The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1906-06-30
AMERICANS ARE PAINT USERS

than any other people In the world
In recently published article on the
subject IL was figured that our yearly
consumption Is over 100,000.00O gal
Ions 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 a people.
are given 10 neatness and cleanliness.
For. take IL all in all, thsre Is moth.
ing SO 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 so:
painted dwellings, while common In
the larger cities and towns, were the
exception in the rural districts; DO.
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 a lux.
ury, expensive and difficult 70 Obtain
In the out-ofthe-way places. and re-.
curing special knowledge and much
preparation TO 1T II for use.
The introduction OF ready mixed or
prepared paints, about 1850, changed
the entire aspect OF Affairs. AS the
Jach.of.all.trades told the Walking
Delegate IN one OF Octave Thanet's
stories, Anyone can slather paint
The insurmonntabe difficulty with
our predecessors was 10 get tho naint
ready for "slatherlng." That the
country was ready for paint IN con.
yenient, popular form Is shown by
the immediate success OF the indus.
try and its phenomenal growth IN
90 years from nothing 10 G0.00O 600
gallons-the estimated output for
1900.
Some pretty severe things have
been written about and said against
TINS class OF paints. especially by
painters and manufacturers OF Ger.
tain kinds Of paste paints. Doubtless
In many instances these stricturea
nave been justified and some fearful.
ly and wonderfully constructed mix.
lures have in the past been worked
on on the gulleless consumer I'm tho
shape OF prepared paint. But such
products have had their short dav
and quickly disappeared. and the too.
ehterprlslng manufacturers that pro.
duced them have come 10 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 20 this ruIe
are some mail order houses who sell
direct TO the country trade. al a very
low prIce-frequenuy below the
wholesale price OF llnseed oil. The
buyer OF such goods. like the buyer
OF gold brick" has only himself TO
blame II he finds his purchase worth.
less. With gold selling at any bank
Or mint at fixed price owners OF
gold do not sell II at a discount; and s
with linseed oil quoted everywhere 5
II 90 TO 20 cents a gallon, manufac.
-urers do not sell pure Iinseed oil &
paint at 30 or 40 cents a gallon. &
The composition OF prepared paints
iiners because paint experts have a
lot yet agreed as 90 the best pig. z
nents and because the daily results y
II tests on large scale are constant. v
y Improving the formulas OF manu-. =
acturers; but all have come 10 the e
conclusion that the essentials OF good u
iaint are pure linseed oil. fine grind. a
ng and thorough incorporation. and @
these particulars all the products s
I reputable manufacturers CORE. II
pond; all first-class prepared paints
re thoroughly mixed and ground and 81
ne liquid base Is almost exclusively G
ure linseed oil, the necessary VIOLA. C
lie "thinners" and Japan dryers. u
The painters opposition 10 such q
roducts is based largely on selfin. Y
rest. He wants TO mix the paint ~
lmself and to be paid for doing il.
nd to a certain class OF painters IL p
no recommendation for a paint 10 81
~ that II viii last Ave or ten years. u.
he longer Il paint lasts the longer IN
VIII have to walt for the Job OF al
painting. The latter consideration az
Is no weight with the consumer. IN
I'D the former is false idea OF az
onomy. Hand labor can never be AT
cheap or as efficient as machine III
ork, and every time the painter
lxes paint. did he but know Il. no
losing money. because he can buy -,
better paint than he can mix at "a
IS than II costs him to mix Il. NJ,
Prepared paints have won, not only yb
their actual merits. but on their IN,
nyenience and economy. They are agi
cheap and they are In. ha,
handy But when all is ,bo
ID. the experienced painter is the wa
oper person TO apply even n ready ba,
xed paint. He knows better than aga
yone else the when" and how"
] the difference between painting
! "slathering" is much greater 7
in II appears TO n novice. Every. 8.
, 70 his trade. and after all paint Por
Is the painters trade and not the Phi
OF I
- Cot