Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1904 — The Cement Building Industry. [ARTICLE]

The Cement Building Industry.

John Jesseu, maker of the cement blocks for Judge Thompson’s new building, has lately been running a force of eight men, with two sets of moulds, and with this force tarns out about 350 blooks every day That many blooks of sawed atone of that size, namely 18 by 9 by 8 inobes would coat. Mr. Jeaaon states, about S2OO. What the cement blocks oost he has not figured very olosely, bnt certainly vastly less than the stone blooks, probably not a third as much. Mr. Jesson intends to order larger moulds so as to be able to make blooks up to 10 and 12 inches wide and long in proportion. An important element in success in makng durable blooks is in not letting them dry too fast, and one man is kept constantly busy throwing water on the completed blooks from a hose. The blooks are kept wet for about eight days. The moulds used are made of steel, and are jointed so as to open readily. The oement is pounded in them so hard that the moulds are opened immediately and *he blocks are firm enough to keep their shape without being allowed to “set” at all. The long and large pieoes for door and window sills and caps are made in specially prepared wooden moulds and these are allowed to set and harden in the moulds,