Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-02-26
Revolution in Paper Making.

How few persons are acquainted with the
mysteries of paper making, and how few are
aware of the revolution the process has under
gone within twenty-five years. The process
of transforming the filthiest rags into the deli
cate noie-sheet on which the young lady in
dites her pretty compliments 10 her friends, is
different process to-day from that employed
twenty-five years ago. Then, the rags were
ground somewhat after the preseu, fashion, and
the pulp conveyed into large vat, into which
the workmen dipped square frame, on which
was stretched a wire gauze, and after allowing
the waller to drain from the pulp retained on
the straner, he laid it over upon piece of felt,
On the platform of press resembling the old
fashioned cider-press. Another sheet of felt
was laid on the incipent sheet of paper. and
then another sheet and another felt, and so on,
until the pile was sufficient after which horn
was sounded to summon the men from other
parts of the establishment 10 assist in screwing
down the pile with great levers, until the wafer
was pretty thoroughly squeezed from the mass.
After remaining in that state sufficient time,
the sheets were taken into loft, well ven,ilat-
ed, where they were hung upon poles and
dried, after which they were pressed some
more and calendered
The number of minutes now required 10
convert the ground pulp into paper, dried and
pressed, is less than the number of ddVS con-
sumed twenty-five years ago. The great i'm
provement has been accomplished by the aid
of machinery. The pulp is made to flow from
the grinding apparatus over an inclined belt of
wire gauze, from which ii is conducted with
Out the aid of hands) upon and between cylin-
which perform the operations of drying and
pressing, simultaneously, while at the end o.
the machine cutting apparatus cuts it into
sheets as rapidly as two persons can take The
sheets from the machine. The process of pre-
pairing the rags has been improved materially
by the resources of chemistry, and we now Sc.
the blackest fragments of tarred cordagt
bleached as white as the driven snow, and made
the basis of the finest papers.
The machinery now used in this country fo
making paper was first manufactured in Souti
Windham, Conn, machinist having gone t.
England, where the invention was almost
secret, obtained employment in a paper-mll
where he made drafts of the machinery, ant
subsequently, returned home and commenced
the construction of Fourdrinier machines from
these drafts. The cutting apparatus was in
vented by the Yankee manufacturer, who i'm
proved the machine in many other respects
and subsequently supplied orders from England
The Canadas, and almost every part of the civ
ilized world. There are at present three o
four manufactures of paper machines in tn,
United States. 1t is not easy to imagine wha
our condition in certain respects, would hav,
been at this time had not this revolution beef
effected in the manufacture of paper.
And what curious transformation is tha
by which the tatters that futter on the bepear'
back to-day, are converted tomorrow, into tn
sheet on which the millionare writes his las
will and testament; or the lover, fond epistl
to his mistress. Why, dear reader, the cop
of the paper which you are now pernsing, ma
be composed of fragments of the baby-lnen q
an European prince, the WORKOUT cnrdage of
line-ofbattle-ship, wandering gipsey's man
tie, and barber's towel.-Boston Museum.