224 



Bones — WJiip-handles — Ivory Black, <^c. 



Vol. IX. 



Bones,— Whip-Handles,— Ivory Black,— 

 Hoofs,— Prussian Blue,— Offal, &c. 



This is a motly heading, but is exactly 

 adapted to what we have to say. A few 

 days since we took a ramble up Deer creek. 

 We were not walking- for pleasure, although 

 the atmosphere that encompassed us wlis 



fragrant with that we will tell by 



and by. We hope the word will not be 

 driven from the English vocabulary by this 

 too free use of it. The creek sliore, above 

 Ninth street, is measurably lined, and in one 

 instance, we believe, covered by slaughter- 

 houses, — some devoted to disposing of'^hogs, 

 and others of cattle,— tanneries, bone-mill, 

 grease trying establishments, and similar 

 odoriferous vocations; and in the winter 

 season the stream should be known as 

 Bloody run, for such it literally is, its colour 

 being nearly scarlet. A brewery adds its 

 mite, as well as a steam lard and tallow 

 manufactory, to the general aggregate of 

 which the creek is the depository. 



But however undesirable is the brink of 

 this murmuring stream, the vale through 

 which it runs is nevertheless a fountain^of 

 wealth. Among the establishments there is 

 one which is a common receiver of nearly 

 all the offal of the city slaughter-houses. 

 From it is turned out an immense amount of 

 grease and inferior lard. A large propor- 

 tion of the daily market beef-legs and 

 shanks are purchased by the proprietor, and 

 after the marrow and grease are extracted, 

 the bones are sold for" the various purposes 

 of button-making, whip-handle finishing, the 

 manufacture of China-ware, or porcelain, 

 and also ivory black. Of the latter, large 

 quantities are used in the manufacture "of 

 shoe-blacking; and a mill in this noted vale 

 is expressly appropriated to the grinding of 

 bone, pith of horns, &c., for the manufact"iire 

 of black. 



Of the small bone used for black and por- 

 celain, this house ships to foreign ports, 

 mostly Europe, about 400,000 lbs. per year; 

 and of the large bone, which are principally 

 used for the ferrules and butts of whip stocks, 

 and the manufacture of buttons, about 130, 

 000 pieces. These quantities are exclusive 

 of the amount consumed here, which is very 

 considerable, particularly of the former kind. 

 A few years ago, nothing of the kind was 

 done here, and, as far as bone was concerned, 

 was entirely a waste. The prices here, are : 

 for the small, $16 per ton. A large con- 

 tract closes with 1844, for export to Europe, 

 at that rate, packages included ; and for the 

 latter, $10 per 1000 pieces. The price last 

 year was $8. 



Soap grease is the great staple of this 



Vesuvius, very large quantities of which are 

 shipped to the Eastern cities. Forty thou- 

 sand dollars worth was mentioned to us as 

 the value of what is at this time on sale in 

 New York alone. The prices here now 

 are : four cents for No. 1, and three and a 

 half for No. 2. 



One of the otlior articles made to a great 

 extent, is Neats' foot oil, from the nether 

 legs and hoof This sells by wholesale at 

 62 to 75 cents per gallon. 



Another is sausage skins, with which not 

 only our own market is supplied, but ship- 

 ments are constantly making to the South 

 and East. They sell here at $10 per keg- 

 size, the common lard keg. 



Hog's bristles are another thing prepared 

 by this and other houses, or house in the 

 city, and of this article large sliipments are 

 also made, both of the combed and tied, used 

 by saddlers, shoemakers, &c., and of the 

 curled. The former kind sells at 30 to 3.5 

 cents per lb. The curled are used for the 

 same purposes to which curled hair is ap- 

 plied— mattrasses, cushioned chairs, sofa, &c. 

 Who ever thought of reposing on a piff's 

 back] ^"^ 



One other thing we learned in this, our 

 evening ramble, was, that we have with us 

 a manufactory of Prussian Blue. The stock 

 from which it is made is cattle's hoofs, and 

 plucks, and the blood of hogs and cattle. 

 The hoofs command .$16 per ton. The 

 manufacturer is a German. It is but a year 

 or eighteen months since he commenced 

 operations, arid cannot be said to be fairly 

 under way, but has sufficiently tested the 

 experiment clearly to demonstrate the prac- 

 ticability of successfully competing with the 

 foreign article, both as to quality and price, 

 and expects in a few years to be able to 

 consume a very large proportion of the blood 

 to be obtained here. 



We were also told of an instance of a 

 foreign demand for blood. The facts we 

 have stated are a few instances of the econ- 

 omy with which science is capable of making 

 us acquainted, and of the value of the skill 

 by which it can be effected. Shall we cul- 

 tivate the arts and sciences, and encourage 

 skill and enterprise in our country? — Cin- 

 cinnati Chronicle. 



" Cotton was grown to a small extent in 

 the United States, nearly two hundred years 

 ago; but it was not extensively introduced 

 till many years afler. In 1786, James Madi- 

 son, writing to a friend, says, 'There is no 

 reason to doubt that the United States w^ill, 

 one day, become a great cotton producing 

 country.' " 



