Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-11-18

Every one knows what black lead pencil
is, but il 10 not generally known that there
10 not particle Of lead in the pencils. The
material varisusly known - black lead,
graphite. or plumbsgo. 10 almost wholly
composed Of carbon. Il probably owes its
misnomer 70 the fact that previous to the
employment Of granite for making pencils,
common lead Was used, and THE within the
present ssntuoy. For long time the best
graphite Was obtained, not in very large
quantities. At Borrewdals, 10 the English
county Of Cumberland ~ here It was discov-
cred in 1864. carly in the reign Of Queen
Elizabeth: and pencils, much like those stll
in general use, were prod uced the year tel
lowing. As the supply 81 the graphite
* ,own in Cumberland. whils in the mine
by the name Of wad) was not large, tho
BRUSH Government from the frst took
great pans to prevsst the expectation Of
tue article, and even to limit its home sale
to supply just sufficient to meet the est,
mated demand. Graphite is found in var
Gus parts Of Europe, and even in North
America, but Of very inferior quality. The
Cumberland IN mes were worked only f,w
weeks each year, yet tho yisd OF wad was
estimated At f40.00O year. While the
graph te lasted, England had . monopoly
of suppl, ing the best pencils in the world.
Year after year for century past, the
g.anhile deposit in Cumbsr',nd became
Zine by degrees and gradually let's" The
result was that graphite powder had to be
compressed into solid cake from which
pencils could be supplied. A French
variation, said to be an Improvement,
Al ho vn.AarAA and IL
graphite with clay, which 10 10 largely done
still. Nearly 100 years ago the pencil manu-
iacture commenced in England. snd Improved
IN France, Was transplanted 10 the village
Of Stein. nea- Nuremberg, in Bavaria and
ltle more than century since CASPER Fa
Der there began to make tho pencils which
continue to be made by his descendants,
anc bear the family name through the
world. The present John Lothair Fsber.
great grandson Of Casper. has been head of
the firm since 1889. and is not only very
wealthy. but has recently bsen eunobed BY
tho King Of Bavaria One of his brothers
is associated with him At Stein in the pros
cesses Of manufacture, the youngest of the
three, Eoerhard Fsbcr, represents the firm
for the Western World, at New York.
Stein literally a town Of pencil, factories,
Of which Baron Faber 10 the ruler, taxing
care OF the health. government, sducstion.
industry, thrift, and amusements Of the in
habtants. and always living in their midst.
1t may be asked-how do the Fabers
make lerd pencils without the famous
graphite from Cumberland 1t appears
that twenty years ago, John Peter Albert,
a frenchman, resident in Asia.ic Sibcris,
having heard Of the gold discoveries in Cal
'fo,nis, began to examine thssandy beds Of
various rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean.
lie foul. d samples Of pure graphite, evident
" brought considerable distance by the
force Of the stream, in one Of the mountain
gorges near lrkootsk, and pursuipe his
discovery, tracked back to . branch Of the
Salsn Mountain range, on tire summit Of
Mount Batougol, tive hundred and esvsnty-
i've miles west Of the town Of Irkootsk. near
the Chinese frontier, in the midst Of tho
rocky desert. and found pure graphite.
After years Of costly labor, ALBERT found
IN exhaussless deposit Of e,aphite eou,l to
the best ever taken from Cumberland. BE-
eide decorating and rswsrding hin, the
kussian 0ovsrnmsnt changed the name Of
Aount Batougsl to that Of Mount ALBERT.
Nearly every crowned head in Europe has
honorsd him. With the consent Of the
Russian Government, ALBERT now supplies
Faber's hesse exclusively with graphite
from the mine in Aeiatic Siberia Pencils
Of this material we're 6rss uads.b Barren
Faber in 1861, and were net introduced il.
to the American market until 1866, from
which tine artists and Others perceived and
acknowledged their superiority. II the
world we're to endure shsusand years
nsrs. there 10 sufficient graphite in Mount
Albert to suppiy its population with good
hlack Ian naneiln