HARDWOOD DISTILLATION 



197 



States as compiled by the U. S. Bureau of Census from the years 1900 to 

 1911: 



1 Estimated. 



This table shows how the consumption of the wood in the industry 

 dropped off after the enactment of the Federal Law in 1907 which 

 resulted in the serious drop of prices obtained for the crude wood alcohol. 



DEVELOPMENTS IN THE INDUSTRY 



Up to nearly 1860 practically all of the acetate of lime used in the 

 dye business in this country had been imported from Europe. Acetate 

 of lime was the principal product sought after in wood distillation in the 

 early developments of the industry. The distillate was not utilized for 

 wood alcohol or for any other purpose than for lime acetate, and the char- 

 coal was used, when convenient, for fuel for manufacturing pig iron and 

 for other purposes. Acetate of lime was commonly used even in the wet 

 condition before it had been thoroughly dried out. In the early days of 

 the industry it brought as high as 18 cents a pound even in the wet con- 

 dition. In October, 1916, dry gray acetate of lime brought 3^ cents a 

 pound whereas in the fall of 1914 it was bringing only i cents a pound. 

 In the spring of 1916 it brought 7 cents per pound. During 1917 and 

 1918 the price dropped back to between i| and 2\ cents per pound. 



Mr. Patterson was one of the first men to establish a plant in Xew 

 York, located at Kirkwood, near Binghamton. Mr. Thomas Keery 

 entered the business with him at Keeryville, between Cadosia and Apex 

 in Delaware County, and this firm has been in the business ever since. 

 At that time the brown acetate of lime was full of tar and not nearly 

 equal to the present refined product. The charcoal and alcohol were 

 usually allowed to go practically to waste. Enormous prices were ob- 

 tained for acetate of lime, so that interest was greatly stimulated in the 

 industry. 



