The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-01
BRICK PROJECT
WIDE IN SCOPE
Great Variety of Products to Be
Manufactured in Salt
Lake City.

A much-talked-of project called the
Western Clay Products company has
been launched to manufacture everything
that can be made of clays commanding
market. This plant when complete will
employ as many as $50 men. J. A.
Spiker of this city has spent about six
years experimenting with the different
clays of the state along with the climate,
water and coal condition. During this
time clay experts have been employed.
and one OF the most able clay experts
in the country spent fifteen months in
Utah rendering great assistance.
Certain capitalists of the city put the
proposition up to Mr.. Spiker to demon
Strate certain things that he claimed
could be done with Utah clays, and TO
spare no expense. The hills near Salt
Lake have been gone over many times
by old clay prOspectors of the east, and
II has been demonstrated that the most
valuable clays lay close to this city max
ing ii necessary to build the plant here
The fire brick will be second to none in
America. they will meet any condition
from the boiler fire box to the SmelterS
and coke ovens. This is the first time
a company has been able to make this
assertion. During the years Of expert
menting, the present fire brick yards,
smelters and coke companies have render
ed valuable assistance in determining the
value of their tests. II. @. Williams of
the Utah Fuel company being DESTROYS
OF seeing a nome industry tnaI could IuT-
nish brick for coke ovens, has aided the
cause greatly, by giving the tests his
personal attention and making valuable
suggestions from time to time Mr. VIII
Hams finally declared the problem had
been solved and that last samples Of the
new concern were superior in every re-
spect to the foreign bricks. The coke
ovens require q higher grade brick than
any other fire brick consumer The sewer
pipe department will be the most modern
and up to date plant In the country, and
the ware will be second to none, having
a very fine vitTified highly glazed body.
The market for this product is large, and
this city is an ideal center from which to
reach the Idaho, Nevada, Colorado and
surrounding states. This department viii
also make vitrified paving brick, which
is known to be a superior paving ma
terial. This company also has very fine
decOmposed poTphyry white as chalk. from
which porcelain wares can be made, in
GLIDING electric insulators OF all descrip-
tons This body of material is so large
and near the new plant to be erected that
it can and will be used in making fancy
facing bricks for buildings. Fire bricks
are used extensively in the east for fac
ing. and the demand will grow here as
soon as a yard is able to produce the col
ors required.
All kinds of building materials will be
manufactured and Utah builders will see
the day when they can erect an entire
house without using a piece OF lumber,
and very reasonable.
For instance. the company possesses
formula that will make building lumber
absolutely fireproOf. that can be sawed.
bored, planned and nailed. 1t viii not
warp absorb moisture and 1t is very light
in weight. 1t is as easily treated as wood
and will not be high in cost. The material
to make this from exists in abundance in
Utah and the only other place the same
article is being made now is in Germany.
One feature that gives the project as
surance of success is that some Of the
best known clay men in the state are in
terested, men that have made fortunes
out of the clay business. such as John
P. Cahoon of Murray and George Curley
of Salt Lake.
The Western Clay Products company
has purchased the Ashton Fire Brick &
Tile company's clays, lands. machinery.
etc, situated at Eighth South and Third
West for the sum of $4,000. This plant
will be operated until enough brick has
been made for the new plant. 1t will be
necessary to build several new kilns to
handle the situation. This company was
launched during the present money strin-
gency. without the slightest trouble, and
with Utah capital.