El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-08-31

ITTASHINGTON. D. C., Aug. 31--Thk
w is a story Of the scrap heap. 1t
was once the despised part Of the
earth 1t has become its chief gold
mine. and the whole world is working
It.
The war reports are full OF stories
Of salvage. Back Of the army in the
field is another army, going back and
forth and saving the scraps. The bro
ken guns and automobiles 90 to the
rear. the copper and other valuable
metals are loaded on trains and taken
hack for future use. Even the old
hats, shoes and clothes are mended
and used over again The biggest re-
uair shops Of the world have been
Erected not far from the battlefields,
and a large part OF the work in mod
ern warfare is saving the waste.
The same economy goes on at home
among those that are supplying the
army and navy The cry is for saving
and government efficiency. The coun-
ell Of national defence has special
committees which do nothing but
study such matters They take cuffs
from the legs Of your trousers and the
pleats from your dresses. They piece
Jul OUT EA0EE W LA AaDLAGaAGQ uWUELs
TO save leather, and curtail your coats
70 save wool They fix meatless and
wheatless days to save food. and even
aUpn on the clocks 70 give Us more
Daylight. They warn US against waste
Of every description, and ask Us TO
hold even our pennies for thrift
stamps and Liberty loans. The saving
already has been far beyond exDecta-
zion, and Uncle Sam is like TO pile up
great reserve funds out OF the scrap.
Mineral Scrap Heap.
The scrap heap 7 write Of today is
that OF our minerals Iron scrap by
the thousands Of tons IS being re-
smelted in the open hearth furnaces.
stereotype metal. lead scrap and SOL
der are resmelted and used, tin scrap
and tin dross are recovered and zinc
from zinc clippings IS saved.
Not long ago went through the big
gun shops here at Washington. where
great quantities Of copper, brass and
bronze are employed IN making the
monster cannon and gun mounts used
on onr men OF war Every ounce OF
scrap is saved and no metal whatever I
goes to waste The copper from cop
per paint sludEe and from the ashes
or brass and copper furnaces IS separ-
sted from the metal IN which Il IS
mixed and it comes once more on the
Save Gold From Teeth.
Gold. silver and platinum are being ]
collected from jewelers. sweepings and
every dentist saves the gold IN the
teeth he pulls out The gold IS saved /
from the assay offices and it is not
allowed TO run away a. Il did IN the /
past This is so Of many OF the min I
ing camps and the banks which buy /
gold.
I heard Of a case IN the Klondike
where a bank burned TO the ground. /
and an excashier got the privilege OF
working over the ground where the /
small fortune in gold dust Just now /
the scrap hunters are paying special |
attention TO platinum They have been ]
Going from dentist to dentist and buy 1
ing up what they could The govern /
meut is anxious 70 get all in the
An watch the Scrap Heap.
During the past year have Tis-
tied many OF the larger industrial
plants Of the United States. and have l
found none which IS not watching its ]
SCRAP heap. Corporations capitalized /
ut tens Of millions are spending for 1
tunes TO save q few cents in the cost !
Of a product. and the old metals and /
Old materials are being used over and /
over again
At one OF the largest oil refineries |
OF the country I found them cutting I
been used in boilers and trimming /
them Up for service again Not far
away was a lumber yard where they i
we're putting up pulp mills to make
paper out Of sawdust, and In the big \
-est sugar refinery OF the world, near 1
New Orleans, I saw them saving the /
vapor that rises from the boiling /
molasses and condensing Il so that 4
no sugar is lost in the steam.
Saving Iron Dust.
At one Of the biggest plants OF the 1
United States steel company they /
we're saving the iron dust notes that /
rise 70 the TOP Of the stacks Of the /
blast furnaces This iron dust is SO /
fine that It will float away on the 1
air, and they have to drop It into run I
ming water, where Il forms into peb-
bles or nodules that could be smelted \
again
II used to be that the Stag that 1
came from the smelling Of iron all J
H"T n