The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-12-07
How WOrnOut and DiCaTded
Metal is Utilized.
Old HOrSeShoeS May Reappear as RazOrS,
and Battered Stoves May Go Up In
SkySCraperS- Lucky Finds
In JunkShODS.

were sorting out the masses of
rusty, misshapen and tangled
metals, each of which evidently
had its particular value in the
market. / wondered what be-
came of all the castaway metal
and what peculiar transforma-
tions it underwent. In seeking
some information ON the point
from the proprietor of the place
he said:
"This business doesn't look as
if itpossessed any elements of int
crest, educational romantic, yet
it has something of both of these.
Now, there's an old horseshoe.
1t may shave a Mongolian in Chi
ma, though what Il Mongolian has
to shave | don't clearly see. OF
course it will be converted first
into razor. | ship large quanti-
ties of these wornout horseshoes
and wagon tires to the Celestial
kingdom to be worked up into ra-
zors, knives and other useful do
mestic articles. The Chinaman
engaged in this particular indus
try gets II cents day for his la
Dor. These horseshoes and wag-
on tires are wrought iron and are
preferred to other forms of this
metal, because they are the most
conveniently handled.
"When you goacross the bridge
to the borough of Manhattan, you
probably notice some of the new
20 or 30 story buildings going up
there and the big iron columns
and girders used in their construc-
ton. You probably think that
those columns and girders are all
new metal, but it is likely that
they arenot. They are scrapiron,
pure and simple, or may be mix
ed with some new ore in the re-
casting of the scrap metal in the
foundry or rolling mill where all
the scrap goes. Your discarded
kitchen stove may reappear in one
of the columns or girders of a sky
scraper. The owners of these
lofty buildings may think they
are getting new iron material and
may pay for it, but they are prob
ably not getting it. Perhaps
there isn't much difference in the
durability of the recast metal and
the new.
"When you are riding in troll
ley car, yon may reflect that the
metal in the aXles of the wheels
and in the railroad tracks may
have formerly served in stove
CRATES. Suchare some of thenew
forms and uses which scrap met
al assumes.
eve dealers alight upon some
strange finds among the old met
al which we gather. | have at
home six solid bronze plaques, as
one OF this class of finds, which |
wouldn't take $75 for. I've also
got at home an iron and bronze
aquarium, another of these pecu-
liar discoveries, which | wouldn t
part with for $50.
"Itis curious to think how such
valuable articles get into such
poor company as scrap iron.
Perhaps the original owners care
lessly permit them to get mixed
up with some old junk which they
disposed of to the junkman who
brings his collection of stock to
us, or perhaps they deliberately
throw them away through simple
weariness of their possession.
Then, again, thearticles may poss-
IDLY be stolen and sold to the Junk
man.
''There are other interesting
finds we meet with in our bust
ness. Not only the common but
the finer metals, such as jewelry
and silverware, fallintoour hands.
Possibly you've heard your wife
remark one day that there was a
silver spoon missing, and she
might suspect that the servant
has stolen it. But the truth is the
spoon hasaccidentally goneastray
and passed unnoticed into the ash
can or garbage tub and in the
course of time, possibly, we pick
it up out of the dumps, Many a