1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 2: Wilson. 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: We made a little drive by reference to today's topic 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: several episodes back, and I kind of hinted that he 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: was coming. I have to confess to you, every time 8 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: I have told someone I am working on this topic, 9 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:33,919 Speaker 1: they go boring, and I sure don't think so. Everything's 10 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: interesting if you look at it at the right perspective, 11 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: because Frederick Walton really changed everything in terms of home 12 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: decor in the nineteenth century. And I really love him 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: for that, and I just think he's an interesting bloke 14 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: and he knew that he had made this big change, 15 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: that he had an impact, although he did not expect 16 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: to be a famous historical figure for it. I really 17 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: really love this, he once said of his work life quote, 18 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: every householder can vouch for the utility and sanitary value 19 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: of linoleum, and many housewives will. I hope bless my 20 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: memory in the future, although my name may be forgotten 21 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: obviously not just housewives, but these things happen in the 22 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: nineteenth century. He's not forgotten though. If I have anything 23 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 1: to say about it. So today we are going to 24 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: talk about Frederick Walton and his invention of linoleum. Frederick 25 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: Walton was born on March thirteenth, eighteen thirty four, and 26 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: he came from a family of cloth frizzers. His father, 27 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: James Walton, his grandfather, his great grandfather had all been 28 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: cloth frizzers. Frizzing, which you can spell with one or 29 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: two z's or more if you want to be really unique, 30 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: is the method of treating wool to make it very textured. 31 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: You first comb or brush the wool to pull up 32 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: any fibers, and then very tightly twist them to create 33 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: a nubbly texture that has a lot of depth. These 34 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: wolves are usually used for outerwear garments like cloaks and coats. 35 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: The family method of frizzing was apparently a very closely 36 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 1: guarded secret, and they did very well for themselves. Frederick 37 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: stated later that his father had succeeded in business and 38 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: became the High Sheriff of Montgomery County. James, who again 39 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: is Frederick's father, had started working with his father in 40 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: the textile mill when he was just a kid. That 41 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: mill was located in West Yorkshire in the Stubborns area 42 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: of Sowerby. He was interested in the family business, but 43 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: that interest actually led to some friction because after he 44 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: got to understand the workings of the mill, James wanted 45 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 1: to tinker with all the machines because he thought they 46 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: could all be improved, and his father was not a 47 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 1: fan of this at all. Soon James left the family 48 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: business to start his own frizzing enterprise, and he got 49 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: into some financial trouble when one of his inventions, which 50 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: was a wire card that was used to brush wool fibers, 51 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: got into a long patent litigation, and after that he 52 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: was really really secretive about his work. He had gone 53 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: into business with some friends and they had all argued 54 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: kind of over who owned the rights to this particular thing, 55 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: and he just felt burned by it. But even though 56 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: he didn't want to share with friends, he did want 57 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,639 Speaker 1: to share his business with his sons, William and Frederick, 58 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,519 Speaker 1: and he made them partners in his mill once they 59 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: were adults. This also did not work out because neither 60 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: of the young men wanted a life in textiles. William 61 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: wanted to pursue the arts, and Frederick was interested in 62 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: the machinery at the mill, but that led him into 63 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: wanting to work on his own projects. He had been 64 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: exposed to uses of our recent recurring character on the 65 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: show India Rubber through his father's work, and he had 66 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: started his own experiments to try to find a similar 67 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: substance that did not have all the drawbacks that natural 68 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: rubber did. James was really frustrated with this, so much 69 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: so that Frederick decided he would just move to London 70 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: and continue his own work. That meant that he gave 71 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: up his interest in the family business and the income 72 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 1: that he received through it, so he was really just 73 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: striking out on his own at the age of twenty 74 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: seven without much of a safety net. He started his 75 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 1: own brush company as a side business. He had started 76 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: that even while still working with his father, and that 77 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: produced hair and horse brushes, but it was not profitable 78 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: and actually was a liability. 79 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 2: Even though all of. 80 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: This was a big risk, Frederick was confident in his decision. 81 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 1: He had been experimenting with oxidized oil, which he combined 82 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 1: with resin and gum, and he created a substance he 83 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: called Campticon. I'm just going to tell you right now 84 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: there are a lot of names of products and substances 85 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: in this that will make you say, why do people 86 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: name these things? These things because they're not very catchy, 87 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:08,919 Speaker 1: sometimes difficult to say, just sound kind of clunky, sometimes 88 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 1: sound unappealing to me. Just I don't want that in 89 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: my house. And yet there it is the story of 90 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: how Frederick started this experiment is something that he described 91 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 1: later in his life this way. And I will also 92 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: say this, there are people that have said that this 93 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: is really kind of like the myth version that he 94 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: made up, like a smooth, easy version to tell people. Quote, 95 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: there was a paint pot in the laboratory and as usual, 96 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: a skin or surface of dried oil had formed upon it. 97 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 1: It occurred to me that I could use it as 98 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: a waterproofing material similar to India rubber. So, according to 99 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: his story, when he picked up the skin that had 100 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,039 Speaker 1: dried on top of the paint, which was made with 101 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: linseed oil, he found that that skin stayed together in 102 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: one piece, and that it had these sort of pliable 103 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: and rubber equalities, and he started to consider whether this 104 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: could be a substitute for India rubber. Recognizing that the 105 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 1: linseed oil had dried due to natural oxidation, he began 106 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: to experiment with purposely oxidizing it, and it was through 107 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: that experimentation that he landed at Campdicon. He combined coal 108 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: dust with Campdicon to get a floor cloth called Camptulicon. 109 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: Now this was not something that he invented. He was 110 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: trying to figure out how to make it. Camptulican had 111 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: been invented in eighteen forty three as a way to 112 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: line the hulls of iron warships. The idea was that 113 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: if the ship was fired upon, the rubber would prevent 114 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: splintering and ideally would offer a temporary seal around the hole. 115 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: As the rubber would melt from the heat from the munitions, 116 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,280 Speaker 1: that it would like fill in the spot where the 117 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: hull had been penetrated. It was tested for this usage, 118 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:01,280 Speaker 1: but determined to not be good enough for the investment 119 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 1: of installing it. When that use did not go as plan, 120 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: Camp Tulcan started to be used as a floor covering. 121 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: The India rubber backing made it waterproof and less prone 122 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 1: to sliding around than some other floor covering options. We 123 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: will be coming back to Camp Tulacan in a little while. Yeah, 124 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: I will say that testing that was done on shipholes. 125 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 1: It did work some of the time, but not consistently 126 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: enough was the problem. Like there is a report that 127 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: there was one hole in a test that completely filled 128 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: in and it you know, retained its seaworthiness, but. 129 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 2: A very expensive kind of a gamble. 130 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, And the reason that Walton was so fixated on 131 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: creating a durable floor covering was that the existing options 132 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: were not durable. He was also, as you'll see, trying 133 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: to come up with any kind of use for this 134 00:07:57,920 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: new kind of substance he felt. 135 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 2: He was working with. 136 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: We're going to backtrack just a little to talk about 137 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: floor covering terminology here because it can get a little 138 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: confusing as certain words are used interchangeably. Today, the word 139 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: carpet is usually used in reference to a permanently affixed 140 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: floor covering, like one that fills the space, whereas a 141 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: rug is something that is generally smaller than the space 142 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: that is in and isn't permanently affixed. But just so 143 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: you know, in a lot of writing, particularly from the 144 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: nineteenth century, carpet and rug get used sort of interchangeably. 145 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 1: The idea of wal to wall carpet just did not 146 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: really exist at that point. It wasn't until the twentieth 147 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: century that that happened. So anytime we reference a quote 148 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: and it's talking about carpet or that comes up in 149 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 1: the course of this episode, we're talking about rugs. When 150 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: Walton died, one of his obituaries lauded him as having 151 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: really been the person who changed the game when it 152 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 1: came to flooring quote. The usual floor covering of a 153 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: century ago, a wax cloth consisting of cotton fabric provided 154 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: with a coating of linseed oil, varnish and coloring matters, 155 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: was not durable, even when the cotton fiber had been 156 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: replaced by the courser jute. Coming up, we will talk 157 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: about how Walton innovated and some money troubles, but first 158 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: we'll take a sponsor break. Walton's experimentation with oxidized oil 159 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: quickly burned through the money that he had on hand 160 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: after he left his father's company and went out on 161 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 1: his own. This led to additional family friction because he 162 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: suggested that his father, James, could just start giving him 163 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: his inheritance early, starting with a thousand pounds and then 164 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: advancing him another seven hundred or eight hundred pounds each 165 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: quarter so that he could get his business up and running. 166 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:04,199 Speaker 1: His father, who already felt pretty jilted by his son's 167 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: exit from the family business, did not appreciate Frederick trying 168 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 1: to hasten his inheritance, and he refused to even speak 169 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: to his son. His brother William, though, who was still 170 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 1: involved in the family business and was doing quite well, 171 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: did help out, but Frederick then spent all of that 172 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: money too. At this point, he was literally penniless, and 173 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 1: Frederick's entire family worked to convince his father, James, that 174 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 1: he really should help his son out, and he finally did, 175 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: but only in the form of loans with clear interest terms. 176 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 1: There was absolutely no early inheritance, and those loans were 177 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,880 Speaker 1: issued very carefully in small enough increments that Frederick had 178 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: to be really careful with his spending. He found this 179 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: very frustrating, so he kept asking for more, and then 180 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,719 Speaker 1: it reached a point where Frederick had borrowed more than 181 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: eight thousand pounds from his father. 182 00:10:58,000 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 2: Keep in mind. 183 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: In the mid eighteen hundred, so that was a lot 184 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: of money. He didn't have any indication that he was 185 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:07,440 Speaker 1: anywhere near a position to pay any of that back, 186 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 1: and once again his father, James cut him off. I 187 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: feel this would be like, I don't know the etiquette 188 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: of the nineteenth century and a family like this, but 189 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: I feel that approaching a parent and being like, can 190 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 1: I have my inheritance early? That's going to be a 191 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: dicey conversation in most families. 192 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 2: Father, I'm tired of waiting for you to die. 193 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: Yes, even if there's even without all of the baggage 194 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: of already having some strained family relations because of not 195 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:42,959 Speaker 1: wanting to go into the family business. So sometime in 196 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty or eighteen sixty one, Frederick Walton moved into 197 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: the British Grove Works in Chiswick that included a factory 198 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,680 Speaker 1: and a house, and he moved there to continue his work. 199 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:59,439 Speaker 1: The Brentford and Chiswick Historical Society noted in its coverage 200 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 1: of Walton's time there that the eighteen sixty one census 201 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:06,439 Speaker 1: data shows there was a rubber manufacturer at British Grove Works, 202 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: and then interestingly that Walton appeared to have also moved 203 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: two families with him to the property from Hot and Green, 204 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: where his father's company was. The male heads of those 205 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 1: families were employed at the factory. Yeah, I don't know 206 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: if that would be another element in the friction between 207 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: him and his father. If he took two of the 208 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 1: good factory workers with him poached some people, yeah, that 209 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: could be a problem, but it was probably good for 210 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: Frederick that he had experienced workers to help him get 211 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: production up and running, because there were understandably all kinds 212 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 1: of problems in setting up the facility, because going from 213 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: these tests he was doing in small batches to a 214 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: larger scale was very tricky. 215 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 2: There wasn't really any kind. 216 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: Of equipment that could boil oil in huge amounts and 217 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: also be open for air to access it so that 218 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,079 Speaker 1: it could then dry up, so he had to build 219 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:07,320 Speaker 1: these very large, open rectangular boiling tanks. Then to give 220 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 1: the oxidized oil something to cling to you while it dried, 221 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: cloth had to be dipped into it, but those cloths 222 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: that they came up with needed to be hung, so 223 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,319 Speaker 1: Walton and his team built these huge iron racks over 224 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: the tanks for this purpose, and those long pieces of 225 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,199 Speaker 1: fabric had to be dipped repeatedly, but they couldn't be 226 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: dipped over and over. You had to basically let the 227 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: oxidized oil set for about a day before you could 228 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: dip it again, and that took weeks to build up 229 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 1: just a few millimeters of thickness on the cloth. But 230 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 1: then initially that thin layer was not intended to stay 231 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: on the dip cloth. They were trying to figure out 232 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: a method to peel it off. It didn't want to 233 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: come off, so the solution was don't bother. The strips 234 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: of thin cotton with the oxidized oil were ground into 235 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: a pulp and then heated with rosin and then poured 236 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: onto dedicated floors to cure, and then after that cut 237 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:13,959 Speaker 1: aged and ground up again. The second grinding was combined 238 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: with additional ingredients which included cork dust instead of coal dust, 239 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: and pigment. In addition to figuring out the manufacture process, 240 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: Walton also wanted to see how his oxidized oil could 241 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: perform in comparison to India rubber. He found that it 242 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: did not break down when he got it wet. The 243 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: heat did not seem to affect it, so that was 244 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 1: all great. The one thing that did break it down 245 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: was alcohol, and seeing its resilience really got him to 246 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: think about the applications that India rubber was being used 247 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: for and whether his oxidized oil would be an improvement, 248 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: and one of the places that he saw on opportunity 249 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: was camtulcan, which, as we said, had already been invented, 250 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: and the existing camtu lecon had risen in price because, 251 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: as we have also recently discussed on the show, more 252 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 1: and more applications were being found for India rubber all 253 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: the time, and supply really couldn't keep up with demand. 254 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 1: That meant that it got more and more expensive. But 255 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: then to try to temper the rising costs, manufacturers of 256 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: camptulcan kind of cut back on the amount of rubber 257 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: that they used and that reduced both the price and 258 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 1: the quality of their products. So when Walton figured out 259 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 1: how to make camptulucan with his oxidized oil, it really 260 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 1: offered a chance to fill a need in the consumer market. 261 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: His camptulcan formula had been refined over time and it 262 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 1: had developed a finish that was very similar to rubber. 263 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 1: One of the issues with camptulacan was that there was 264 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: no way to attach it to any kind of backing. 265 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: But Frederick, who had started rolling out his camptulcan between 266 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: two rollers to create a sheet of material with a 267 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: consistent thickness, had the idea to roll it with a 268 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: backing fabric. At the same time, he was able to 269 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: get consistent results, and although his business had not yet 270 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: taken off, Frederick Walton knew that he had advanced his 271 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: work and he was able to get other investors interested 272 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: in this new material, which he called camp Toicon. Presumably 273 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: the capital provided by those investors was used to acquire 274 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: the factory at Chiswick. So camp Toicon was not an 275 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: original enough name. People confused it with Camptulikhan, which sounds 276 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: so obvious when we're saying it aloud that I can't 277 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 1: imagine that it didn't occur to him. 278 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 2: But it didn't. 279 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: When I first read the outline, I was like, is 280 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,600 Speaker 1: that a typo? Did part get left out? Did Holly 281 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: make an epic typo? Because sometimes I do? And like, 282 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: let's face it, neither of those names is particularly catchy, 283 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 1: so he had to rename it, and that is when 284 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: the name Linoleum was coined. This is a portmanteau of 285 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 1: two Latin words. The first is linim. That's the linn 286 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 1: which refers to flax. In case you didn't know, linseed 287 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 1: oil is made from dried flax seeds. The second word, olium, 288 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: most people know, is the Latin word for oil. Walton 289 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: made several patent applications in the early eighteen sixties. One 290 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: was for a varnish process that he co filed in 291 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:27,640 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty one with Richard Beard, who was employed at 292 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:31,679 Speaker 1: British Grove Works. Another invention that had been made with 293 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: India rubber, the wire card that Frederick Walton had created 294 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,399 Speaker 1: to help in the family woolf rising business, was also 295 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 1: updated with his new substance, and that patent was filed 296 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:46,360 Speaker 1: with his brother William. He also filed one for telegraphic 297 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,360 Speaker 1: cables that made use of his oxidized material. And then 298 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: there was his patent for his floor covering, which he 299 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:57,680 Speaker 1: described by writing quote, This invention has for its object 300 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: improvements in the making of fabrics for covering floors and 301 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 1: other surfaces. Canvas or other suitable strong fabrics are coated 302 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: over their upper surfaces with a composition consisting of oxidized oil, coal, dust, 303 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,879 Speaker 1: and gum or resin preferring Cowie or New Zealand gum. 304 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: Such surfaces being afterwards primed, painted, embossed, or otherwise ornamented. 305 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 2: As we said. 306 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,360 Speaker 1: He later subbed out coal for cork, but that same 307 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,439 Speaker 1: year Walton and his team actually developed a new version 308 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 1: of linoleum, and he filed a second patent for it. 309 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: This version didn't need to be painted or decorated because 310 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:39,119 Speaker 1: it already had color in it and went all the 311 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 1: way through. Having that linoleum completely colored as it was 312 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: made meant that the finish or design was not going 313 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 1: to wear off, and that was a huge step forward. 314 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: Even before these patents, Walton had been asked to give 315 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 1: a talk at the Society of Arts because his work 316 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 1: at the factory and Chiswick was not a secret and 317 00:18:57,760 --> 00:18:59,919 Speaker 1: people were eager to hear what he had been up to. 318 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 1: He read a paper titled on the Introduction and Use 319 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: of Elastic Gums and Analogous Substances. The Morning Post of 320 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: London had to write up about the paper Walton read 321 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 1: in the April third, eighteen sixty two edition. In addition 322 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:18,160 Speaker 1: to outlining the topics Walton covered, it gives a slightly 323 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,679 Speaker 1: more detailed account, as told by Walton, of how he 324 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:23,199 Speaker 1: arrived at his own invention. 325 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 2: Quote. 326 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,159 Speaker 1: The author began by giving an account of the discovery 327 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: and early history of India rubber. He referred to the 328 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: various uses to which it is now applied and pointed 329 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:37,120 Speaker 1: out the large amount of additional comfort and convenience which 330 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 1: this simple substance has produced. Passing to Guttapercha, he gave 331 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:45,439 Speaker 1: a similar resume of its past history and its present 332 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: commercial position. He then proceeded to describe a material which 333 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: he had himself invented and which is, in his opinion, 334 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,879 Speaker 1: adapted for use as a substitute for India rubber for 335 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:00,399 Speaker 1: many purposes. So here's where that write up, discription, the 336 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:01,959 Speaker 1: actual invention and heads up. 337 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 2: It's a big ole run on sentence quote. 338 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:07,479 Speaker 1: Whilst engaged about two years ago in a series of 339 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 1: experiments on the manufacture of artificial leather, it was of 340 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: the greatest importance to the success of the material that 341 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 1: it should have a coat of fine varnish, which, whilst drying, 342 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 1: quickly possessed the flexibility of India rubber. It suddenly occurred 343 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: to him that if linseed oil was first dried into 344 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,199 Speaker 1: a skin and then dissolved into a volatile solvent like 345 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:32,199 Speaker 1: India rubber sheet, the semi resinous material would immediately on 346 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: the evaporation of the solvent, resume like India rubber. The 347 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:39,440 Speaker 1: form it was in prior to solution so you could 348 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: see that already a more condensed version of his process 349 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: was being cultivated. It makes the whole thing sound very 350 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: fast and tidy, and not the kind of thing that 351 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: would cause a bunch of familial upheaval over finances while 352 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 1: he tested it and ran out of cash. The Morning 353 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 1: Post account also describes how Walton started working with his 354 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: oxidized oil, saying that he dipped panes of glass into 355 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: the oil and let them dry, then redipped them and 356 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: did it over and over again. This is similar to 357 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: what was described as happening at the British Grove Works 358 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 1: with fabric. Presumably he could not find large enough panes 359 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: of glass to do this at a larger scale that 360 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 1: was needed for industrial production. He then crushed the solid 361 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: sheets of oxidized oil and added salac to make a 362 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: dough like consistency that could be fed into rollers. He 363 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 1: could add the pigment at this point in the process 364 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,959 Speaker 1: as well. He also discussed that his material could be 365 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: treated in a manner similar to vulcanization, but without sulfur, 366 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: and that the result was hard like ebonite. So that 367 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: speech that reading of the paper was given at a 368 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: unique time in Walton's business recall he had not yet 369 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 1: patented linoleum. And what is not mentioned in that write up, 370 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: and presumably not mentioned at his talk, because I think 371 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:03,679 Speaker 1: it would have shown up in the papers, was that 372 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: his factory had just burned down a couple of weeks prior. 373 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: This was surprisingly not really a financial hardship. Perhaps recognizing 374 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: that the chemicals and materials that were involved in his 375 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: process were highly flammable, Walton had taken out a very 376 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: large and robust insurance policy on the British Grove works, 377 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,359 Speaker 1: and almost immediately after the fire he was able to 378 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: begin work on a larger, custom built factory. We'll talk 379 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:35,200 Speaker 1: about Walton's life after the fire after we hear from 380 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 1: some of the sponsors that keep stuff you mus in 381 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: history class going. Although Walton built a shiny new factory, 382 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: he did not stay there very long because as his 383 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 1: process had gotten better and better, interest in Linoleum was 384 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: very high, and when it came time to really plot 385 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:05,199 Speaker 1: out production for market, it became apparent to Frederick and 386 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 1: his investors that the factory was not going to be 387 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: large enough to keep up. So in January eighteen sixty four, 388 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 1: Walton moved his entire enterprise to Stains upon Thames into 389 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,199 Speaker 1: a factory that had been a textile mill. This was 390 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: handy because it came with lots of rollers in it already. 391 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,400 Speaker 1: The new factory opened in June with the name Stains 392 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: Linoleum Manufacturing Company Limited. In family happenings, things improved for Walton. 393 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 1: Finally making good on all of his work led Frederick 394 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: to a reconciliation with his father, and he also started 395 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: his own family. On March nineteenth, eighteen sixty seven, Frederick 396 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:48,240 Speaker 1: married Alice Scruby, who was a lawyer's daughter. The two 397 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 1: of them had several children together in the following years. Yeah, 398 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:54,439 Speaker 1: I'm sad to say I don't know much about Alice. 399 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:56,399 Speaker 1: I was not able to dig up a lot. And 400 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,200 Speaker 1: there is the added bonus that there was another Fredrick 401 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: Walton that existed at the same time. And you kind 402 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: of have to pick apart any mentions because sometimes the 403 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: two of them got conflated in both biographies and in newspapers. 404 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:18,119 Speaker 1: But it appears that they had several kids, seemed happy. 405 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: Walton continued his work with oxidized oil and that led 406 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: to new inventions. Remember he was always looking for ways 407 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: that it could be applied and one of these inventions 408 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,439 Speaker 1: was something called link Crustal Walton, which he invented in 409 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy seven. This was a wallpaper that was washable, 410 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 1: the first of its kind. It had originally been called 411 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 1: Linoleum neuralis i e. Wall Linoleum, and it was quickly 412 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:48,440 Speaker 1: adopted as a decor choice for fine homes and businesses. Remember, 413 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 1: prior to this, all wallpaper was like a fabric finish. 414 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: You couldn't just wipe it down. The White House had 415 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:58,439 Speaker 1: link Crustal Walton wall coverings, and so did The Titanic, 416 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,320 Speaker 1: as well as many other that you will see listed. 417 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:04,440 Speaker 1: At the start of the eighteen eighties, Walton had opened 418 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: a factory in Pierre Fitzosen, which is directly north of 419 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 1: Paris and just outside the city, and that was part 420 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:16,160 Speaker 1: of a larger strategy to globalize his business. Lincrusta expanded 421 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 1: to the North American market in eighteen seventy nine, although 422 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,880 Speaker 1: it didn't really take off there until eighteen eighty three, 423 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:25,879 Speaker 1: when the patent rights were purchased by F. R. Beck 424 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:31,159 Speaker 1: and a dedicated factory was established in Connecticut. Incidentally, lyn 425 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 1: Cresta is still available today as a luxury brand, although 426 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 1: the company, and the rights have changed hands several times. 427 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: Just as Walton was getting his Lincrusta project up and running, 428 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:46,640 Speaker 1: he also became embroiled in a legal battle. A number 429 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 1: of competitors had emerged in the market. As soon as 430 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:53,400 Speaker 1: it became apparent that linoleum was in demand. A lot 431 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: of companies that had been making oil cloth flooring started 432 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: to sell their own products as linoleum. As d this, 433 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 1: his patent expired in eighteen seventy seven, and Walton tried 434 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: to sue one of them. Things did not go as 435 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:10,679 Speaker 1: he expected, though, because while he had patented linoleum, he 436 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 1: had not trademarked the word, and so it was ruled 437 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: as a common name. Yeah, anybody could use it, and 438 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,439 Speaker 1: he was really mad about that. Also, during the expansion 439 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 1: of Link Cresta, Walton was still trying new things with linoleum. 440 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,400 Speaker 1: He invented and patented granite linoleum, which mimicked the look 441 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:33,360 Speaker 1: of granite through inlaid pigment in streaks. But the big 442 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,120 Speaker 1: innovation was not Walton's though, it was one of his employees. 443 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:39,439 Speaker 2: In eighteen eighty C. F. 444 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: Leak, who worked for him, developed a process that passed 445 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: colored linoleum through a stencil to create mosaic inlaid linoleum. 446 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: This was once again something that all competitors tried to replicate, 447 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: but they didn't have Walton's process. Additionally, Walton built on 448 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,439 Speaker 1: Leak's work to continue to refine the process, and in 449 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:05,360 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety he got his first patent for a continuous 450 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 1: inlaying machine, and he set up a company several years 451 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 1: later just to make the inlay linoleum. Because the Walton 452 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: inlay was so superior to anything else anybody was trying 453 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:20,879 Speaker 1: to make, it became the industry standard, and because no 454 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: one else could quite figure out how to make it, 455 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: competitors had to buy their machines from Walton. In eighteen 456 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:31,120 Speaker 1: ninety five, an article appeared in The Chautauque that had 457 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: been translated from the German art and design publication Moderna Kunst. 458 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:40,439 Speaker 1: This article was titled Cork Carpets, and it offers insight 459 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,440 Speaker 1: into the way linoleum was perceived at the time, which 460 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 1: was as a kind of carpet. It also illustrates just 461 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,159 Speaker 1: how much of a marvel people found it to be. 462 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: The article opens with quote, as we wander through the 463 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:56,800 Speaker 1: public places, vying with each other in size and magnificence 464 00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: of establishment, which have lent those characteristic fetures that so 465 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:04,639 Speaker 1: impress one at Berlin, or as we betake ourselves to 466 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 1: enjoy or perhaps criticize, one of the more recent theaters. 467 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:13,160 Speaker 1: While the eye delightedly notes the wonders of modern art decoration, 468 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: the foot at the same time finds a very peculiar, 469 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: yet very agreeable sensation. What is it on which we 470 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 1: are walking? It is not a wood floor, for we 471 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:28,439 Speaker 1: see no cracks, and besides, it is too elastic to 472 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 1: the tread. It is not oilcloth, for this antiquated floor 473 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: covering was hard and cold in spite of the easy 474 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: walking on it. It is not a wool carpet, for 475 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 1: here nothing of the dust is to be seen, which 476 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: always clings to a wool carpet, be it ever so clean. 477 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 1: It appears to be a floor covering, which, free from 478 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:52,080 Speaker 1: the faults of the older kinds of carpeting, unites in itself. 479 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 1: They're virtues. Upon more thorough inspection, we recognize that we 480 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: have here linoleum or cork carpet. Yeah, there's a whole 481 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: side section that happens after this, where it's like, forgive 482 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 1: us in Germany. We call it cork carpet. We know 483 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 1: you call it linoleum like it's an area. 484 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 2: It's very cute. 485 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: This write up, which was made after a visit to 486 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:19,080 Speaker 1: a linoleum manufacturing facility in Delmenhorst, Germany, then explains to 487 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,959 Speaker 1: the reader what linoleum is, listing linseed oil as the 488 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 1: most important component and cork as the second most important. 489 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: This article also shares a layman's perspective on what linoleum 490 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 1: production at massive scale looked like at the end of 491 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 1: the nineteenth century. 492 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 2: Quote. The technical director who. 493 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 1: Accompanied us first showed us the cork mills, whereby an 494 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: imposing number of millstones of huge dimensions. 495 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 2: The cork is ground up into powder. 496 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 1: Then it goes into a huge oil tank in which 497 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 1: there is constantly about a million pounds of the best 498 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: painter's linseed oil into the oil cauldron and pumps into 499 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 1: the oxidizing houses. Here, a peculiar surprise awaits one who 500 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:06,200 Speaker 1: has been accustomed to regard oil as a fluid. He 501 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 1: sees the linseed oil as a catouche like pellucid mass, 502 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: hanging in long, stringy strips which constantly are flooded with 503 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:18,720 Speaker 1: fresh oil. The wonderful metamorphosis from fluid to the solid 504 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: state is the result of the oxidizing process affected by 505 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 1: the oxygen of continually renewed air. Then, it explains, after 506 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: six to eight months of natural oxidation, during which the 507 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 1: linseed oil releases its acid content, the solidified oil quote 508 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:39,480 Speaker 1: is pulverized mixed with a fossil resin that is put 509 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: through a series of kneading and roller systems which work 510 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: the pulverized cork in fine coloring matter thoroughly through it, 511 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 1: and finally, the resulting mass is pressed through steam heated 512 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 1: rollers onto a strong canvas web. The writer notes that 513 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:59,040 Speaker 1: the completed floor covering quote perfectly unites in itself the 514 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 1: warmth and sound deadening qualities of carpet, the elasticity, firmness 515 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: and waterproofness of kouchuk, and the cleanliness of the old 516 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: time oil cloth. There's also a description of the color 517 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:16,720 Speaker 1: and finish options of linoleum, with particular admiration for inlaid 518 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: linoleum quote, the colors of whose patterns actually go clear 519 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: through it so that they never can wear off. I 520 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,959 Speaker 1: was extremely astonished to see them fill up the different 521 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 1: colored parts and compartments and to subject the material thus 522 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 1: applied in a pattern to a hydraulic pressure of about 523 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 1: four thousand, four hundred pounds to the square inch. That thought, 524 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: I to myself, is indeed the floor covering of the future. 525 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 1: I really love this because I love the idea that 526 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:49,080 Speaker 1: a person who writes for like a design and architecture 527 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: magazine walked into a factory probably saw large scale factory 528 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:56,480 Speaker 1: works for the first time, which are amazing. 529 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 2: Anytime I visit a factory and I was like, how 530 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 2: do they do this? And just away like, wow, that's amazing. 531 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 2: I just love it. 532 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 1: By the end of the nineteenth century, Walton had made 533 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: numerous lucrative licensing deals to manufacturers in multiple countries. Linoleum 534 00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 1: was embraced by builders and consumers because it offered an 535 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 1: easy to clean, bouncy alternative to other flooring. 536 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:23,240 Speaker 2: It also did get. 537 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:25,400 Speaker 1: I want to say, some criticism from some people for 538 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,720 Speaker 1: seeming like a cheap or easy finish, like in a 539 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: world where they were used to like the very heavy 540 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 1: Victorian decor. This seemed a little like kind of quaint 541 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: and maybe anemic, but obviously that was not everybody. But 542 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: even without his initial patent, Walton's subsequent ones provided plenty 543 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 1: of income for years, and he continued throughout to work 544 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 1: on new inventions. I think his last patent was filed 545 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:56,840 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventeen. Walton saw his business interests through World 546 00:32:56,880 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: War One, but when the war ended, he decided to retire, 547 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: which he did to Nice France. His hobbies in retirement, 548 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 1: and I found it charming that this was mentioned in 549 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 1: a write up were fishing and painting. In nineteen twenty five, 550 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 1: Walton wrote a book titled The Infancy and Development of 551 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 1: Linoleum floor Cloth, and in it he talked about his 552 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 1: work in his life. Towards the end he mentioned, out 553 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:24,840 Speaker 1: of sort of nowhere his belief in clairvoyance. There's a 554 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: whole story of a time thirty years prior to the 555 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 1: writing when he wasn't feeling very well while working in stains. 556 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 1: He described his condition at the time this way quote, 557 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: I felt not exactly ill, but I lost energy and 558 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 1: my work became a trouble to me. So it kind 559 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 1: of sounds like he might have been experiencing some burnout 560 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: or maybe even mild depression, but we cannot really know 561 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:52,479 Speaker 1: for sure. His landlady, though, thought that going to a 562 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: psychic would help him, and he says that when they went, 563 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 1: the psychic predicted things about his linoleum floor cloth that 564 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:04,360 Speaker 1: came to fruition decades later, and this, to him was 565 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:08,320 Speaker 1: proof that clairvoyance was real. He wrote, quote, I mentioned 566 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:12,800 Speaker 1: this incident as a most remarkable case of long antecedent clairvoyance, 567 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 1: and I can vouch for its absolute truth. Yeah, there 568 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 1: was apparently a moment that she had described of like 569 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:23,319 Speaker 1: a bunch of stakeholders in the company standing around a 570 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: machine and talking. And he states that he you know 571 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:30,400 Speaker 1: that that moment happened, and he realized in the moment, like, 572 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, this is exactly as she described it. 573 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 2: You know, it's fine. 574 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:39,480 Speaker 1: He concludes this narrative about his life, again surprisingly by 575 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: sharing his thoughts on you don't see this coming, religion 576 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:48,600 Speaker 1: and evolution, and I swear I did not know that 577 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 1: this was part of his story until after we recorded 578 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 1: our recent episode on Thomas Huxley. Walton starts this section 579 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: by ruminating on the progress of the nineteenth and early 580 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: twentieth centuries. Quote, When I think of the extraordinary progress 581 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:05,799 Speaker 1: of science and scientific research that has taken place since 582 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,840 Speaker 1: I was born, I am filled with wonder, and I 583 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:11,880 Speaker 1: am tempted at times to allow my fancy to dwell 584 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 1: upon what may happen in the years to come. He 585 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:16,799 Speaker 1: then goes on to talk about the fact that he 586 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:19,719 Speaker 1: watched railroads being built as a boy, and then as 587 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: an adult seeing planes take flight. But he also notes 588 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,240 Speaker 1: that even though quote there seems to be no question 589 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 1: that our animal origin is undoubtedly proven, and he does 590 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:34,000 Speaker 1: namecheck Darwin and Huxley after that, that humans continue to 591 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:38,320 Speaker 1: behave like beasts, en slaying one another. In Walton's opinion, 592 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:41,320 Speaker 1: there needs to be more moral evolution. 593 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 2: Quote. 594 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,000 Speaker 1: I may be wrong, but I firmly believe that nothing 595 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:49,239 Speaker 1: short of a long evolution, extending over countless centuries or 596 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: even millions of years, will bring us to that perfection 597 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 1: which many of us see in our dreams, but which 598 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:59,239 Speaker 1: can never be realized except in the imagination of those 599 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: who picture they most desire. So basically, he thinks man 600 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: has a long way to go before humans become truly altruistic. 601 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:09,920 Speaker 1: He then compares the growth of religion to the growth 602 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:13,319 Speaker 1: of language and states that he believes quote both are 603 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:17,160 Speaker 1: but a form of evolution. He also mentions that little 604 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:20,840 Speaker 1: section may alienate some of his associates and colleagues, but 605 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,040 Speaker 1: he concludes by writing quote, my object in adding these 606 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 1: final words is only to emphasize the wonderful changes which 607 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,239 Speaker 1: have occurred during the last ninety years. And I am 608 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 1: indeed thankful that I have had time and opportunity to 609 00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:38,160 Speaker 1: modify the views that I held in my youth. As 610 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:41,279 Speaker 1: Walton entered his nineties, he started to think about a 611 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:44,319 Speaker 1: goal of living to be one hundred. That was not 612 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:47,360 Speaker 1: to be. He fell and broke his leg in early 613 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty eight. He never really recovered, and then he declined, 614 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 1: and Frederick Walton died on May sixteenth of nineteen twenty eight. 615 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 1: Walton's will garnered a fair amount of press coverage because 616 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:03,080 Speaker 1: he made provisions for the people who had worked closely 617 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 1: under him in later years. He reportedly left behind an 618 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:11,800 Speaker 1: estate of fifty four thousand, one hundred and sixteen pounds, 619 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:14,839 Speaker 1: and he left four thousand of that to Hilda Mary Gay, 620 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:18,919 Speaker 1: who he described as his devoted attendant, and another four 621 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:21,840 Speaker 1: thousand in a trust to provide for the widow of 622 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:26,560 Speaker 1: Edward Francis Armstrong, who had been his personal secretary. In 623 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 1: the terms of the trust, He had also arranged that 624 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:32,279 Speaker 1: it would pass to Edward's daughter, Catherine maud Armstrong once 625 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:36,280 Speaker 1: Edward's widow died. Presumably the rest was for his family. 626 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:38,279 Speaker 1: But I just love that all the write ups are 627 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: kind of like he gave money to the servants. It's 628 00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:43,439 Speaker 1: kind of a hoot, but that was what they got 629 00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:48,360 Speaker 1: for supporting the inventor of linoleum, because that's Frederick Walton, 630 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:52,960 Speaker 1: who I find very interesting and a little a little 631 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,359 Speaker 1: marvelously odd. I have listener mail. 632 00:37:57,719 --> 00:37:58,040 Speaker 2: Listen. 633 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:01,719 Speaker 1: I'm gonna tell you some of the listener mail was 634 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:03,640 Speaker 1: chosen because of the animals. 635 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:05,600 Speaker 2: Okay, this is from our listener. 636 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 1: Valerie, who writes, Hello, Holly and Tracy. I absolutely love 637 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: listening to your podcast, especially when I'm out running. It 638 00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:14,680 Speaker 1: keeps my mind occupied with something other than how much 639 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:17,920 Speaker 1: I want to stop, especially in this Texas summer heat. 640 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,600 Speaker 1: A funny side effect is that I'll occasionally post a 641 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:23,080 Speaker 1: fun fact of the day on Facebook, and it's always 642 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:26,040 Speaker 1: always something I learned from your show. I've actually had 643 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:28,040 Speaker 1: people comment that they can tell I've gone for a 644 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 1: run because another random fun fact has appeared on my page. 645 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 1: I recently listened to your episode about shoes, and while 646 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:38,120 Speaker 1: I wouldn't say I have a shoe obsession unlike someone else, 647 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:41,200 Speaker 1: I won't mention I mean, I presume Valerie means me. 648 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:44,560 Speaker 1: I apparently own enough running shoes that my husband recently 649 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,959 Speaker 1: felt he needed to comment on my collection. I also 650 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:49,879 Speaker 1: heard on one of your minis that y'all have done 651 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:52,480 Speaker 1: a run Disney Weekend. I've only done one so far, 652 00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 1: but I absolutely loved it. It was such a fun 653 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:58,680 Speaker 1: experience and I definitely look forward to doing another one someday. 654 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,800 Speaker 1: For the requires pet tacks, I'm including a couple of pictures. 655 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,719 Speaker 1: One is of our flock in their coop, which we 656 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:11,920 Speaker 1: proudly call the hen Sane Asylum. Ah oh, these chickens 657 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 1: names are the absolutely best. A little dark, so get ready. 658 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:21,160 Speaker 1: Our girls are Tanya Harding, Lizzie Borden, Casey, Anthony, Carol Baskin, 659 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:25,600 Speaker 1: the strippers, Babs, Diamond and Cinnamon, plus Missus Tweety and 660 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:29,560 Speaker 1: Mac from Chicken Run. That's a pretty wild and delayful 661 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:33,120 Speaker 1: assortment and names. The other picture, and everybody be cool, 662 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:35,960 Speaker 1: don't share this information. The other picture is of our 663 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:40,080 Speaker 1: two very spoiled Boston terriers, Tucker and Lila. Please keep 664 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:42,680 Speaker 1: that description between us, though they have no idea they're 665 00:39:42,719 --> 00:39:45,960 Speaker 1: actually dogs. As far as they're concerned, they're babies, and 666 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:49,800 Speaker 1: we've made absolutely no effort to convince them otherwise. Sending 667 00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:52,400 Speaker 1: lots of listening love from Texas. Listen, I'm not gonna 668 00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 1: tell those two children that they're not children. The hens 669 00:39:56,200 --> 00:40:00,520 Speaker 1: are so cute. The babies are so cute. Tucker, Karanlila 670 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:02,799 Speaker 1: are very sweet, and I just I love it. We 671 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:06,920 Speaker 1: don't get many chicken pictures. Send them on, Send them on. 672 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:11,279 Speaker 1: Some of those are very pretty babies. Anyway, I love it. 673 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:14,319 Speaker 1: I love that we make running easier. Run Disney is 674 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:17,080 Speaker 1: ramping back up very quickly. I mean, they did, you know, 675 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:19,520 Speaker 1: during the height of the pandemic, when nobody was doing anything, 676 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:22,600 Speaker 1: they of course stopped and they have started back a 677 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:25,800 Speaker 1: while back. But I feel like they're in that rapid 678 00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:29,160 Speaker 1: growth dace that happened when Run Disney first became a thing, 679 00:40:29,239 --> 00:40:31,160 Speaker 1: but it started at a higher level, so now it's 680 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:34,120 Speaker 1: really huge growth. I hope that everyone that tries to 681 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,799 Speaker 1: get into races gets in. I haven't registered for one 682 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:39,360 Speaker 1: a long time, and my understanding is that now registration 683 00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:43,080 Speaker 1: day is fraught because it's like, you know, trying to 684 00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:46,400 Speaker 1: get tickets to Taylor Swift. Probably not that bad, but 685 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 1: in any case, thank you for sharing that with us 686 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:52,080 Speaker 1: and the chickens and your two beautiful children. If you 687 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:54,120 Speaker 1: would like to write to us, you can do so 688 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:59,160 Speaker 1: at History Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. You can find 689 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:01,440 Speaker 1: the show notes for any of the shows that we 690 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:05,480 Speaker 1: record at mystonhistory dot com, And if you have not 691 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: yet subscribed to the podcast and you'd like to, you 692 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:11,400 Speaker 1: can do that on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you 693 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:19,319 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows. Stuff you Missed in History 694 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:23,719 Speaker 1: Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 695 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:27,480 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 696 00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.