The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-12
NATURES RICHES.
Tn Increase of the Wealth of the
 Country,

W. E. Curtis in Chicago Record.
 Many of the occult resources of nature remain unknown. but developments of the most surprising character in the most uninviting fields are being made contin- ually. The most conspicuous and profit able have been in the utilization of the by-products of coal, cottonseed and food animals. It is impossible, says ,Ir. North, chief of the manufacturing divis- ion of the census, to measure statistical ly the increase of the wealth of the coun- try created by turning to useful purposes the residues and wastes that were form erly thrown away, but the profit thus preserved is enormous and has resulted in reducing the cost of manufacture and |, consequently the price to the consumer of many of the necessities of life. ~ In some cases the by-product has proved of greater value than the original
 Matter that is most unattractive and often offensive sometimes contains ele- ments of great beauty as well as useful ness. Some of the choicest perfumes are made of repulsive materials; one by the action of putrid cheese upon sugar; an- other by mixing rancid butter with alco- hol and sulphuric acid. and other has for its essential elements the trainings of cow barns.
 The refuse of cities in the old world Is now carefully collected and utilized for industrial purposes, although the science of municipal economy has not reached the same stage of development in this country. It Is common in Europe to use street sweepings. of city as fuel to run the electric light plant. and the residue of the sewage for the same purpose. while the grease from the sewers Is ex- tracted and sold to the soap and chemi- al Pa nfn nNfn of anI ct utilized in a similar manner abroad, but in this country. with perhaps one or two exceptions, they are thrown away
 Furnace slag, which has always been an incumbrance and has cost the iron masters of England alone $2,50O,000 a year to haul away, is now utilized for paving blocks and building material in Russia, Sweden. France. Belgium, Ger many and other of the continental coun- tries, and to some extent in England. Bricks made of crushed slag are especial ly valuable in the colder countries because they withstand changes in temperature and are particularly adapted to the con struction- of chimneys, for lining furn9 ces and lime kilns. for boiler setting and siui- lar purposes. Slag cement is generally used in Europe and for some purposes .s superior to Portland cement. There are already six factories in the United States, two of them in Alabama, and this nev; building material will soon be gener- ally introduced in this country, although 1t is comparatively unknown.
 Coal dust which is usually thrown away in this country is used in Europe for the manufacture of "briquettes" mixed with other combutible material and pressed into brick. In this form it sells for higher prices than ordinary coal and is preferred for purposes that require a quick fire and intense heat. Briquettes are generally used upon European loco- motives.
 A high class of fuel is also made of saw dust mixed with charcoal and other com bustibles and presTed into brick by hy- draulic machines. Until a few years ago, sawdust was considered an absolutely waste material and was shoveed into the water so that it could float down the stream or thrown into heaps wherever it could be disposed of. Thus. in ignor- ance. millions of dollars have heen and are still thrown away annually by saw