Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-05-04
CURIOUS USES FOR WOOD.
The Ingenious Yankee and What He
Wrought Out Of Wasted Redwood
Bark
[scientiAc Americana

tScientific Americana
The giant sequoias OF California, thou
sands of years old, have been preserved
to this day because Of their enormously
thick bark. From time to time, in the
course Of ages, forest fires have swept
through the big-tree lands, destroying
everything. yet only scorching for a
couple Of inches depth or so the almost
fire proof bark. The flames having car
bombed that much Of the bark, could
not penetrate farther; for the carbon
lied portion formed an absolutely fire.
proof covering for the remainder Of the
interior bark.
In the Telling Of the giant Redwoods
for timber tons upon tons of the foot
thick bark would accumulate as a result
of the cutting up of the giants. II was
often found seriously in the way, inter-
fering with the removal of the logs;
otherwise. It would have been allowed
to remain on the ground until it rotted.
so there was nothing to do but burn the
unsghtly heaps
But one day many years ago. snrewd
Connecticut Yankee named Atkinson, a
woodturner by trade began to think
about this waste a bit, during his pro-
longed residence in his new home on the
Pacific slope. True, the bark was too
soft to make wooden nutmegs out of it,
but it might do for something else. So
he thought and thought; and in the
course of time had produced a whole
variety of useful articles from the hither-
to wasted bark; dubbed it "atiSinsos,"
or vegetable asbestos. and made an
! honest living for years therefrom. The
I industry spread; and now redwood bark
articles are-in fact, always have been
common property for anyone to make in
| the West or East. Almost all Pacific
1 ct n
rooms of the useful articles made from
! this bark, of which there are two kinds,
! soft and hard
Some of these redwood bark articles are
pin cushions. pen wipers, table mats Cor
| receiving not plates,) iatiron mats. Ito
prevent scorching) bathroom non-absorb-
ent mats, fishing floats. temporary corRs,
life-buoy filling, cork" Jackets cold
| storage insulation, house sheathing, heat
| insulation (will burn under great heat If
attacked both sides, but is about six times
| a more efficient neat insulator than woven
asbestos) Also coin mats, moisture proof
matchsafes bicycle handles, sillS-hay
brushes, chair-seat mats, sound deadening
| insulation, mattress filings, cork carpet
substitute, and a variety of other uses.
The bark is entirely odorless, of q rich
brown color, and is singularly non-ab-
sorbent. A piece kept under water for
n month will absorb no more moisture
than a piece Of cork. 1t has a short
brittle fbre-cork has no fibre whatever
and is consequently not so liable to brittly
snap as is the Quercus suber, II lacks
however the elasticity and local tough
ness of cork. and is slightly heavier In
its specific gravity, but is much more
easily worked in manufacturing into
| articles.
Curious natural brushes are produced
from one of the palmetto species on oul
southern coasts. The "bristles" Of the
brush and the solid wood portion Thereof
are all one. No coming OUT complaint
with those bristles.
The brushes are made in two ways
The extreme root of the tree is a mas
Of fibres. These are cut of close up t.
the trunk which Is sawn off about al
inch up. and the slab is cut up into sim
pie brushes for the bath, toilet, hair, etc
Another couple of inches will be saw
off the trunk, we'll soaked, and the pith!
wood Jagged out from between the fibre
by a crude kind of steel or jagged comb
, Once a pith is thoroughly dried and hard
1t will stand immersion in not bath water
without softening.
These curious natural-made brushes ar
only locally known, and are OCCASIONAL,
sold to tourists. They are unknown t
commerce in the American brush trade
No attempt has ever been made to es
tablish any industry in them. Yet the
are possibly the longest lived brushes ex
tanat. A bath brush used for half
dozen years looked, true, as II it ha
I had plenty of use, but was goo
: enough for another half dozen years.
The fbres and wood ara of a brigh
! sandy hue, and, II kept clean, almos
preserve throughout their agreeabl
: slight odor, reminding one of dried cor
I | leaves.-l Scientific American.