The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1925-07-16
FORTUNES MADE FROM WASTE
What Science Has Done with Prod-
vets Regarded as Worthless.

What Science Has Done with Prod-
vets. Regarded as Worthless.
One of the wonders of . modern
science is the manner in which prod
ucts hitherto regarded as worthless
have been turned to such good ac-
count that they have earned fortunes
for manufacturers and provided emf
ployment for thousands of workers.
1t is not so many years ago that gas
makers were glad to give away coal
tar in order to get rid Of it. 1t was
! regarded merely as waste and of no
value. Then science discovered its
use for making dyes, how it could
be turned into Is valuable antiseptic,
such as carbolic acid, and ultimately
invention of the smokeless powders
and powerful explosives which have
made modern warfare so terrible.
About the same time that the value
of coal tar was discovered an effort
was being made to utilize thick,
evilsmelling liquid. a by-product Of
the soap boiling industry, which had
thrown away as useless. Ultimately
this substance was collected and re-
fined, the result being glycerine and
fortune.
Perhaps some of the most aston
fishing discoveries was that by which
the CRIME washed from the sleeps
fleece was made to yield many tholJ-
ands of pounds. Some observant IL
dividuaI discovered that a certain
amount of potash was absorbed by
sheep as they chewed the meadow
grass. This potash circulates through
tie system, and eventually exudes
through the akin and adheres to the
wool. In cleaning the wool. this mix
ture of dirt and potash was reck-
lessly washed away. Nowadays, how
ever, wool-cleaning establishments
retain the water and employ chemists
to remove the potash for further
chemical use. 1t is estimated that
TO fewer than 100000 pounds OF
potassium carbonate is made from
the potash thus saved in the mills
and securing establishments of
France aud Belgium.
Little is wasted nowadays In the
cotton and silk industries, although at
one time the outside and inside husks
of cocoons were regarded as mere re-
fuse. Now, however, the working up
of waste flbres has been SO perfected
that very little of the raw material
is thrown away. Velvets and pushes
are now made from short fibres,
which were at. one time regarded as
mere waste.
The same story could be told of
cotton. Nearly all cotton rags, as
well as linen rags, are respun. Al
though much cotton waste finds its
way to the paper maker, the time ls
not far distant when, like flock and
shoddy, even short cotton fbres will
be worked over again for textiles. AS
it is, waste Of cotton mills is EN-
ployed for the making of mating and
waGding and of carpet Innings.
BY the way, how many people are
aware that it was quite by accident
that the late Sir Titus Salt, who
made an enormous fortune out of
manufacturing alpaca, founded his
wealth on waste! He bought up a
Let of nondescript hair wool which
va regarded as mere rubbish, for it
was practically useless for spinning.
Sir Titus bought the material for a
mere song, and after numerous ex-
periments produced alpaca from what
had hitherto been regarded as waste
material.
Talking of cotton spinning reminds
one that at first the cotton masters
used to fling away the steel spindles
when they were worn out, afterward
selling them by the ton for old iron.
One day. however. some one hit upon
the idea Of grinding one end down
into a wedge, and thus it came about
that the waste spindles, which used
to be sold for next to nothing, now
fetch good price from manufac-
turers Of tools, who make screw
drivers and other tools out of them.