The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-04-02

commend It to Favor--The Lacka-
wanna Board for Today.
The art of producing stone by uniting
various substances with some kind OF
cement has been practiced 80 long that
its origin is lost in antiquity.
Perhaps the earliest known instance
of artificial stonemaking IN the world
may be accredited to the mound build-
ers, the ancestors and immediate prede-
.essors of our native American Indians.
In many OF the mounds that were
built by that remarkable race of men
are found specimens OF what is popu-
larry known as pottery. This would inl-
ply that the wares were made from
clay, while in fact they are none other
than artificial stone, the cementlng
agent being lime carbonate.
The art Of producing this stone re-
uuired an unusual degree of intelligent
observation, as well as patience and
skill.
The process briefly described is as fol-
lows: The first work of the artist con-
sisted in crushing limestone to a rather
finely granulated condition. He then
mixed this limestone in certain definite
proportions with clean, sharp sand. To
this mixture was added enough clay to
render the entire mass plastic when
worked with the proper amount of
water.
Coming down to historical times, we
find artificial stone was produced by the
people who inhabited Europe, Asia and
Africa at the very dawn of civilization.
The writer has in his collection Of
rtprn too rH,1s 1s11,
is probably the largest collection Of it's
kind in the world, some rock-like speci-
mems of artificial stone that were made
more than four thousand years ago.
During the time Of the old Roman
empire, concrete was lavishly used and
much Of it still remains in good condi-
ton. A few years ago a body Of Roman
concrete was encountered in driving a
tunnel underneath old London, and it
was found to be so hard as to turn the
best steel tools. No natural stone could
equal 1t in hardness.
The records of the United States pat
ent office disclose the fact that the art
of stonemaking has progressed during
the last half century at constantly
accelerated pace.
There is a kind of manufactured
stone that has recently made its ap-
pearance In some of the markets, which
bids fair to fulfil all the requirements of
a perfect stone.
1t is called litholite, and when it is
used in buildings and has been fooled
or rock-faced it is next to impossible
to distinguish it from the finest quality
Of natural stone.
Litholite is the invention of c. w.
Stevens, Of Harvey, Illinois. He is a
veteran in the stonemaking industry.
He has labored in the cause since the
old time Frear stone was in vogue. He
has taken out many patents for stone-
making, and a great deal of the best
manufactured stone work now extant
stands to his credit.
With the birth Of "litholite" q new
era dawned upon the stone industry Of
the world. At single bound Mr.. Stew
ems has overturned all the tine-honored
theories that have centered around the
fascinating art of stonemaking.
What the Bessemer process is to the
steel industry, so also is the Stevens
process to the stone industry. Litho-
lite is revelation in stone. In litholite
the cement is treated scientifically and
is therefore at it's best. 1t Is supplied
with all the water required for it's COM
plete crystallization, and the surplus. If
any. is gradually removed.
Reduce any kind of stone to a
granulated form, and mix two or three
parts OF this material with one part Of
good Portland cement, add enough
water to enable you to whip the ma
terials into creamy consistency
Now plunge your hand into a pile of
sand and withdraw it carefully. and
without disturbing the impression made.
Next pour the material into the mold
patterned by your hand, and in a short
time you have stone hand, which in
every detail will be the exact counter
part of your own.
That is litholite. The granulated stone
has not been compacted or pressed, and
yet. Its density is practically unchanged
by It's metamorphosis into litholite
Recently the writer was standing at
the building on the northeast corner of
Nassau and Beekman streets in New
York city examining the "litholite" with
which the first two stories were con.
structed. and he heard q man say,
NOW those columns there at the main
entrance are made OF artificial stone.
and how cheap and nasty they do look
as compared with the rest of the work,
which is very handsome stone from out
West" Now the facts are that the
columns in question We're made from
western limestone. and all the rest or
the work was done In "litholite." The
man was correct as to appearances, but
misinformed as to the facts.
Litholite is in fact n vast improve
ment on most of the natural stones, not
only in appearance but in strength and
uniformity in texture.
.Litholite Is artificial only in the sense
that machine made ice is artificial. The
latter is Ice just as surely as though 1t
We're frozen in a stream or lake. So
also is litholite genuine stone. 1t is
natural stone crushed to granular form
and reproduced by a simple natural
process In any desired form, color,
grain, texture or design, and the
cementing material of the stone is vast
ly superior in the matter of endurance.
to that which originally held the stone
together.
Litholite ia destined to work a reyo-
luton in house building throughout the
country.
The oement-stone-age Is at hand. In
the early days OF our country, the peo-
pie had to be content with log houses.
After many years Of patient toll, they
began to construct houses of wood