The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-08-08
From the New York Evening Post
Something about Paper and Books.

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From ii. New York Evening Post
Something about Paper and Books.
The great staple article in tho manufac
turc of paper is rags, but tho scarcity of pa
per which for some months has been expe.
rienced in tho book and newspaper business
has led to various experiments to discovc,
some useful article as substitute. Bass
wood has been tried with some success, ant
grasses of different kinds have been success
fully employed, but it is extremely difficult
to fndany article suitable for making pape,
that will take the place of rags. II is to bt
hoped that art and science combined will
efiectually remedy this scarcity, and cause
the high prices Of this valuable article to
decrease.
The Overland Mail, paper published
at Hong Kong, IN China, is printed on
thick, heavy paper, of a fine texture and
smooth surface, which is made from the
shavings of the bamboo plant. The quality
of the paper is fair; It is rather dark and
somewhat brittle, but with the European
skill and ingenuity, together with the use
of machinery, there is no doubt that it
might be much improved. Something must
bo done. The consumption of paper in the
United States is about 100000, 900 lbs.
yearly, being four times rs large as that Of
England; and manufacturers have rccource
to substances almost unknown on the conti-
nent. Straw enters largely into its COM
position, strengthened with stronger fibrO,
for thin and thick woven papers, Us well as
for mixing with white paper pulps. The
waste from Observation-Disclosures, swamp
canes, wood-shayings and other materials
are employed, and tho supply ofwhito paper
is made to keep pace with tho demand by
tho use of brown paper for many purposes
not hitherto common either in this country
or in Europe; such us envelopes and thin
wrapping paper. The material for making
brown paper is, and always will be, more
abundant than that used for white paper.
Our wrapping paper in the United States is
mostly brown or colored, but in Europe
white paper, or paper nearly white, is large
ly used for wrapping purposes, and is con-
scquently much dearer.
There are in the United States nearly
eight hundred paper mills in operation, hay
ing three thousand engines, and producing
yearly 27O, 100000 lbs. of paper, which, ut
ten cents per pound amounts to S27 900, 600.
The quantity Of rags required to produce
tho paper, amounts to 4O5, 100000 lbs. 1t
takes one anda quarter lbs. of rags to
make one pound of paper. Tho value oil
these rags at four cents per lb. is SlG,2OO,-
600, and the cost OF labor at ono and three
quarter cents per lb., amounts to S3,375,-
600. The cost of labor and rags united, is
9,575 900, and the cost of manufacture
ing, aside from labor and rags, is S4,O5O,-
600, which makes the total cost S23 3,G25,-
600 for manufacturing paper S27 100000.
Besides the rags gathered at home, the
United States imports them from twenty-sis
different countries. The amount imported
in 1853 was 22,766,OOO lbs., worth $685.
s37. Itily is the greatest source of supply
md sends us about one-ffth Of the whole
amount. In 1853 there were imported frou
England 2,666,OO5 lbs. In statement Ia.
ken from one of tho journals of the day w
find the cost Of imported rags as follows
1850. .S3 6l 1853. .s3 4C
1851. BAG 1855. .34'
1852. .342
From these statistics, compared with for
eign tables , it will be seen that the con
sumption of paper in tho United States j
equal to that of England and Franco com
bined.
Forty years ago, the manufacture Of 4OO
small sheets Of paper was good day'sworl
for three men, while now, by the aid ofma
chinery, the same number can produce GO,
600 sheets in the same time. It has beel
estimated that the paper produced ycarl.
by six machines, If united in one sheet
would encircle the world. Nowhere is pa
pcr 80 much used and valued as it is in th
United States. In France, with $4,000, 90
Of inhabitants, only 10000 tons Of pape
are produced yearly, Of which onc-sevent
| is for expectation. In Great Britain, wit
2sOOO,O 900 Of inhabitants, only $4,000 ton
arc produced, while the United States
young, and but little advanced in manufat
turcs, turns out nearly 100000 tons NOR
than the united product Of these two grea
commercial countries.
The imports Of paper into New York !
the year 1883, amounted to 44S2 packages
valued at s34O,S24, while those of lS5
werc 3,4lS packages, valued at $780,
OF stationery, for the years 1854, ther
was imported 1857 packages, valued
SS60,62S. The exports Of paper and sta
tionary, bctweecn July l. 1853, and Jun
80, 1854, amounted to Sls7 ,325, and tho'
of books and maps during tho samo peri0
to Sl9l ,S43. l s iH
To the paper manufacturer, the rapid d
crease in the supply Of rags Is alarming
and to remedy this defect, other substance
must and will bc employed. If prop
substitute for ngsbc discovered, which wi
keep the supply Of paper fully up to Il
demand, il is plain that great impet'