The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-03-18
WoeaPreaerTe.iyes.

it's preservation from decay . very
important one, end any suggestionB
having this object in view should be-
OF great interest to those corporations
whose line Of work demands o large
quantity Of lumber.
Take, for illustration, the large poles
used ID cities and towns by tho tele-
graph and telephone companies for
holding up their wires. These poles
eoss from Ten 70 twenty-five dollars by
che time they r put up and che wirea
put 10 proper position. They last,
according TO. the nature Of che soil in
which they ara placed, from Eve &c
tan years, and then have to be renew
cd, their removal involving . great
deal Of tedious and costly work in re-
moving and replacing the wires, to
say nothing Of the cost Of the poles,
which Of itself is a-big item in the <
pense. account Of these corporations.
Now, il by the. expenditure Of a.few
dollars on each one Of these large poles
they could be made to lest two or
three times al long as they do with
out any treatment, it neede no argu-
ment to show the great skying that
would be entailed by the expenditure
OF the amount s~ugggested.
)! The 6rst place TO rot in Q pole or
post is just at the ground, and this
10 the place that needs most to be
looked after. Nearly all the telegraph
and telephone p~oles-that is, the large
ones used FOX holding up Q great many
wirea-are juniper, the best timber
for this purpose, having very little
sap and which, OF: Of the ground, is,
despite its being light and soft, ex-
sramely durabls.
lie plan suggested FOR adding 20
their durability is rs follows: Com
menoo. at the end 4hat ia to be pnt in
the ground and bore, about ten or
twelve inches apart, two-inch augur
holes, gauging the depth so as to leave
the holes about two inches from going
clear through. Extend these holes az
least swo feet above the level ee he
ground.
This, it is almost unnecessary to
state, must be done before The pole is
erected and while IL is in a horizontal.
position. Get "a large pot and heat
linseed oil to the boiling point. While
it is hot ELL up the holes with the hot
oil. As it is absorbed by the wood
pour in more Of it 80 that the wood
will become thoroughly saturated with
it. just before the pole is raised fill.
the holes entirely full Of tho hot oil,
driving in . short wooden plug to pre-
yentittfrom escaping.
The writsg is confident that IL this
be tried it will prove Of great value,
and is not afraid to assert that the
man or men who erects the pole will
be too old to replace it when it rots.
Even the largeet poles could hardly
absorb more than FIVE gallons Of the
oil, the smaller ones requiring as q
matter Of course, q less quantity Of
oil. This plan requires no machinery
for carrying it out andsis certainly
worth q trial, especially when the fact
10 considered that Is won't be a great
while before all the available supply
Of timber suitable FOR poles will be
exhausted.
Even if kerosene oil we're used it
would help to make the poles more
durable, but it is, Of course, far in
ferior 90 linseed.
Speaking Of kerosene oil, or, rather,
crude petroleum, which answers every
purpose and is very cheap, it 10 q good
plan to put as much OF il on. a atNw
single roof as the shingles will abb
eosb. This not only makes them more
durable, but ;essens the danger OF are
from sparks falling on the roof. It is.
only when The shingles get old and
ynoSsy chat they catch from O spark.
The oil prevents any vegetable
groash on the shingles and il applied.
every two or three years the ehingles
viii last Q number Of years.
Crude petroleum applied TO outbuild-
ings will makestham last ssgreat deal
longer. This kind Of oil can't be
heated with safety, bnt il is so pene-
trating that no heat is- necessary to
drive it into the pores Of the wood.
W..D. Woods.
Darlington, March IL.