The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1907-11-14
rs 1T A PIPE DREAM OR
IS IT SOME OTHER KIND?

T. r. Allen, New Englander who
is living in Sparks, tells the Forum of
that place Of plan which he has to
revolutionize the building industry of
not only Nevada, but all states west
of the Rock mountains. While traveli
ing through the West Mr.. Allen was
impressed with the large quantities of
sagebrush growing upon the plains and
hillsides in every direction. and won
dered why the residents had not put
this vast growth of sagebrush to some
practical use. ~
~ have been for several months in
vestgating the commercial value of
this native sagebrush and I have al
most perfected plan by which / am
confident that I will realize a hand
some fortune,' said Mr. Allen. " Not
only is this the case, but if the scheme
succeeds, and I am confident it WILL
the West will be g;vc.. g new indus a;is-i
try whic, for commercial value. will
almost parallel that of the production
of precious metals
Did you ever stop to think of the
weight of the sagebrush on an acre
of average uncnltivated land in the
West? 1t will surprise you to make
such an estimate. My plan is a sim
pie one taand consists mainly in the
converting of stagebrush into form
suitable for building purposes. With
a portable machine, model of which
l will shortly send to the patent office
at Washington. I can travel over the
arid lands, pull up the brush by the
roots and, by immense pressure, CON,
vert it into building blocks that will
Withstand the ravages of time, in this
climate, at least. 1t is a well known
fact that sagebrush contains both
tannin and quinine,. and | propose to
save both these ingredients and con
vert them into marketable form by
a process upon which I am now work
ing ta H
"Consider the cost of erecting ev-
en- an ordinary dwelling house in this
setion of the country. 1t is immense.
The commonest kind of rough. lumber
will cost you $27 per thousand at the
mill and large per cent more for
hauling it or shipping it if you live
any distance from the mill With my
method the price of building an. ordi-
nary house will be reduced at least
third of the present cost. The ma
terial, to my mind, will be better than
stone, brick or concrete blocks The
buildings will be cooler in the sum
mer and warme rim the winter, as well
as lasting. tHftt
Gin travelling over the hills / have
noticed that sagebrush never decays
or rots away like the trees in the for
ests 1t either retains it's natural dry
appearance for decades or petrifes.
I think / have discovered the cause of
this petrifaction, and if so, / will treat
the blocks with an inexpensive pre-
paration that will cause them to pet
rify in very short time. Petrified
wood of any description would be
very beautiful for building proposes if
it could be procured in. quantities, and
/ have a few samples of sagebrush
petrifed that are more beautiful than
marble. My plan is to cause the
blocks to petrify in any color desired,
so the architect and builder may have
more scope for their art in erecting
beautiful buildings. AH'
g As for the bi-produets, such as
tannin and quinine, there is great
deal more profit in them than you
would imagine, and | am firmly con-
vnced that the profit derived from
them alone win more than pay the
running expenses of the enterprise,
leaving the building blocks clear
profit.