Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-11-11
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tlans wrote upon rolls OF linen, and
we have some Of them about their
mummies, at this very day, on which
thc inscriptions al e very legible. A
later invention Of the Egyptians
spread for many years over the lite
rary world: this WAS forming the in
ner bark Of the rush papyrus into a
smooth sheet. From the term papy-
rus comes our modern name, paper
Paper from this plant was in use till
about the tenth century, when cotton
| was beaten into a pulp, and spread
lout for paper. Who it was that first
Iapplied linen rags to the making Of
paper we do not know. In the thir-
teenth century itIbegan to come into
use; but we are to this day under
great obligation to the inventor
The art Of printing would have been
of little avail, had not material for
printing on been discovered, suf1i-
GENTLY plentiful, cheap, and neat, for
\ the purpose. The material of which
paper is now made, is only the rags
and Worn-out shf eds Of linen; what
were of no use; what every tidy
housewife used to burn out Of the
way that they mi ht not make a lit
ter. These rags are now bought up
iby pedlers, who travel all over the
country, and collect them in small
quantities. They then come into the
hands Of the rag merchant, who is a
considerable dealer, and he sells them
to the paper-maker. The first pro-
cess is to sort these rags, according
to their fineness or coarseness; this is
done in a room where are number
of women seated, with each parcel
of divisions before her, five or six,
into which She casts each separate
Ipiece, as she sorts them They are
then to be cleansed, which is done by
washing them well with hot water,
Iby mill. The reducing them to
Ishreds, and a pulp, used to- be by
pounding them; it is now done by
\ cutting them. A large roller, full Of
knives. turns round in trough which
trough is also stuck full of similar
blades, facing theother way; the rags
are put in, with d proper quantity Of
3water. as the roller, OF cylinder,
turns with great rapidity, it cuts ev-
Iery thing, infinitely fine, to a pulp,
lin a very little time. This is called
half stuff. Frequently, in this stage
Of the process the rags are bleached,
/ to take out all stains and color from
them, and make them perfectly white;
this D Teaching consists in exposing
them to the action of a sulphuric
gas, which quickly discharges all
color. The rags must be taken cut
as soon as the color yanishes, and
well washed, else this same gas would
destroy the rags themselves. When
the pulp is thoroughly pulverized
and bleached, it is put into a cisterr
or vat, mingled with such quantity
of, water as Viii s ait for dipping out
The next process is called COUGHING
Ia mould, as it is termed, is sort Of
sieve; consisting of a square frame.
Iabout am inch deep, with a bottom Of
brass wires. very closely placed
This is dipped into the vat, and be-
comes filed with pulp. The water
drains away through the intersti@es
of the wires, and leaves a fiat Il lin
Elayer Of pulp. The marks Of the
wires may be seen, ii paper is held
up to the light This layer is care
fully taken out, and placed on a
square Of felt, or coarse cloth. An
other sheet, and another piece of felt
are placed on, and on, till the heap
contains SIX qulrfs, or IA sheets OF
paper, which is called a post. The
weight Of the heap presses the sheets
a little; but when post is made, the
whole isl smartly pressed, felts and
all, which squeezas out most Of the
$uperlluous water. Sh eet by sheet
is then separated from the felts and
laid one on another. They are
pressed again, and then hung up to
Dry. The next operation is sizing,
that IS, saturating them with weak
sort Of glue, MIXED with alum, into
which, as hot as the hand can bear,
each sheet is dipped This makes it
held ink; otherwise the ink would
run, just as it does if you try to
! write on blotting paper The sheets
are hung up to dry again. They are
frequently pressed, and at last with
great violence, to make them fat and
smooth The damaged sheets are
then picked out, which make the out
side quires. Twcnty-four sheets
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