Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-09


in from abroad. BY this discovery we
know that potash lies all around US, and
that we can have II for the grinding. IL
Is on the edge Of our orchards. and it Is
accessible to almost every farming district.
It is mixed with the granite Of the hills,
and that in such a way that a rock-crush-
ing machine can get 1t out. All that Is
needed is to grind the granite to powder
and let the potash loose. By this means
II may be secured at a cost OF a little more
than / cent per pound, or five or six times
as cheap as the price we are now paying,
and that without the addition OF freight
Companies are now forming in New Jersey
and Maryland to grind up granite FOR this
purp sc, and IL they are successful other
plants will probably be erected all over
the country.
Uncle sam Worth sI2J,OOO, 900 900.
Many people imagine that the United
States is at the maximum of it's prosper
ity The truth is we are at the begin
ming. We shall make more during the
next generation out of what now goes to
waste than we made a generation ago out
OF our staple crops. Indeed the waste Of
today makes the fortunes of tomorrow.
In 1870 our national wealth amounted to
about $50 900, 900, 900, and thirty years
later it had almost reached the 500, 000,-
600, 900 mark. We are probably worth
s25 1000, OOO, 900 more today and the great
part of the Increase comes from by-prod-
ucts once classed waste. Take the
Beef trust. Its big dividends come from
the saving of every scrap in the refuse.
If the choice cuts OF the meat alone were
sold the packing houses could not exist.
They have scores of products which our
forefathers never thought of from potted
meats to bouillons, liquid extracts and
drugs.
Indeed, the by-products of these estab-
llshments bring in millions and a small
army of scientists are kept busy analyzing
the waste and making new things for man.
1t is said that every bit of the hog is now
saved, excepting the squeal and the kick,
and that not an atom Of the beef goes to
waste. A few years ago 1 visited pack
ing factory in Buenos Ayres and saw the
= blood running away in stream. In our
factories in Chicago the blood is worth $40
q ton and is used to make albumen ana
other things. It is sold to printers, tam
pers and sugar refiners, and as fertilizer
Il brings a big price per ton In some OF
the Australia and New Zealand factories
I saw the bones thrown aside. AT Chicago
the bones are first cooked to extract the
fat and gelatine. Certain kinds are saved
to make umbrella, toothbrush and knife
handles, and other things in which hard
hone is needed. The hoofs of the cattle
are nodded into ornaments and the tips OF
the horns are iattened out and eventually
sold as combs and buttons. The back Of
brushes are made Of horn tips, and some
of the finest hOofs are shipped to Japan to
be made into notions which are again sold
in the United States.
Drugs from the Slaughter Houses.
The packing houses are now getting big
money out of chemicals and drugs of va
rious kinds. They produce pepsin from
the stomachs of pigs, and pancreatine and
other digestants as we'll From the calves
they get "a gray brain matter which is now
used for nervous diseases and is espe-
cially valuable in neurasthenia, insanity
and st. Vitus' dance
one of the most important Of the chem
ical by-products of the slaughter houses IL
employed in gold mining. 1t is a poison
Gus stun, known cyanide of potassium
which looks like alum. It comes, 1 think
from the hOofs Of certain animals and othei
such refuse, This stuff has a strong affinity
for gold and certain proportion of 1t
mixed with water, is used 70 take the gold
out of ground quartz The gold goes into
then drawn Oft and the gold caught agar
by running It over zinc shavings.
Tho bristles Of the hog are saved, cattle
hair is used for camels hair pencils and
also to make shoddy. The bile goes TO thu
bookbinder and the stomachs OF the younl
calves TO the cheese manufacturers.
Fortunes in Cotton By-PrOducts.
We are now making millions out Of wha
once formed the waste OF our cotton held
and We are likely to make many millions
moro. The latest discoveries there are a.
TO the fiber Of the cotton plant. 1t has beeI
found that il will make the finest OF bool
paper, and the scientists predict that th'
stalks will be gathered for this purpOs'
and that "a great industry will grow up il
SO using them.
About a generation ago the cotton see,
OF the United States went 10 waste. Toda!
Il is ground up and the oil pressed out 10
food and for use in manufactures Of vari
Gus kinds Much Of our so-called Italian
oil comes from cotton seed. Our sardine
are packed I'm il and Il is taking the place
OF lard and butter In cooking. Il is bJne
for light by miners and also in cathedrals
II Is used In baking. 81 makes excellen
soap and il is manufactured into glycerin
and candles. The value Of the cotton seq
is said to be about onc-hfth Of the tota
value OF the cotton crop. The refuse fror
the grinding and pressing is made int
cakes and sold TO feed stock while tn
hulls are ground up for the same purpose
Papers of the Future.
Many people are now deprecating the cut
tins down Of our forests TO make WOO
pulp and are wondering where we shal
set our newspapers when the trees hav
disappeared. IL takes a number of acre
Oh forest to supply the paper for the annus
issues OF a large daily journal, and IN
sheet you are now reading was once a par
ot some spruce, poplar or other soft-woO
tree. The forests OF Canada are still vas
IN extent and il VIII be long time befor
the supply Of pulp wood is cut on.
We have little reason 10 worry however
The Agricultural department is invest
eating certain sources OF paper suppl
which will furnish the world all il need
for the future. One OF the most importan
or these Investigations relates to paper d
a by-product of the corn crop. Indian cor
stalks have a fiber which viii make ever
kind Of paper and cardboard, and / am toll
that Il viii be but a short time before min
will be grinding them for this purpose.
h. H. 4