Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-08-30
INDIANS PAINT To
Be USED NOW FOR
MODERN PURPOSES
Talcott Brothers Erecting Mill to
Manufacture Products from
Lake Deposit.
BEST WEARING QUALITIES.
Previous Tests Have Shown Dura.
bility-Mixture Used by ST.
washes on Canoes.

Natural paint discovered and used
years and years ago by the Siwashes
of Puget Sound is shortly to be devel-
oped commercially by well known
Olympia residents. Talcott brothers
of this city, owners of the immense de-
posits at Talcott lake, II miles south
east of Olympia, announce that ar
rangements have been made for direct
railroad connection and that this win
ter large mill will be installed and
shipments will begin.
According to the Indians this de-
posit of paint was known to the orig
inal inhabitants for many years. They
have a tradition that the chocolate
colored pigments taken from the lake
were burned on the beach like the
moderns cook clans, and that the re-
sulting product was then mixed with
oils procured from the eggs of salmon
caught in the Nisqually river.
The combination produced the bril-
liant red with which the Siwash war
canoes were adorned, paint which
for lasting qualities has excited al
most as much interest among experts
as has determination of the ingredi-
ents of the paints used by the Old Mas
ters or the forgotten components of
the ancient dyes of the Egyptians.
TalcOtt brothers own about 20 acres
of this deposit, which is known scien-
tifically as hydro sesqui oxide of iron.
1t is the deposit of the fluid thrown up
by the several mineral springs which
form Talcott's lake, and at the partic-
ular arm of the lake owned by the Tai
colts surveys and measurements have
shown an aggregate of about 100000
tons.
In it's natural state the deposit is of
a chocolate color. The particles are SO
fine that a few ounces agitated by a
blower will fill room. This fact re-
suited in the failure of the first mill
installed at the lake, when an ordinary
-four mill was used and within a few
minutes after operations were started
the air was so full of the fine parti-
cles of pigment it was impossible for
humans to work.
The new mill prevents escape of the
finer particles. The fineness of the
particles of course Is the valuable
feature of the deposit. as it goes to in
sure a cohesive and smooth paint.
There have been some tests made of
the paint in instances lasting over 20
years, with the showing that the Tai
colt product out-wears any other paint
known to this country.
The spire of the Christian church,
Olympia, was painted Is years ago
with these pigments and the Odd Eel
lows building was painted IA years
ago. An inspection of these two
places will evidence to any one the
wearing qualities.
The paint has also been tested on
marine craft and on buildings along
the water front. The result has shown
that no marine growth such as moss
or the like will attach to hulls thus
painted and that structures along the
tide water hold the paint while with
any other pigment the salt air seems
to cause early destruction and disin-
|tegration of any oil or lead combina-
tion.
Talcott brothers, when their mill is
installed, will be prepared to turn out
the product both in sacks and barrels.
The material will be shipped in its
dry state for use as base for all col
ors except red. Shipments In quanti-
ties will be made to large paint manu-
facturers in the Northwest and of
course there will be an abundance of
the pigment to supply all local de-
mand.
Operation of the plant has been de-
layed in the past for lack Of suitable
transportation facilities. Arrange.
ments have been made now, however
with the Milwaukee railroad to build
spur directly to the new mill. and
through this spur the product will
gain access to all the transportation
companies operating in the state.