El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-19
IN HERE never has been a time when
the industrial world was so deep
Iy interested in the matter OF

tainS a bureau of promotion, the pur-
pose Of which is to demonstrate how
economical the use of paint is, and dur
ing the past year or more it has main
tanned test fences in Atlantic City and
in Pittsburg for the purpose of finding
out just what kinds of paint are most
economical and Servicea bic. The tests
on these fences are being made under
the auspices of a committee from the
American society for testing materials
The final verdict will serve a guide
in future for all large painting opera
lions.
HouseE Painted by Machinery.
Among the most interesting of recent
developments is the perfection OF de-
vice by which painting is done by ma
chine The liquid paint is sprayed on
instead of being spread with brush
The result is an enormous saving or
time and labor. Large surfaces, like
floors or walls can be given coat
of paint by one man working with the
spraying machine in less time than
dozen men could do the same work with
hand brushes. With this device the
paint comes through 3 hose and out of
a nozzle like water is sprayed from
gardenhose- There is some waste in the
process, but this is said to be more
than counterbalanced by the great saw
ing of time and labor. The scheme is
the Chicago worlds fair buildings in
1898. The beautiful White City" was
built principally Of a plaster compost
ton called staff" The framework of
the large buildings was put up and the
staff poured over the frame through
a hose in liquid or semi-liquid form
before nodded into the desired shape.
Similar methods are used in concrete
construction work.
leads the world in the Daint
industry There are $1,000 painters in
Guided in the organized unions and
many more thousands who are unor-
ganized. AS a rule American painters
receive higher wages than members OF
their trade abroad. and builders testi-
fy that the American workmen stand
first in the amount and quality of the
work they can do. Some of them, be-
sides being expert with the hand
brush. can handle the spraying ma
chimes with great dexterity.
Is An Old Art.
The use of paints is one of the old
est arts known to mankind. Holy Writ
is authority for the statement that
Noah coated the seams of the Ark with
pitch before the deluge. He was doubt
less following the most approved sys-
tenn in the use of protective coating on
structural materials" comments mod
probably of remote antiquity and tradi-
| tional origin and Noah may have learn
ed it when he was a boy" This proves
| that the world has not advanced so very
| far after all, in some respects as there
is no substance known to modern sci
J ence and industry which serves as well
| for coating the outside of a vessels hull
| as pitch. OF course pitch is not paint,
| strictly speaking, but it belongs to the
I same class of materials which are used
for preservation and protective purpo-
! ses, as well as for ornamentatfon and
/ decoration. Various oils including ere
| osote belong to the same class, and are
| used in treating wood for purposes of
preservation.
| Returning TO the ancient history Of
paints and painting, the art was prac-
| ticed by the Egyptians and in MesopO-
| omia when that desert country blossom
ed as the Garden of Eden. This al
/ most takes the art back to the days OF
Adam. Pigments were used by the an
| clients for various purposes. Tine
| Egyptians covered the cases containing
| their mummified ancestors with many
bright hues and coated them with var
( nish. and those substances have defied
the elements for thousands of years
/ They are still bright and beautiful
White Lead Long Used.
White lead is the basis of much paint
/ that is used commercially. Formed by
| the action of chemicals on lead, this
| product Is handled on the market in
| powdered form or mixed in OIL White
| lead was used by the ancient Romans
! and Athenians as a cosmetic and TO
form the basis of paints for many pur-
/ poses. 1t was manufactured as early as
/ 800 B. c. by covering sheets of lead
| with vinegar or wine lees the action of
] the air doing the rest This method is
| still used in some parts of Europe and
! is known as the Dutch method.
/ White lead is easily adulterated with
| many substances and manufacturers
J unfortunately often yield TO temptation
! An investigation by United States
| governmental agency a few years ago
| into a widely advertised brand of pure
| white lead and oil paint showed that
! there was not a grain of lead or a drop
! of linseed oil in the product. Progress
sive paint manufacturers favor law
| similar to the pure food law, which will
| protect the public against the adultera-
| ton of paints. White lead is an insid-
| ious poison, the COLES and paralysis
! which attack those working in il being
| recognized in history for many centu-
| ries Machinery is therefore used as
| much as possible in the process of its
| manufacture. For this reason also va
! rious governmental structures have
been placed upon the manufacture and
| use of white lead by states in this coun-
| try and by foreign nations. France set
| about some years ago deliberately to
| stop the white lead business and 1t Is
said that as a result of various steps
! that have been taken, in few years
white lead will totally disappear from
| France.
Carbon Extensively Used.
Il Carbon is the basis of all black paint
lamp black being the form generally
Il used This is obtained in the form OF
y SCOT deposited by burning oils. fats
rosin and similar substances under GER
tain conditions. There is some black
paint made from charcoal and bones
and a particularly fine black is obtain
ed from lees and pressed grapes left in
winemaking in Europe Most printing
inks are made from SCOT black IndiS
ink and other fine inks used by arts =
are made by sepcial processes. the best
India ink coming from China, where
SCOT, glue and camphOr are used in its
. manufacture The artists ivory black
is made from ivory.
UJltramarine has a most interesting
history. AS caeruleum. an ancient Egyp
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