The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-12-02
The Paper Famine.

iue present. prices OF pruning paper ar
such as materially affect the condition Of th
American press. II they continue, the news
papers must either raise their prices or sto,
altogether. To show how it works, we ma
say that such Of tho morning papers Of thi
city as have circulation daily Of $4,000 cop
els lose, by the recent rise, not less tL,
$l50,000 per year. If a New York dali,
has circulation Of 100000 copies lose, il pa
per continues at present prices, would bo a
the end ofthe year not less than $500. .0OO.-
OF course this would be ruinous 10 any bus
ness enterprise. No doubt the morning Jour
nails dislike to raise their price, but they mus
do SO, unless some change takes place tc
bring paper back to its old price. The
speedy opening Of the Mississippi river would
probably help us to cotton, in considerable
quantities, but this staple would bo appropri
ated at once for cloths, and would effect but
little the price Of paper for some time to
come. We look more to enterprises by which
other and now unused materials may be bro't
to the service Of the paper maker.
There is jlst now an excellent opportunity
for some shrewd Yankee to make fortune
Paper is becoming high priced. For many
years past ingenious men have cndcavorcd TO
mako it out Of other materials than rags, but
cotton and fax have hold their ground here.
tofore, as the materials from which it could be
most easily and chesply made. the fibres be.
ing used 10 the form Of rags. Aside from the
present scarcity, the "rag question" has been
for some year atteniively discussed in Eu
rope. Formerly white paper was made alto.
gether from rags; but cotton waste, hcmpen
bale ropes and bagging have since been em
ployed for tho purpose in this country. Old
gunny and jute are used to make brown pa
per; perhaps these could also be turned into
white. rt-'.-''..-.
Straw has been used in England to mix
with rags in the manufacture of printing pa.
per. Straw paper has been used in ills couu.
try seven years ago Philadelphia Journal
was printed on paper of this description; and
we notice that some ofo~r exchanges are once
more giving it trial. II has greyish vel.
low tint, and is stiff An easily torn. 1t will
not bear folding well, breaking in the creases.
Basswood end hemlock have been used for
making paper, and there is in the Smithso,
nian Institute copy Of work by Jakob
Christian Sbaaer, on experiences in making
paper, which is printed on more than sixty
varieties of Tapcr, made from as many differ
ent materials. teI er il..I .-l. -
There is ono material which has been used
to some extent, but which should be more
generally utilized. 1t exists in The greatest
abundance and has hitherto merely numbered
the earth. We mean the cane, or reed of the
Southern States. We have seen beautiful pa.
per made from this substance; we have seen
even samples Of excellent calico made of it.
1t could be easily and cheaply obtained i'm
mense quantities, and by the novel "expo-
sive" process, which was explained last year
in the Evening Post, its fibre can be quickly,
and We believe, cheapy separated from tho
silica which envelopes it in the reed as it
grows. The canes, in this process, are shut
into an iron cylinder, of great strength. which
is made steam tight, and then filled with
steam at considerable pressure. The steam
penetrates the cane, disso!ves silica. and
when the canes are suddenly shot out of the
cylinder into the cold air--its explosive pow
er tears the cane to peaces aud leaves the f.
brous parts cleared of the others. The white
fibre after slight cleaning; has the feeling
and appearance of fine cotton, and can be
used for all manufacturing purposes, we have
been assured for which cotton is used.
Two years ago paper mill was going up
at Wilmington, North Carolina, in which this
process was to be applied for the disintegra
tion Of cane. There is no reason why it
should not be generally introduced, and the
parts Of the Southern States now in our hands
would yield abundant supplies of the cane to
work with. 1I ..t.i..,..-..