Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-05-07

Last Friday morning, representa-
tive of the WAUsAU PILOT, went
through the brick manufacturing plant
of The Clay Lumber Company, at Rim
gle, accompanied by its president, John
Ringle, and was astonished at the mag
nitI de of the institution.
RingIe (Which is named after the Hon
John Ringle) is located on the North
western road, eleven miles from Wau-
sau. 1t can also he reached by wagon
road. going from this citv to Schoheld,
thence to Kelly and Gallon, and thence
down along side the railroad track to
Ringle
Twenty one years ago, Hon. John
RingIe purchased a thousand acres of
land near here the llage now stands,
being greatly impressed with the rich
ness of the soil and its possibilities for
excellent farms In 1889, a company
comprising many of our prominent cit
izens was formed, and they purchased
450 acres, which covers the town site of
Ringle, the saw mill and brick yard.
1t was their intention first to build a
saw mill and enter solely upon the
manufacture of lumber, but the clay
deposit at that point being found so ex-
tensive and of very superior quality,
brick yard was opened up. The plant
was at first worked in a crude way, the
power being furnished from the saw
mill. The clay was taken from the
surface and bricks were dried in the
sun The saw mill gave employment
to about forty-five men, and the brick
yards to about twenty-five or thirty.
This soon built up prosperous little
village, which now has population of
about 150 souls, has some thirty or forty
homes, and a nice school house. A
town was created at the last meeting of
the County Board, taking in the viii
lage and surrounding country, the
name of which was called "Ringle."
This town has raised 81 500 to expend
upon roads this season.
Quite a number of the original stock
holders of the Clay LunI1tr Company
have disposed of their STOCK and the
same was, in all cases, purchased by
members of the company. The officers
of the company, at present, are
President-John Ringle
Vice-Prest.-John Miller.
Set'y and Treas.-Gustav Mueller.
The officers are also the directors of
the concern. The saw mill was leased,
several years ago, to the Geo. E. Fos-
ter Lumber Company, which during
the winter of lS99-19O0, manufactured
1900, 900 feet of lumber, and last season
1000, 900 was manufactured.
The Clay Lumber Company had been
gaining much information and exper-
ience in making brick and also had
learned something of the worth of its
inexhaustible supply of clay. The com
pany's clay bed is probably the most
interesting geological formation in the
county. Scientifically it is called
micaceous granite gnciSe, decomposed
into layers of red and blue clay beneath
which, coming more or less near the
surface, is II body of clay slate or shale,
sometimes called mineral clay, down to
an unknown depth. This latter was
found to be most excellent material
for brick, probably uneXcelled any
where and practically ineXhaustible.
In this shale are found seams of iron
ore, and also of almost pure mica
This shale contains the strength of fire
clay, standing test of 1900 degrees of
the brick have the ring and strength
superior to any ordinary clay brick.
The study has been to get this shale
taken directly from the bank in its
damp state, pulverized so as to be
worked by the pug-mill and formed
into brick. Last season the company
put in a Williams Pulverizer which has
solved the question so far at least as
the hard shale is concerned, while soft
shale is put through crushers.
The shale is an excellent material for
making dry pressed brick and also
unexcelled for paving brick. Thus it
will be seen there is room for develop
ment and expansion.
As previously Stated, the company
commenced work in Il crude way, work
ing under sheds, getting what power
was needed from the saw mill; drying