Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-12-30
A Great American Industry.
CEMENT RESOURCES OF THE UNITED
STATES IMPORTANT FACTORS IN A
coUNTRY's MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT.

OF the manufacturing industries paseo
on mineral raw materials, one OF the
most important Ia the production of Port
land cement. This IL due not 30 much
to the direct commercial value OF the
finished product, though the output OF
Portland cement In the United States 10
now worth some sixty or seventy million
dollars year, as to the way in which
the product enters into general industry.
Practically all our great engineering
works are composed In part at least, OF
cement; many Of the larger buildings
everywhere are built of reinforced con-
crete; while in smaller individual lots,
but in vast aggregate, cement finds use
on farms, in mining work, In building
railroads and irrigation works, as paw
ing material, and 10 countless applica-
cations elsewhere. j.,
The entire growth Of the Portland
cement industry in this country has been
a matter of few decades, for the Ameri-
can output in 1880 was A. 600 barrels,
compared with present annual output
close to $4,000, 600 barrels. Its growth
was at first hindered by mechanical oil.
ficulties in plants and machinery, most
of which were overcome BY American
genius, so that now we find plants In
Japan, Australia, England, Germany,
and South Africa using types OF kilns
and other machinery that we're original.
" invented or perfected In the United
States.
As the early difficulties were over
come, attempts were made to extend the
manufacture into new localities, aud In
doing this 1t was found that knowledge
az to the geologic relations OF the pro.
posed sites, and as to the limestones and
shales that were available at different
points was of the greatest possible as.
sistance to the concerns wishing to build
plants in new and untried localities. In
placing such Information at the disposal
of tho manufacturers, the United States
Geological Survey played an important
part, and long series Of Its publications
are devoted to various matters of Interest
to the industry. One of the most ex-
tensive of these reports was published 10
1908 as Bulletin 243 and was devoted to
an account of the manufacture OF cement
and to detailed descriptions of the raw
materials available for cement manu-
fscture In each State in the Union.
The demand for this report was great
az soon as it's industrial value became
generally known, and for number OF
wears 1t has been out of print. As the
Geological Survey still receives numer-
Gus requests for data on the points dis
cussed In Bulletin 24S, it was decided to
issue an entirely revised edition OF the
work. The new edition, entitled Port
land Cement Materials and Industry In
the United States" has just appeared az
Bulletin 522. 1t contains In 400 pages
of text, detailed descriptions of the lime
stones, marls, clays, shaies, and other
cement materials of each OF the states J;
and 30 far "a the importance OF tho dis
tricts justifles 1t, colored geologic maps,
mostly on q uniform base, are included,
40 as to show the distribution Of these
raw materials. In addition the new bull
letin includes a summary Of the factors
that influence the selection OF various
raw materials, notes as to processes OF
cement manufacture, and details as to the
history of the cement industry since It
began in the United States. In Its re-
yised form the bulletin will, 1t 10 hoped,
be of the same service to the American
cement industry of the present day that
the earlier issue was to the industry OF
1905. ,
The United States exports very little
cement, the quantity annually shipped
ranging usually from to 8 per cent OF
the domestic production. 1t Is probable
that in the future much more serious at
tention will be given to the export trade,
particularly by the eastern mills, for ito
deve lopment ssems to be the simplest
method of disposing Of the surplus which
now periodically weighs on the eastern
cement market. OF course an export
trade In q commodity like cement
relatively bulky aud low in value-does
not promise any large direct profit to the
Individual producer, but indirectly the
creation and maintenance OF such trade
will benefit the industry a. whole.
Owing to the scarcity In most parts OF
South and Central America and West
Indies Of the fuel supplies necessary to
the manufacture Of cement the develop
ment of local cement industries In those
promising markets seems unlikely.