The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-08-04
ARE PAINT USERS

L has been remarked that the
American people consume more paint.
both In the aggregate and per capita.
than any other people In tho world,
In q recently published article ON the
subject 1t was figured that our yearly
consumption Is over 100,000,0 900 gal.
Ions Of paints Of all kinds. of which
over one-half IL used In the paintings
of houses.
The reason for this great consump.
ton is twofold: q large proportion
Of our buildings. especially In small
towns and rural districts, are con-
structed Of wood, and we, as q people,
are given to neatness and cleanliness.
For, take it all in all, there is moth.
ing 80 cleanly or so sanitary as paint.
Travel where we will throughout
the country, everywhere we find the
neat, cheerful painted dwelling, pro-
claiming at once the prosperity and
the self-respect Of our population.
Fifty years ago this was not 20;
painted dwellings, while common in
the larger cities and towns, were the
exception in the rural districts; be-
cause, on the one hand, q large pro-
portion of those buildings were tenn
porary makeshifts, and, on the other
hand. because paint was then q lux.
ury, expensive and difficult to obtain
In the out-of-the-way places. and re-
curing special knowledge and much
preparation to 1T 1t for use.
The introduction of ready mixed or
prepared paints, about 1860, changed
the entire aspect Of affairs. As the
Jack-of-all-trades told the Walking
Delegate In one Of Octave Thsnet's
stories. Anyone can slather paint"
The insurmountable difficulty with
our predecessors was to get the paint
ready for 'slathering." That the
country was ready for paint in a con-
venient,, popular form is shown by
the immediate success of the indus
try and its phenomenal growth in
so years from nothing to 10000. 900
gallons-the estimated output for
1900.
Some pretty severe things have
been written about and said against
this class of paints, especially by
painters and manufacturers of Ger.
tain kinds Of paste paints. Doubtless
in many instances these structures
have been justified and some fearful.
ly and wonderfully constructed mix
lures have in the past been worked
of on the gufleless consumer in the
shape Of prepared paint. But such
products have had their short day
and quickly disappeared. and the too
enterprising manufacturers that pro-
duced them have come to grief in
the bankruptcy courts or have
learned BY costly experience that
honesty is the best policy and have
reformed their ways.
The chief exceptions to this rule
are some mail order houses who sell
direct to the country trade, at a very
low price-frequently below the
price of linseed oil. The
buyer Of such goods, like the buyer
Of a gold brick" has only himself to
blame If he finds his purchase worth.
less. With gold selling at any bank
Or mint at fixed price. owners OF
gold do not sell 1t at discount: and
with hnseed oil quoted everywhere
1T 50 to 70 cents . gallon. manufac.
turers do not sell h bure linseed oil
paint at 80 or 10 CENTS a gallon.
The composition ota-prepared paints
differs -hecapse paink exparts haza-
not yet agreed as 70 the best pig
ments and because the daily results
Of tests on large scale are constant
" improving the formulas OF manu-
lecturers; but all have come to the
that the essentials of good
paint ara pure linseed oil, fine grind
ng and thorough incorporation, and
n these particulars all the products
IT reputable manufacturers CORE
'pond; all flrst-class prepared paints
ire thoroughly mixed and ground and
he liquid base Is almost exclusively
pure linseed oil, the necessary sola-
lie "thinners" and Japan dryess.
The painters opposition to such
PRODUCTS ID based sA5xely son self-in-
crest. He wants to mix the paint
himself and to be paid for doing II,
md to=a certain class of painters 4
IS no recommendation Tor paint TO
'ay that it viii last I'VE or ten years,
The longer q paint lasts the longer q
ne will have to wait for the job of
epainting. The latter consideration
has no weight with the consumer,
Ind the former is . false idea of
economy. Hand labor can never be
Is cheap or as efficient as machine
work, and every time the painter
mixes paint. did he but know It, he
$ losing money. because he can buy
better paint than he can mix at
ess than It costs him to mix It.
Prepared paints have won, not only
N their actual merits. but on their |
and economy. They are
comparatively cheap and they are In.
omparably handy. But when eli il
aid, the experienced painter 10 the |
roper person to apply even ready |
mixed paint. He knows better than |
nyone else the when" and how"
nd the difference between painting
nd "slathering" Is much greater
han 1t appears to q novice. Every.
ne to his trade. and after all paint
ng is the painters trade and not the