60 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [NOV. 23^ 



For the preservation of tliese building niateritils by watei'- 

 proofing, tlio paraffine process is the most effective and lasting 

 yet discovered. This statement is based, not on meie theory, 

 but on many years of extensive ap])lication in varying climates, 

 and on nearly every known kind of stone and buihiing material. 



I have had nearly twenty years of experience in this matter, 

 sparing neither trouble nor exjiense to ascertain what is leally 

 the best thing to do. I have tried oils, vai'uishes, gums, rubbei-, 

 and silica compounds, and made numerous experimeiits, but 

 found no substance to have so many advantages and acc()mj)lish 

 such perfect results asparafline, applied with the aid of heat. It 

 is imperishable, invisible, insoluble, impenetrable to water and 

 gases, and it does not evaporate or waste away. It prevents 

 tbe disintegration of stone, the weathering of brickwork, the 

 crumbling of mortar-joints, the growth of moss and other de- 

 structive and uiisightly vegetable organisms, the elHorescence of 

 salts, and, in aAvord, it keeps buildings in afresh, clean condition. 



It renders the interior walls of hos])itals, etc., impervious to 

 the infectious emanations from the sick, tlius keeping the wards 

 healthy. 



Altiiough this may seem a large claim, yet every statement 

 can be verified by accomplishment of successful work, extending 

 over a long jieriod and m many places. 



The enemies of the exterior walls of our buildings are legion, 

 but ilie strongest and, as I have shown, the ally of all, is unques- 

 tionably water. The i)articular deduction from this established 

 fact therefoie is: Keep your house dry, it will last longer, look 

 better, cost less to kee]) in repair, and "be more comfortable and 

 healthy for those who live in it. Each and all of these advan- 

 tages are worthy of the fullest consideration of all owners of 

 house pro])erty. 



The proper time to treat a building is immediately after its 

 erection, and before it becomes permanently stained and spoiled. 

 But it is difficult to make owners or builders api)reciate this. 

 The following incident is one of many similar experiences. I 

 saw in this city a very fine building in process of erection, white 

 brick with brown-stone trimmings. I knew it would quickly 

 stain and be ruined. I brought this paraffine ])rocess to the at- 

 tention of the owner; the front looked very fine indeed, though 

 even at that time stains were beginning to show at the ends of 

 the window-sills and other projections. The owner said the 

 building was new, only just finished, and clean, and he did not 

 see why it was necessary to do anything more to it. I replied. 

 Now was just the time to do it, and to keep it clean. He said 

 he would wait a year or two to see if it stained, and if it did, 

 then he would have something done to it. I need scarcely say 



