the joint Trainings.
The strength and fire-resisting proper
ties of this new composition have been
we'll tested, and one case is mentioned
where a nitro benzine factory built of
this material, near Lyons, was burned
down, the great heat even melting the
machinery, and yet the walls, built of
coal Stag bricks. were not consumed.
The lumber, iron, mortar stone and
other things entering into the construc-
tion of houses are not wasted now
when houses are torn down. Old banister
spindles made of oak, mahogany, chest
nut and other valuable wood are
scraped and vanished, and made to
serve another turn in a new staircase
in some cheap house, or in repairs in
some old one. Old hand-rails, newell
posts and other things of the kind,
share the same destiny. AS for old
window weights, wrought iron screens,
bolts, bars and other hardware a little
securing makes them as good as new
for bargain counter" purposes. Not
more difficult is it for the junk dealers
to find a margin Of profit in the sale
of old doors, window castings, marble
mantels. gas fixtures and old cast-offs
of the same family. A touch of paint
or daub of glue in the right spot does
wonders in converting such things into
new" and useful things. Many such
articles are bought up by people atfiict-
ed with harmless mania for bar
gains" and antiques even though they
cost as much as new products.
THE CHRISTMAS TREES.
Turning for a moment to a field
where sentiment plays part, one may
seek an answer for the question: What
becomes of the Christmas trees which
do not find the children they were
created for but, when Santa Claus has
gone, stand a miniature forest to lum-
ber up the yard of the too sanguine
dealer? Even the belated Sunday
school festival does not save all of
them, and they have to become raw
material for something else.
The greens are stripped from the
| stems and made into ropes and
wreaths, which are always in demand
| for decorative purposes. Then the
! long dead sticks are cut off, packed
up in bundles, and shipped to the su-
| burban gardner to be used as bean
| poles.
That coal tar product should find a
| demand among pharmacists and far
mers, as we'll as in surgery and dyeing
| is remarkable, but such is the case
with naphthaline, one of the latest
| manufactures from coal tar.
A German chemist has discovered
| that one of the most striking charac-
| terstics of naphthalne is the fact that
| it is not Injurious to man and the
| higher animals, whether breathed as
| gas or used in substance externally or
| internally, while it has n very different
| action on the lower organisms, both
| animal and vegetable, such as fungi,
| insects, etc, for they are not able to
| endure the action of the gas for any
| length of time. These, however, are
| the very properties that a good anti
| septic ought to possess. 1t is now used
| as a protection against moths by fur
| dealers and others, and is also useful
! in ridding houses of other insect pests.
| For destroying that minute insect
| known as phyllOXera, so troublesome
to grape vines. it has been found ex-
| ceedingly useful.
| fhOM CoAlI TAX.
That a sweetening agent should come
from coal tar will be a surprise to
many, but such is the case. BY a
novel treatment of one of the COM
| ponents of coal tar compound may be
obtained possessing very similar sweet
enlng to the best cane or beet root
sugar. This saccharine presents the
| appearance of white powder, and
| crystalizes from its aqueous solution
in thick, short prisms soluble in warm
water. S9ccharine forms salts, all of
| which possess a very sweet taste, and
| physicians are looking to this product
as a substance by means of which dia-
bette persons may enjoy food which
has hitherto not been safe for them.
Light from the gas in the making of
which coal tar is a refuse, and a spe-
cies of sugar obtained from that
refuse. are probably such a combina-
ton Of sweetness and light" as never
was dreamed Of by the singer who has
given us that term.
In the great cotton plantations Of the
Southern states cotton seed was for
generations thrown away, but it is now
a recognized commercial commodity
for the blending of lubricating and
cooking oil in the mixing of feed cakes
for cattle. oil ropes, after they have
been picked by prisoners are served VI
again as material for caulking ships
The refuse from candle works comes
out as glycerine, and that of soar
works as manure. Some of the most
delicate prefumery comes out of waste
rubbish. Use has been found for tn,
refuse Of tanneries and curriers' shops
Much of the material formerly wasted
in these trades is now used for max
ing the heels and soles of boots anC
shoes. The leather cuttings and scrap
ings are cleaned. dampened, compressed
| and dried the refuse i'm this process
being in turn manufactured into wha
is known as leather board.
MAKE USE OF SMOKE.
The saying that an enterprise ha
"all ended in smoke" does not have tn
Significance that it did before a wa,
was found to materialize that airy pro
duct into substances as tangible as oils
acids, spirits and tar, A single bias
furnace in a Western state which cap
lures the smoke of it's charcoal pit
and conveys it into stills, has been abl
TO realize enough from this source L
pay a large share of its running ex
penses. 1t has demonstrated that eacl
cord of wood contains $4,000 cubic fee