The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-12
Paper and its Manufacture from Wood at
Philadelphia.

Paper and its Manufacture from Wood at
Philadelphia.
Ifthe question were put What single article has
been Of the greatest service TO msnkindf" mature
reflection would, we think, decide upon paper as
that article since II has been the means by which
thought and ideas have been diffised, not only
among contemporaries, but preserved, and, as
1t were accumulated IN magazines for future ex-
pansion and growth. All other Inventions, and
perhaps the whole growth OF civilization, are
due to the material of paper. Every branch
OF knowledge IS reached, and every avenue
to the wisdom of great minds and the results
Of genius are exp ored only by means OF
paper, and its blessings are dIffused through all
ranks OF society. Like almost all great bless
ings, however, it has been developed most ra-
pidly IN the United States. Almost all vegetable
substances were used or the manufacture of
paper by our ancestors but 1t not until the four
teenth century that linen rags became generally the
material. The first German paper mill was estab-
lished at Nuremberg in 1890; some English manu-
scrilts, however, date tar back as 1870 on linen
paper. The first English mill mentioned is in 1496,
by John Tate, Jr in Hertiordshire. In 1888 paper
mill was started at Darford 1t Is to be conceived
however, that in that age, when books and news.
papers we're little used, and walls draped with
cloth, that paper was not much IN demand, and
many improvements were not made in the manu-,
tacture: he first paper null that has been ais.
CONtIeu III AmelCd was luhL OI Wliuam IhlEU0g-
huysen, at Roxborough, near Philadelphia In
1870, ON what is now called Gresham creek MIR.
j. NJ. WILCOX, of this city, state that IN 1875 his
grandfather, Nho mad been educated a paper maker,
came ana sett ed where the mil now is IN
Delaware county, and erected in l1S2 null Ior the
manu- iacture OF paper. There were at that ume two
other mills in the same business, one near Boston
and another near Philade pha. rne demand lor
paper at that time, either iOr books or newspapers,
was small and not Of character to attract much
capital into the business. When the war came on
a demand sprung up, and Mr. Wilcox manufactured
the DnDer Tor tle continental money, and
time commenced making writing paper for the first
Messrs Charles Magarge and J. M wilcox, of
this CITY, may now be regarded toe veteran paper
makers OF the country, and have always deservedy
mantained their position at the head OF their pro.
The Massachusetts Bay Assembly in 1928, passed
act for the encouragement OF the paper manu-
tactuIe. They granted to Daniel Henchman and
others the right OF max pat er, condition that
within the first fifteen months they would make 140
reams Of brown paper and 81 reams OF printing
paper OF this the Boar0 OF Trade report OF 1871
sa9s:-By payer mlI set up three years ago they
WILCOX ana another near PnIladeiphia, were the
only ones existing at that ume but the trade grew
to considerable extent. Coke, in his Views OF
the United States" says there were in 1894 forty.
eight mills In Pennsylyanla. In 1910 the value of
paper made IN the United States was about
origin, did what could to encourage the manufac
ture by making rags free. Curiously enough, how
ever, after the fall OF Napoleon, cOnsderab guam
titY OF paper came to this country, and bought
up by the contractors to supply Congress, and for
States Senate bore the water line, Napoleon, EN-
peror ct Roi, 1913"
From the dale of the Revolution until the year
1920, there very little improvement in tue mode
OF making paper by machinery. he number of
mills increased in proportion to the demand for
material for newspapers and book-makng This
grew IN sucn manner that by the year 1910 the
ordinary supply of material Tor paper MAXIM oegan
to 1ail, and rags from Europe were imported IN
greater quantities for that purpose.
1t may be remarked that the export of linen rags
has been recently prohibited from Holland, Bel
gum, france, SPAN, and Portugal. The import
from Italy has been nearly seventy per cent. Ihe
rags thence derived are mostly linen which had
been used for outer garments, and which have be-
come whItened by exposure to sun and air. That
ci cum stance formerly gave them value which
they have lost SINCE the improvements in bleaching
all descriptions. The linen rags from the north of
Europe ale stronger and darker. The Guantl Of
ing to the value reuorted in the census, nearly
200,000000 pounds, and 20 696,S76 pounds inn
ported in that year The importation mas, appears
since more than doubled, and 1t is estimated tnat
I'll quantity used is 400 900 900 pounds and
S woud b
This compares with the Eng ish and French returns
as follows:-
Rags consumed. con annually head con-
United States. 400 OOO0 27OOOO,0OO 1880
Great Brian. 436, 100000 291 10000 4 80
France. 2S5 200 900 l4O0S34E 339
AT various times there have been serious apDre-
tensions that the supply of rags would TAIL aud
various researches were entered upon by ingenious
Germany by M. S0haeffer so long ago as l772, con-
tains SIXTY specimens OF paper made OF different
terlals. lhls ingenious person made paper from the
willow, beech, aspen, hawthorn, lime. and mulberry
from the down OF the ascepias, the cakns of black
poplar and the tendris of the vine from the stalks
OF nettle mugworr, dyer's weed thistle, bYrony,
burdork, clemats, wllow-herb and lily; from cab.
bage stalks fr-cones, moss, wood shaVlnGs and saw
dust Paper has been likewise made from straw,
hopbDd, licorice root the stalks of the mallow and
the husks oil indian corn
Our limits will not permit us TO refer to the
numerous inventions in tins line since Schaeifer's
day.
Mr. John W. Dixon, of this city. has without
doubt, been the most successtul up to the present
time, IN the practical introduction OF the manufac
ture OIL paper from wood and straw. The advantages
OF his processes CONSIST III avoiding the large con
sumption OF chemicals, and the extensive evapo.
rating apparatus, cover acres of ground required
in other wood pulp establishments, and which rem.
der their process too expensive tOr general use. Mr.
Dixon has obtained SiGteen patents and has licensed
the firm of j. ID Het Co tOf which firm Mr
Dixon is a member OF this city, whose works are
located opposite Manayunk. This firm has been IL
full operation under his patents since July 1885, and
have manufactured over million pounds of paper
from wood and straw. The daily production Is now
about seven thousand pounds per day Sixty per cent
ofthe pulp contained IN tue paper upon which the In
qItirer is printed was manufactured from poplar
wood, byJ ID. Hett & Co, at their works, under the
patented process OF Mr.. Dixon.
The wood paper mill of Messrs d. Heft & Co
located al the western end of the Manayunk Toll
Bldge, is feature IN Its way, perhaps unsurpassed
interest IN the United States
The manufacture of paper from common fores
wood has occupied the attention of those interested
in paper making for some time but il renamed fol
the estab ishment mentioned to Oring the art to it
greatest perfection.
AS stated these mills are OF very extensive char
acter and built in a remarkably substantial manner
They four stories in height composed OF massive
blocks OF stone, and erected on a strong and durable
foundation. The foundation walls are several Iee
in thickness, portion of which is compO-ed of al
immensely thick abutment OF bridge beion .dng h
the Reading Railroad which runs directly past the
western end OF the mills.
A stranger entering these mills without guido
would soon lose himself among labyrinth Q