Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-04-23
THE ODDS AND ENDS.
Waste Products Once Considered Val.
ueIess Now Worth Millions

Waste Products Once Considered Val
ueIess Now Worth Millions
"a snapper up Of unconsidered tri'
fes," Autolycus describes himself II
"The Winters Tale" and snappers W
of unconsidered trifles are many pres
ent day industries which mean thu
saving to the world Of billions Of dol.
Jars. 1t Is only within a compare
tivelx recent period that the value o.
many by-products and what was for
merly regarded as worthless refuse ha.
been realized, and the time is rapid!
approaching when absolutely nothing
will be allowed to go to waste.
Very young southerners can remem'
Der the fires that, day and night yea'
after year, burned about the sawmills
of the. long leaf pine forests, and ir
which was consumed all but the per-
feet lumber. Now all slabs, broker
boards, knots and sawdust may bt
profitably used, creosote and turpen'
tine being extracted in paying quanti'
ties. Cotton seed likewise was regard
ed as Of no value-about the gin house.
vast heaps rotted. The few who re-
garded the seed as of sufficient value
as a fertilizer to make It worth while
to haul 1t were at liberty to hell
themselves. Sometimes a part OF thu
seed would be used in the fire box o.
the gins engine.
And nowi Last year the value Of
the south's cotton seed was seventy
five million dollars, an addition Of
twenty-five per cent to the value oi
the cotton crop. From this seed II
secured oil, cotton seed meal, and
hulls. The last is a valuable cattle food
Meal Is used for the same purpose and
as fertilizer, and the oil is put to
hundred valuable uses. Fully one.
third of 1t is exported. and comes bach
as olive oil; 1t Is used in the manu-
tacture of soap, for Illuminating, and
as a substitute for butter and lard
The agricultural department asserts
that 1t Is only a question Of time and
popular education when cotton seed
meal will be extensively used as hu.
man food.
From cotton .stalks-two years age
burned in the fields now made
high grade of paper; alcohol Is ex-
tracted; and there Is obtained a ma.
terial valuable In the manufacture Of
smokeless powder. 1t is estimated
that years crop Of cotton stalks
amount to ten or twelve million tons.
Corn stalks also have their value
as material from which linoleun
and paper can be made, and from
the pith there is made packing tc
go between the outer and inner shell:
of battle ships Should cannon shot
pierce this packing below the watel
line, the pith, upon becoming wet
swells, and stops the leak.
Old shoes-shoes worn to the las
possible degree-would seem to bt
about as vaiueless thing as coult
be imagined; yet few are allowed tt
remain on the refuse dumps. The,
are chopped into small pieces, soaked
In chlorid Of sulphur until hard ant
brittle, ground to a fine powder
which Is mixed with shellac, and re.
turned to public use in the form o.
buttons, combs, and many other small
and useful articles, many Of which art
supposed to be made Of rubber. Ole
leather is also ground and converted
into pancake" leather, used in the
cheapest grade Of shoes. It also fur.
nishes a source for the extraction o.
Prrssian blue.
Old rags, whether silk, wool, linen
or cotton, are used In unnumberet
ways. Old carpets are ground and re.
made into rugs; old wool and cottor
make the shoddy from which cheaI
clothing is constructed; linen and cot
ton rags make paper and packing; or
and on in an endless chain.
Not an ounce Of old metal Of any
description goes to waste-an ole
tin can may become toy soldier, OF
help to cover roof. An exploded
gun barrel becomes a flatiron; the
brass bases from shot gun shells ART
metamorphosed into things Of beauty
| IN the form of bronze castings;
broken cavalry saber becomes a stove
lid litter, and the condemned guns
of a battle ship come from the foun-
dry as irons beds.
Coal dust when properly treated
makes an excellent fuel The dus,
Is sprinkled with petroleum, and press
ed into briquets. These briquets arr
used for every purpose to which hare
coal may be put.
From the refuse of beet sugar ano
cane mill alcohol is extracted. From
the grape pulps and skins which have
been crushed by the wine press, cream
of tartar is secured, and the residue
made into cakes which are used al
cattle food.
In other days, a steer emerged from
packing house only as beef, talloW
and leather, and hog as meat and lard
The hoofs Of the steer now become
side combs, and the bristles Of the
hog, with a strip Of bone from the
steer form a tooth brush. Not ar
atom of either animal is lost. Packing
house by-products in the United States
are worth millions Of dollars annually
From blood is made albumen, CONNER
cial fertilizer, and substances used by
printers, tanners and others. Hides
make leather, and hair is used fol
making small brushes and to mix with
PLASTER Bones are boiled, and gelatine
results, and later the bones do service
as knife handles. umbrella handles
and as various other ivory articles
Instead Of fox hunters bugle, the
horn makes several dozen cards ol
buttons, or several backs for brushes.
Oyster shells may be burned FOL
lime or made into pear" buttons
From the miscellaneous garbage o.
the cities Is extracted an enormou!
amount Of grease which ultimately be-
comes glycerin. axle grease, and th'
like. Dead animals contribute glue
and fertilizer to the nations prosper