The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-29
Topeka Product Known All
Over West-C. C. Trimmer.
Veteran Topeka Brick Mason a
Booster for Industry Here.
~ YEARS WITH TROWEL
Trimmer Has Half Homes OF
City as His Monuments.
Tells of Days When Best Brick
Was Only SIG a Thousand.

Inc Sdnu taken from the raw river
at Topeka is known the country over
as the best in the world
That is the version of c. c. Trimmer.
1878 Polk street, dean of Topeka brick
masons, who has been in active lay
ing up" for forty-one years. Trimmer
came to Topeka in 1879 after learning
the trade in Springfield, o.. and he is
acquainted with all sorts of ingredi-
ents for mortars.
Il have used all kinds of sand"
Trimmer. said the other day between
the ringing of the trowels in the work
on the extension to the Chamber of
Commerce building on East Seventh
street II have seen the beautiful
snow white sand shipped here from
desolate lakes in the east. But moth
ing can beat the product from the
Kaw river right here in Topeka"
To the average person there are two
kinds of sand-river sand and ocean
sand. One is course and rough in APP
pearance. The other is smooth, white
and sugary.
THE Kaw sand is a flint variety"
Trimmer explains. 1T does not have
the clay matter in it that will crumble
with the weather. Kaw sand and ce
ment will make the strongest mortar
that can be found anywhere in the
United States
Incidentally Trimmer is a booster
for Topeka brick. The clay found
near this city. he says, makes the best
brick for all purposes.
The Old and the New.
For forty-one years C. C. Trimmer
has been laying brick in Topeka. When
he came to this city, a rosy checked
boy, and applied for a job on the old
Lukens Opera House in North Topeka,
he was laughed at by the contractor.
81 need real men to lay pressed
brick fronts" he told Trimmer. az
haven't place for any pink checked
kids"
But Trimmer insisted and he was
given a try out. He was an energetic
worker, knew no whistle and was es-
pecially trained in pressed brick and
the next day he was given a permanent
job.
One day. a man who had been
watching Trimmer lay brick on the
opera house front, asked him if he
thought he could figure on building a
church in North Topeka. He gave him
the dimensions and the next day
he was given a permanent job.
It'll tell you what I'll do" said the
churchman. You add 5000 to those
figures and donate 5000 to the church
and I'll get the job for you"
Trimmer gladly consented. AT the
church meeting that night Trimmer's
bid was considered and when it was
announced that he proposed to donate
$500 to the building fund, the bid not
only was accepted but was greeted
with loud applause.
That's a trick in trade that was
new to me-" the veteran brick mason
claims today.
Cost of Brick Then and Now.
Despite modern machinery and the
immense production of brick, the cost
has assembled to record breaking
heights in the last forty years.
when I first began to lay pressed
brick it was hand nodded" Trimmer
explains. at took a gang of men ten
hours to turn out 1000 brick. Now
one machine will press from 100000 to
so 900 brick in eight hours. OF course
the modern brick are of better quail
ity but the cost is much greater. Good
cherry red pressed brick used to cost
SIG a thousand. Now they are $50
thousand"
"A brick mason used to get 81
day for ten hours hard work." Trim
mer says. Now a brick mason re-
ceives SO a day for eight hours. 1
used to figure on $40 a thousand to
lay up a brick front. Today it is near
er SioO a thousand or ten cents a
brick. This, of course. includes the
cost of the brick"
Built Many Houses Here.
Trimmer has a unique monument
to his forty years of work in Topeka
He has built probably one half of the
brick homes in the city-and they
stand today without a crack.
He specializes, also, in brick Chin
neys. fireplaces and hearths. Prob
ably no man in Topeka is so well &C
quainted with flues and drafts.
II must admit that 1 have run up
against some mysterious propositions
in chimneys," Trimmer confesses. 81
have fused with flues until 1 almost
gave up in despair. They just would
smoke. The air is full of queer pranks
that act up with the wind in certain
directions and all chimney rules will
fail"
open fireplaces are the most tick
lish of all chimney building.
''Dolf'' a Life Long Helper.
Trimmer in all his work is accom-
panied by a most kind hearted and
picturesque colored man. His name is
Adolphus McDaniels. "Dolf." as he is
Familiarity known, is a man of great
strength and willing worker who
puts every minute of time and every
ounce of energy into his eight hours a
day. For twenty-six years McDaniels
has been with Trimmer They are
seen on every job together.
"Dolf'' is a student of human ma
long ago he was helping Trimmer tear
down an outside chimney on the west
side. The foundation of the chimney
had cracked and the whole flue had
to be rebuilt. In tearing out the
foundation "Dolf' found two empty
whisky bottles.
THAT is why that chimney cracked"
'Dolf' explained to the owner of the
house. "A man can't do an honest
job on chimney and throw his empty
whisky bottles down the flue. 1t can't
be done"
Despite his forty years Of hard work
and outdoor exposure, c. c. Trimmer
is the picture of health. He laughs
and jokes with his men, always looks
out for their welfare and is stern and
honest in his dealing with them.
His many imposing monuments in
the city are TO his credit.
Huns Have Many Guns Left.
Paris. May 29.-Germany has sub