Warren sheaf., 1901-10-10
STRAW FUEL
Plant for Its Manufacture Erected
at cCanna, N. %.

at Gamma, N. %.
Whoever has seen a pile of straw
burn, has certainly noticed what
large amount of heat is given off
heat which if conserved for use in the
cold winter months would soon solve
the fuel question on the treeless prai-
RES. Different kinds Of straw burn
ing stoves have been constructed, but
they have been more or less failures,
chiefly because straw is bulky mate
rial and inconvenient to handle.
Burning the straw in the fall is Ger
tainly a great waste, whether it be
looked upon as fuel or feed for cattle.
The following description of the
straw fuel manufacturing plant is
from the Grand Forks Herald:
S. O.. Edison has returned from
Orange, N. j., where he has spent the
summer and is making preparations
to start up his fiber fuel plant at Nc
Gamma at an early date. The manu-
facture of fuel from straw, Mr.. Edi-
son thinks, Is now beyond the expert
mental stage, and while enough was
not manufactured last season upon
which to base figures as to the cost
OF production, etc., he is certain that
the cost will be low enough to make
the fuel as cheap as any other fuel
and he believes considerable cheaper.
Ihe plant will be started within a
few weeks now, and as the supply Of
straw this year is unlimited, it is ex-
pected that the fiber fuel will soon he
manufactured in large quantities,
when tests will be made on a larger
scale than In the past. The process
IS very simple. The straw is first
boiled thoroughly, after which it is
put through agrinder and compress sed
into tubes about four inches in diam
eter, which can be cut into any de-
sired lengths. The fiber fuel is ready
Tor use when it comes from the ma
chine, though it is not absolutely dry,
as 1t IS impossible to get all the water
out by pressure alone. The cut straw
IS compressed by means of worm.
and therefore it is not known how
great the pressure is, butt is very
great. -
The plant erected at McCanna has
a capacity of about 40 tons of the
fiber per day, and when running on
full time will employ 25 men. As
soon as all the details have been COM
pleted, and the process of manufac-
ture perfected ia every way, it is the
Intention. to erect plants in all parts
OF the northwest. The farmers will
then haul in their straw and exchange
it for the fiber much the same as the
old grist mill plan. Mr. Edison has
been working on the scheme for sey-
eral years and believes it to be one of
the biggest things for this country
that was ever attempted, and as the
fuel question is certainly very i'm
portant one, this idea would seem to
be correct. Mr.. Edison is a relative
OF Thomas Edison, the electrician.
A Birthday Surprise.
Last Friday, Oct. 4, Mr.. F. G.
Hickman, Jr., and family, Mr.. John
G. Rue and family, Mr.. and Mrs.
VIM. Zinke, and Miss Anna M. Hick-
man met at the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
=. Z. Hickman, Sr., in Warrenton,
to remind Mr.. Hickman of his 18th
birthday and wish him many more
happy birthdays. Mr.. Hickman has
one son and three daughters, they
being F. G. Hickman, Jr., Mrs. John
Il. hue, Mrs. VIM. F. Zinke and Miss
Anna M. Hickman, and two grand
sons, Arthur F. Hickman and Ralph
Rue. MIR. Hickman is pioneer resi-
dent, having filed on claim in 1879.
and has resided here continuously
since 1880. & :
Tot Causes Night Alarm.