New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-03-28
MAnUrAorunn OF PAPER.

oSSoAAAS
tant branch Of industry in this country and it is
continually increasing in value and extent. The de-
mand for paper especially printing paper-has be-
come 10 great within the past decade that prices have
largely advanced, much to the detriment of the pub
fishing interest, and at times scarcity Of the raw
material has compelled paper makers to fail in the
fnlfllment of their contracts at considerable loss.
Like most branches of manufacturing industry the
people Of the North have profted much by it-nine-
teentwenteths of the paper used in the country be-
ing fabricated above Mason and Dixon ltne-athough
the South enjoys unequaed facilities for the manu-
facture Of paper wherewith to supply her own wants.
besides leaving large residuum FOR export but' we
will not dlate upon this trte theme as we see ndlea-
tons of improvement looming up in the distance,
betokening results ofthe most suspicious description
If we didn't we should feel like giving our people
regular raking down without much regard to their
cuticles. es,t
In late number Of the Mobile Tribune, we find an
interesting article on the subject Of Paper Manufac
turea From it we extract the following paragraph
The greatest difficulty which has attended the man
ufacture of paper in the United States has been the
want Of the proper material The comparative cheap
ness of cotton fabrics in this country entirely excludes
linen from general consequently, the only article
afforded for the manufacture is out cotton cloth
ing which is very tender that it is scarcely able
support its weight when made into paper. 1t is the
custom to mix with this cotton from 80 to so percent
of linen, which imparts to the paper strength and
frmness which it could not have without it. For sup
plies of this indispensable material manufacturers
have been dependent on the surplus product of Euro
pean countries, which has never been certain. Owing
to this difficulty, the prices and supply of paper
not regular, and paper makers are often obliged to
suspend operations at considerable loss Yet, not
the Inconvenience resulting from this
want the business has been pursued with great profit
throughout the Northern Middle and Western States
where it has rapidly increased during the past ten
years. and is now one of the most important branches
of manufacture. In the Southern States, however,
where all the requisite material is afforded at low
rate, and can be procured in abundance without
trouble very little attention has been paid to it. In
fact, We do not know of single establishment of the
kind now in operation in the States Of Florida Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas the demand
of which is sufficient to sustain from twenty to thirty
ordinary mills. The quantity which is shipped annu-
ally to the interior from this city Alone probably not
less than 1000 reams which, added to the yearly CON
sumption Of the printing Offices in Mobile, amounts to
about II 900 reams.
Some years ago great ado was made about the
establishment Of paper mill in this State on an ex
tensve SCALE It was, believe to be located in the
parish of ST. Tammany. A favorable legislative
charter was obtained for it. all that was asked was
freely granted The newspapers wrote ecstatc articles
over this indication of home Improvement well
recolect writing seyeral-and all were prepared to
patronize the new mill, provided it came within a
moiety Of its promises, to extent that would have
secured for it at once lucrative business And this
was the last we heard of the grand enterprlse What
lame and impotent conclusion" By the way, as
our contemporary Of the Orleanian appeared to know
more about the details of the movement at the time
than any Of us, perhaps be give information
in the premises. What has become of the trumpet
blown Louisiana Paper Manufacturing Company?
The Mobile Tribune estimates the quantity of print
ing paper used in Alabama at twelve thousand reams
per annum. This estimate, we have no doubt is
largely under the figure as great quantities ship
ped from this city and from the North direct, the
amount of which our contemporary could have no
means of calculating accurately. But, be this as it
may, we will take another calculation furnished in
the same article. Assuming that $3.50 reams are
consumed, costing So SO per ream the cost amounts
to $4,000. -Es.
We now quote from the Tribune:
To make this quantity of paper, about 100000
pounds of raw material would be necessary, which
would comprise 100000 pounds of hemp and 900
pounds of cotton, such as old rags, wornout negro
clothing and the refuse of the pckeries and presses
The quantity of this stuff which accumuates yearly
in this city cannot be less than 500 900 pounds.
Last year the balerope cuttings alone amounted to
100000 pounds. These cuttings being hemp are
eagerly sought for by paper-makers. When mixed
with cotton the hemp rope makes the best kind of
printing paper that can be produced. 1t is sold in
this city at two and half cents per pound and ship
ped to the North where it brings from five to seven
cents. There are also from ten to twelve hundred
thousand pounds of refuse cotton rags and worn out
cotton clothing, which are yearly exported from this
section to the North, and there sold in like manner
at great advance from cost in this city.
Estimating the quantity thus disposed of annually
at 100000 pounds, have raw material enough to
furnish near $4,000 reams of ordinary sized news
paper IS
This stuff, at q cents per pound, is worth here
$4,000. After being shipped to the North it is pur-
chased by the manufacturers at cents per pound,
making $4,000 1t is then converted into paper and
sold to consumers in the Southern States for OO0
Thus, for the want of manufactures the Northern,
Middle and Western States are continually draining
our section of its capital. OF our natural facilities
for the manufacture of this article much might be
said but it is not necessary, nasmuch as it can be
seen by the foregoing estimates that the material
which is worth here $4,000, can be made at small
cost worth 100000 If this is true, it is certainly
Q shame for US to depend on remote parts of the
Union for our supplies.
What is true as to Mobile is true as to New Or
leans in an eight+fold proportion and yet neither
city, the vicinity or State of either can boast Of
solitary paper mill How long shall this state of
things continue? Not long if our people ever con-
template discriminating themselves from slaysh de-
pendence upon the North.
GEO. HEILGE, ESQ.,, ARTIST OF DIR. BEALE's ARC