The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1907-10-08
GUM WOOD MAKES
IDEAL PAVEMETS,

the Dismal Swamp and other
marshy places of the South At
lantic and Gulf states, will prob
ably play an important part in
solving the street pavement
problem which vexes the officers
of every municipality. Experts
who have experimental with the
timber of this tree, which hither-
to has been considered almost
worthless, say that it makes an
ideal paving block when pre-
served.
A representative of a large
wood-preserving company of
New York, which makes a
speciality Of the manufacture of
street paving blocks, has just
left Washington after confer
ence with officers of the Forest
Service regarding methods of
wood preservation. His COM
pany is now dealing almost ex-
clusiyely in black and tupelo gum
and he is highly elated with the
experiments which have been
made.
Wood is now considered the
strongest kind of a factor among
the materials from which the
ideal street pavement of the fu-
ture will be manufactured. tt
is practically noiseless, and this
is very desirable in large
cities where there is much traffic, |
When properly preserved and |
aid, the best wood pavements
are said to resist wear and tear
as well as any other material !
now in use.
Wood received a bad reputa- |
ion as a paving block in this
country when it was laid in vari-
)us cities a number of years ago. |
t failed because Americans at !
hat time knew practically moth /
ng about wood preservation for
'aving woods, laying the wooden
blocks just as they were sawed. J
II course, wear, tear and wealth
n soon made the pavement al
most unit for use. Foreign /,
lations first made successful
experiments in the preservation
f wood used for paving, and
IoW Uncle Sam has also learned
ONE very important things
bout the manufacture of wooden
aving blocks and in some re-
poets has gone the European
manufacturers one or two points ,
etter.
The Company, whose repre-
entatives has been in Washing 5
on comforting on those matters s
t weed preservation, has just I
three-cylinder treat
tent plant at Norfolk, Virginia.
here the wood will be impreg-
ated with creosote and rosin by
lie pressure cylinder methods.
he natural toughness of the II
7ood makes it wear we'll, and Y
lie chemicals forced into the i
bre will render it immune from c
ecay for many years. Y
The turning of black and tupe- {
gum to account, on so large a
'ale, IS matter of Importance
connection with the waning f
mber supply. Lumbermen {
ave always considered it an in S
'rior wood, Except for special a
ses, such as mauls, mallets, 2
oards for wagon and cast beds, t
Id for other purposes where a b
ood is wanted which will not tt
lit, black gum has been re- b
cted by farmers and lumber f
en-. 1t grows over a tolerably n
lde region and is abundant on Y
le low, marshy lands near theI
,ast of the Southern states. 1t !
IDS its ideal home in the Dis v
al Swamps, where other woods, G
pecially cypress, once grew in p
eat abundance. Il
Severe tests have showd that a
ack and tupeio gum, when I
ven a proper preservative b
is an excellent mate f
al for street paving The b
ocks are cut to stand on the II
Id about three inches thick, L
ur inches wide. and about
Uht, inches hioh. The wood iS