The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-06-21
Americans Arc Paint Users.

| 1Cdu people consume more paint, DOlu
in the aggregate and per capita, than
any other people in the world. In a
recently published article on the sub.
ject it was figured that our yearly
consumption is over 1O0000,OOO gallons
of paints Of all kinds. OF which over
one-half Is used in the paintings Of
houses.
The reason for this great consump.
ton is twofold: large proportion Of
our buildings. especially in small
towns and rural districts. are con-
structed Of wood, and we, as people.
are given to neatness and cleanliness.
For, take it all in all, there Is nothing
so cleanly or so sanitary as paint.
Travel where We will throughout the
country. everywhere we find the neat,
cheerful painted dwelling, proclaiming
at once the prosperity and the self
respect Of our population.
Fifty years ago this was not So;
painted dwellings, while common in
the larger cities and towns, were the
exception in the rural districts; be-
cause, on the one hand. a large pro-
portion of those buildings were tenn
porary makeshifts, and, on the other
hand, because paint was then q luxury.
expensive and difficult to obtain in the
out-of.the-way places, and requiring
special knowledge and much prepara-
ton to lit It for use.
The introduction Of ready mixed or
prepared paints, about 1860, changed
the entire aspect Of affairs. As the
Jack-of-ar-trades told the Walking
Delegate in one Of Octave Thanet's
stories ANY one can slather paint"
The insurmountable difficulty with
our predecessors was to get the paint
ready for "slathering." That the coun.
Try was ready for paint in convenient.
popular form is shown BY the imme.
date success Of the industry and its
phenomenal growth in fifty years from
nothing to 60,00O,OO0 gauons-the esti'
mated output for 1900.
Some pretty severe things have been
written about anc said against this
class Of paints, especially by painters
and manufacturers Of certain kinds OF
paste paints. Doubtless in many in.
stances these strict1res have been JUS.
tilted and some fearfully and wonder.
fully constructed mixtures have In the
past been worked off on the guileless
consumer in the shape Of prepared
paint. But such products have had
their short day and quickly disap'
peared, and The 100 enterprising man.
ufacturers that produced them have
come to grief in the bankruptcy
courts or have .earne:. by costly ex-
perience that honesty is the best pol.
icy and Lave reformed their ways.
The chief exceptions to this 1ule are
some mail order houses who sell direct
to the country trade, at very lew
price-frequently below the wholesale
price Of linseed oil. The buyer Of such
goods, ike the buyer ofa gold brick"
has only himself to blame II he dnS1
his purchase worthless With gold
selling at any bank or mint at q fixed
price owners of, goh do not sell It at
G discount; and with Inseed oil quoted
everywhere at fifty to seventy cents
gallon, manufacturers do not sell q
pure linseed oil paint at thirty or forty
cents gallon.
The composition Of prepared paints
differs because paint experts Lave not
yet agreed as to th7 best pigments
and because the daily results OF tests
on q large scale are constantly I'M
proving tie formulas Of manufactur.
ers; but oil have come to the conclu.
don that the essentials OF good paint
are pure nnseed oil, fine grinding and
thorough Incorporation, and In these
particulars all the products Of repu.
table manufacturers corresponc; all
drst class prepared paints are thor.
oushly mixed and ground and the l1q'
uid base Is almost exclusively pure
iinseed oil, the necessary volatile
sthinners" and Japan dryers.
The painters opposition 20 such pro
ducts Is based largely on seninterest
he want; to mix the paint ftmseit
and to be paid for doing It; and to q
certain class Of painters It 10 no rec.
ommendation for q paint to say that It
viii last i've or ten years. The longer
a paint lasts the longer he will have
to wait for the Job Of repaintng. The
latter consideration has no weight with
the consumer, and the former ID q
falss idea Of economy. Hand labor
can never be as cheap or aS emc1enf
"A machine work, and every time the
painter mixes paint, did he but kno"
It, he is losing money. because ne can
buy q better paint than he can mix
At less than it costs him to mix It.
Prepared paints have won, not only
On their actual merits, but on their
convenience and economy. They are
comparatively cheap. and they are In
comparably handy. But when all IS
said, the experienced painter IL the
PROPER person to apply even . ready
mixed paint. he knows better than
any one else the "when"t and how"
and the difference between painting
and gathering Is much greater than
it appears to q novice. Every one to
his trade, and after all painting 1s the
painters trade and not the household
e1'A
Pie Crust.
Two tablesponfuls sifted -four. one
tablespoon cold lard, two tablespoons
cold water and q pinch Of salt. Chop
the lard in the four until it Is fne,
then mix with the water, using all the
Aorr T1,rn ont nnon a well.f1oured