New-York tribune., 1903-08-16
SAVED FROM THE DUMPS.
Where the Rubbish Is Picked OUer-
The WOrthLeSs Things.

The new city waste incinerator at the foot of
West Forty-seyenth-st. is a boon TO the trimmers
and sorters. Its advantages great that it is
said higher price is paid for the privilege Of
trimming and sorting than is realized at any other
dump in NeW-York.
The waste separated from ashes and plain sweep
ings is dumped by the carts at the end of a long
belt, four feet wide. running in a somewhat wider
trough channel in the second story. On each
side of this trough is a of hoppers. a shelf
in each CT which stands man. The men grab
from the steady stream of what other people have
thrown away whatever is regarded valuable.
Every scrap of paper rag that is not bopelessly
dirty is rescued and dropped into the hopper fall
sng the floor below. where it is baled. Every bit
of metal is picked out All pieces of wood large
enough TO have any value saved. and if
Feather pillow comes along, however dirty IT may
be- It is regarded as prize. Not a whole bottle
escapes the eyes of the eager trimmers, but it is
rare that sheet glass large enough to be worth
anything survives the processes of throwing away,
gathering, hauling and dumping the waste.
at seems" said the contractor. that everybody
who throws away sheet glass enjoys hearing 1t
break. Thousands Of pieces worth from two to ten
cents each would fall into our hands but for this
human weakness. You'll see a with part of a
picture glass that would easily square 10 by u
Inches walk up to ashcan and hurl the sheet
fiat against the farther side. If it is shivered by
the contact he'll walk away with satisfied smile.
but if it doesn't break he'll hunt five minutes for
Bomething drop in on top, there will be
nothing but splinters left.
THE bottles cleaned and sold after having
been carefully sorted Bottles with the names of
remedies manufacturers blown in always
be sold to the firms which first put them out at
plight reduction below the price originally paid.
Beer and soda water bottles and bottles for popu-
Jar lotions and patent medicines mineral water bot
7les and ketchuD and sauce bottles the most
profitable. Amy unmarked bottle will find ready
sale. Tin cans and boxes fired until the solder
is melted off. All that is bright tin is saved,
81 is valuable and easily recovered. The sheet iron
that is left is practically vaIueless Cotton and
linen rags made into fine writing papers, and
waste newspaper and wrapping paper are made
tnto coarse wrapping and lining papers again.
Feathers are renovated and made better and
cleaner than stock
Bits of iron, cast, wrought malleable
and steel, large small all worth money.
lead and zinc prizes, brass and copper.
We don't get very large quantities of silver and
gold Wood, OF course has considerable worth If
In large pieces. the larger the better Old chairs
EOfas beds, baby carriages broken boxes and bar
Tels. fruit baskets and berry boxes not worth
picking off the belt A mattress that is thrown out
ss safer in the fire than anywhere else and 1t goes
through without moestaton and tumbles into the
hopper leading the furnaces with the rest the
stuff don't want, OF which straw and excelsior
form considerable part. The stuff we do not want
makes heat enough TO keep all the machinery of
this plant going. 1t would hundred
horsepower engine here all the time