Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-08-18
SAND INDUSTRY,
ITS RAPID GROWTH
AND GREATFU
CHARLES p. BREVOORT, FATHER
OF THE SILICA SAND BUSINESS
TELLS OF THE DISCOVERY OF
SILICA AND ITS FIRST USE IN
THIS COUNTRY.

THIS COUNTRY.
Ottawa, Illinois. richest city of its
size in the United States. SO says
Charles =. Brcvoort, of Chicago, our
expert Silica man, while ON a visit to
our Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
He is called the father of the silica
sand business in our middle west In
the summer of 1887, Just thirty years
ago this sumner, Mr.. Brevoort shipped
from this Fox River valley, near Mill
! ington the first car load of silica sand
He had difficulty at that time in con
yincing both the railroad people and
users of silica sand that he had found
them what they had been looking for,
viz the best grade of pure coarse sill
lea sand that was to be found any
where in the United States
He first saw silica sand when he
was manager OF the old Empire Ma
chinery Company, New York City. saw
them bringing it over from the White
Chalk Hills Of England, as ballast,
that was a very fine but white silica
The genuine article" st Peter sill
lea, as he terms it, he discovered at
Fort Smelling Minnesota and traced
II from there to Mlington, about sixty
miles from Chicago, on our Fox River
I cigar box of this in to the G. Office
and tried TO procure a commodity rate
to Alton, where the Illinois Glass Com
amy was located The railroad people,
not thinking II of much value, would
not give any special rate, although
leo. Ross who was at the head of that
department of the C.. y. q G., gave
Mr. Breyoort to understand that if
he could convince the glass people in
he different plants Of the country that
lie had what they wanted, the freight
rate would be made satisfactory.
He first showed it to VIM Elliott
Smith, president of the Illinois Glass
Company, at Alton. III. Mr.. Smith
liked the looks of it and had it analy2-
cd and found the material analyzed
1855 per cent pure silica and he inn
mediately gave Mr. Breyoort an order
for one car a day of it. This so en-
gouragcd Mr. Brevoort that he took
his sample box and started east to
show the other glass companies what
was to be had from the Illinois Fox
River valley
1t was at this time that discoveries
cf oil were made in F'indlay. Fostor'a,
Rowlng Green, Tiffin and many other
places in the state Of Ohio Also nat
lral gas had been discovered at Mar
ion, Muncie, Anderson, Dunkirk, ko-
komo and near many other towns in
| Indiana. The result was the glass
towns. Mr. Bravoort showed these diff
! Eerent people this silica sand and also
showed them what beautiful glass was
being made at Ottawa from it. He
went all through Indiana. and in to
| Ohio. and as far east as Bellaire, and
across tho river to Wheeling, West
Virginia. When he reached that place
he had contracts for silica that
amounted to nine cars day for the
season So he returned to Chicago
Incorporated a company there and
erected plant at Millington that cost
ElGi, ,000. This burned down within Il
year They Immediately put up an
other that cost nearly as much and
that one also burned down in few
months after it was built Cause of
these first was gas generating from a
cylinder dryer They built another fac
tory at once and installed steam coil
dryers Since that time Mr., Brevoort
has been instrumental in erecting Is
plants At cost of over one and half
million dollars. and has had no moro
fires. lie erected the United States
Silica Go. plant located in South
Ottawa. While associated with the
Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co., he built
what he terms his model plant at
TCrystal city, Mo, in the foothills of
the Ozark mountains, owned by this
company. This plant furnished silica
for Crystal City also for their kokomo
and Elwood plants.
Mr.. Brevoort never tires Of telling
of the good qualities Of the Ottawa sill
lea. He claims it is the best in the
world. lie is called the father of the
silica business and we are willing II
believe he knows just what he is talk
ing about at any rate from the frs
shipment on one car thirty years ago
Ottawa is now shipping as much al
1875 cars loads day and he says TIL