Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1903-10-30
BEATS
NATURE

The Inter. Ocean representative was
shown through the plant of the Devils
Lake Petri6ed Brick and Stone com.
pany Saturday morning and saw the
process of making not only brick but
stone, that outrivals the products of
nature. The process is secret one
protected by patents and is known
only to the chemist. Sand and
cement form the basis of the products
and after these are thoroughly mixed
in careful proportions, the liquid
chemicals are turned in and mixed.
Here also the coloring is done by
means of mineral paint upon which
the chemicals act like an oil, making
the colors perfectly substantial. The
material is then sent to the press
where pressure Of forty tons per
brick is applied and the finished pro-
duct is turned out at the rate of
twenty per minute. Heretofore the
company has been handicapped in
handling the product after left the
press. The bricks we're lifted two at a
time and placed in racks; then in a
day or so they were turned upon d4y-
ing laths and allowed to harden.
Now they are placed m racks at the
press. T ,ese racks rest upon elevat-
ed frames over a track. A truck is
placed under the rack. a leverage
raises the whole rack clear off the
frames and it is run to the dry room
where similar process places the
rock upon another frame where the
bricks are allowed to ripen. BY this
means a force of six men and boy
turn out 10, 900 bricks per day while
formerly nine men and boy could
only handle 5000 per day. The
bricks are better. too. as the edges are
not crumbled by handling before the,
1ipen.
The company not only manufacture
brick, but they manufacture ston'
that is not only as strong as a build
ing material as the natural product
but more so. The crushing test o
brick eighteen months old bein.
strong enough to stand the crushing
pressure of ten story building. TIL
stone are manufactured in the mos
artistic designs and outrival the mos
delicate cut stone, besides have
polished finish that cannot be pro
cured otherwise. They manufactur
a hollow stone for cellar and founda
tion walls that give the same fros
effects as a hollow wall. Tilin
with different colo1ed settings, th
lines as distinctly marked as thoug
cut with a knife, is another pre-
duct of this nature c-mpeting plant
The state right for the patent proces
is owned by this company. The
do not, however, attt mpt to extortio
on their customers because Of thi:
In fact they are able to manufactul
and sell a grade of brick for $16 pc
thousand that is sold elsewhere fc
S27. And they expect to be able
' furnish building stone at half what
wouln cost to procure the natur;
product. The only trouble with tt
plant is that not enough material ca
be manufactured to fill the orders.
7 A man was put on the road tn
t summer but the orders came in so fa
: tnat it was impossible to fill then
: and he was taken off. There ls NJ
t an unsold brick or piece of stone
: the plant. The management woul
n be pleased to show visitors throug
f the plant and allow them to see tt
: workings Of the most interesting e,
:. terprise of the city. Those havir
e charge of the works are just as plea
a ant as they are enterprising.