Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-01-01
HARDWOOD FINIsH FOR PINE.
Method Of Wood Preserving that is
Of Immense Value.
News and Courier.)t

IN the city Saturday in the interest
OF developing the process for drying
all character of swamp and highland
wood, more particularly the tupelo
gum, swamp oak, cypress, red gum,
short leaf pine, etc.
He was attracted to this process
some twelve months ago, and has
been for the past six months in New
York conolcting experiments with
wood brought from Georgia taken
the native trees.
The results of these tests and ex-
peiiments have been so satisfactory
and have made themselves so attract
i've to all partie interested In the
preservation and drying of this char
acter Of lumber that the Howard
Vulcanizing Company, who own the
process, have delegated Capt. Purse
to introduce this treatment in the
Southern States. With this purpose
In view, Capt. Purse has visited
Jacksonville, Mobile, Atlanta Bruins
WICK, Savannah and other cities near
the centers Of these different woods.
As explained by Capt. Purse, the
Howard process Of vulcanizing pun
key pine and watery gum timber con-
sists of subject!ng these woods to in.
tense steam heat in o huge steel CYL
inder. A certain degree Of tempera-
lures is maintained for a few hours
and the aqueous properties OF the
wood removed. The denser fluids,
the albumen and pitch, the natural
presorvatives Of the wood. are retain
ed, evenly distributed in the pores Of
the wood, and the timber thus treat
ed is hermetically sealed and maLo
practically proof against the decay
of time. The hitherto useless tupelo
pt1m tho hn
pine become under this process, as
valuable as the mahogany Of South
America. with the additional advant-
age that 1t has less than ohe-fourth
the weight Of that valuable hard
wood.
An idea OF the practicability Of the
process may be gained when it Is
stated that a plant consisting Of a
huge steel cylinder capable Of re-
ceiVing $4,000 feet Of timber may be
established at a cost of $1,50O to
S3. 600. Twenty-four hours Of treat
ment of the most aqueous and pulpy
timber converts that wood into a de-
cay resisting material which not only
vies with but surpasses the most val
pable imported hardwoods as to time
resisting qualities, but it Is also ca
pahle OF being given the most beauti-
tul finish. Capt. Purse exhibits spec
linens OF cypress, gum and sap pine
trees treated by this process and fin
ished by cabinet maker. At first
glance the gum is taken for rare old
mahogany, but turned over on the
other side appears to be the finest
grade of maple. The same metamor-
phosis is accomplished with the cy-
press and sap pine, the latter being
wood which resists all attempts to
IN, .,AD 4
crumble and decay the moment the
drying out process commences.
One fact of immense significance
in regard to lumber treated with the
Howard vulcanizing process Is that
every pore Of the wood is hermeti-
cally sealed for all time. This makes
lumber so treated par excellence the
material for interior finishing of
dwelling houses.
Wood as used at present is a per-
feet culture bed for germs Of disease
and dangerous bacteria. Scientific
investigation has proven that the
germs Of dyph "a, scarlet fever
and other dangt infectious dis
eases may be communicated by the
wood in the houses for months after
such an infected person has been in
the room. The Howard vulcanized
wood offers as little lodgment for dis
ease germs and bacteria as does the
polished surface of porcelain.
'It is our p]an," said Capt. Purse
in an interview, "to estaglish plants
throughout the South. In order,
however, that no particular section
may enjoy an advantage over ano-
-ther, not a single plant will be es-
tablished in the South until each and
every State in which the timber is
found is ready to act. Then the
plants will be started simultane-
ously.
"This means more for the wealth
OF the South than any discovery
made since Eli Whitney invented the
cotton gin. Hitherto any man own
ing land on which the gum and sap
pine trees grew felt that his land
was burdened with useless product
OF nature. The pine was susceptible
OF treatment to the extent that
boards might be made Of it, but
they rotted away within a few
months OF usage. The cypress and
gum trees were good only for the
purpose Of putting out a fire, so
heavily charged are they with auue-
GUS properties. Under the Howard
process of vulcaniZing, these woods
surpaSs mahogany, rosewood and all
other fine woods known to civiliza-
tion for their wear-resisting quail
ties and the beauty Of finish which
they take"
500 Reward NInn