Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-04
Business ls good"


That was tho message which
Frank NJ. Traynor. district manager
OF tho Lehigh Portland Cement Com
pRnr, OF Richmond. brought to tho
Rotary Club last week
"Our Fordwick. Va. plant IL op-
Grating at Its full capacity todey,-
said Mr.. Trnynor, and 1 nn huppy
To say that tho year 1921 was tho
most successful we have ever had.
$4,000 barrels Of cement being
shipped from our Virginia mill. Our
business today shows an increase
over last years business of 20 per
cent.
our Fordwick plant IN unusual in
several ways declared Mr.. Traynor.
Practically all our labor Ia native.
Wo own tho town OF Fordwick In
itH entirety. and tho employees have
thoir own government. with school.
h"iel and moving picture theatcr.
GeoloHistH and chemists advise us
that NO have at Fordwick sufficient
raw materials for production for 800
years at today's rate OF manutac-
turc.
Only Cement Plant ia virginia..
The Fordwick plant was bought
by US on January /. 1916, and We
hnVo since mado additions and i'm
provenents to the extent Of 100000.
We opened our sales Office in
Hichmond. rs no shipments are
made from the Fordwick plant north
OF tho Potomac River We enjoy
the enviable distinction Of operating
tho only cement plant in Virginia.
Portland cement may be said to
date from It's frst period OF manu-
iacture In England In 1924. when
Joseph Aspdin. br!cklaycr, Of
LEEDS. secured patent. for the
product by simply burning a mix.
ture OF limestone and clay. with
SUBSEQUENT grinding. calling the
material Portland cement. from its
similarity 10 the famous stone Of
that name In England. His method
was different from that. Of The
present day only in the degree OF
caicination effected and the refine
inent OF detail accompanying its eyo-
luton.
business Romnnrc.
mere liz no more fascinating nor
extraordinary romance OF fact and
human achievement In the whole
wonderful history OF modern indus
Try than the story OF cement. The
stupenoous battle which man is
"asing against the mighty forces
Oh nature can be we'll realized In the
amazing story OF the combination
OF science. labor. technical SKIN and
vast financial resources necessary To
the manufacture OF Portland cement
me story OF cement Is the story Of
modern miracle-the miracle OF
pouring mountain through hole
one forty-thousandth OF an inch
SQUARE Impossible, YOU say. Be-
fore us looms mountainSidc Of
| solid rock. tremendous in it's rug
Cedncss. II is OF two kinds-lime-
stone and cement rock-the basic
ingredients from which cement is
made.
Into this rock giant drills cut deep
cylindrical holes. These holes are
packed with dynamite When tho
series OF holes has been charged and
the last biz Of wiring connec:ed tn.
Wnrkmen hurry to places Of safety.
Ihcn an electric button Is pressed
There 10 terrific cxpiosio. and the
mountainside is torn and rem. as by
a violent CONFUSION.
When II is realized that about GOO
| pounds OF this rock are required 10
maxi one tafrel OF cement and tia:
Il In n small mil, that does no: have
A daily production capacity 81 5000
barrels. we begin IL appreciaI., some
ntih6@ or the uuGnitL.ie Of these
blasting operations.
before we go further. stop 10 CON
slider how this great bulk of na,.rI,l
Is kept uniform. how the ineuuaIi