Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-06-13
MISCELLANEOUS.
Pencil-Lead Mines md Lead
Pencils.

Every one knows what a black lead pen.
Gil is, bnt it is not generally known that
there is not particle of lead in the pencil
The material variously known as black lead,
graphite or plumbago, is almost wholly
composed of carbon. 1t probably owes its
misnomer to the fact that previous to the
employment of graphite for making pencils,
common lead was used, and this within the
present century, For long time the best
graphite was obtained, not in very large
quantities, at Rorr0wdale, in the English
county of Cumberland, where it was discov-
cred in 1854, early in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, and pencils, much like those still
in general use, were produced in the year
following. AS the supply of the graphite
(known in Cumberland, while in the mine,
by the title wad), was not large, the British
government, from the first, took great pains
to prevent the expectation of the article,
and even to limit its homo sale to supply
just sufficient TO meet the estimated de-
mand,
Graphite is found in various parts of
Europe, and even in North America but of
very inferior quality. The Cumberland mines
were worked only few weeks in each year,
yet the yield of wad was estimated at R4O,-
600 year. While the graphite lasted
England had monopoly in supplying the
best pencils to the world. Year after year,
for century past, the graphite deposit in
Cumberland became sine by degrees and
gradually less." The result was that gra-
phite powder had to be compressed into q
solid cake from which pencils could be sup
piled. A French variation, said to be an
improvement, was to mix the powdered and
purified graphite with clay, which is largely
done still.
Nearly one hundred and fifty years ago,
the pencil manufacture commenced in Eng
land, and improved in France, was trans
planted to the village of Stein, near Nurem-
berg, in Bavaria, and little more than cen
tury since, Casper Faber there began to
make the pencils, which continued to be
made by the descendants and bear the family
name throughout the world. The present
John Lothair Faber, great grandson of Cas-
per, has been head of the firm since 1889,
and is not only very wealthy, but has recently
been ennobled by the king of Bavaria. One
OF his brothers is associated with him at
Stein, in the process of manufacture the
youngest of the three, Eberhard Faber, re-
presents the firm for the Western World, at
New York.
Stein is literally town of pencil fac
tories, of which Baron Faber is the ruler,
taking care of the health, government, edu-
cation, industry, thrift and amusements of
the inhabitants, and always living in their
midst 1t may be asked-how do the Fa-
bers make lead pencils without the famous
graphite from Cumberland 2 1t appears
that twenty years ago John Peter ALBERT, a
Frenchman, resident in Asiatic Siberia,
having heard of the gold discoveries in
California, began to examine the sandy beds
of various rivers flowing into the Arctic
Ocean. He found samples of pure graphite,
evidently brought q considerable distance
by force of the stream, in one of the noun.
tain gorgcs near Irkurtsk, and pursuing his
discovery, tracked back to branch of the
Salan Mountain range, ON the summit of
Mount Batongol, 275 miles west of the town
of lrkurtsk near the Chinese frontier, in the
midst OF the rocky desert, and found pure
graphite.
After years of costly labor ALBERT found an
exhaustless deposit of graphite equal to
the best ever taken from Cum berland. Be-
sido decorating and rewardiug him, the
Russian Government changed the name of
Mount Batougol to that of Mount ALBERT.
Nearly every crowned head in Europe has
honored him. With the consent of the
Russian Government, Albert now supplies
Faber's house exclusively with graphite
from the mine in Asiatic Siberia. Pencils
Of this material were first made by Baron
Faber in 1861, and were not introduced in
the American market until 1865, from which
time artists and Others perceived and ac-
klowledged their superiority. If the world
were to endure thousand years more,
there is sufficient graphite in Mount Ali
bert to supply its population with good
black lead pencils.