Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-11-26
Pencil-Lrnd Mines and Lead Pencils.

Every one knows what black lead-pen'
Gil is, but it ia not generally known that
there is not particle of lead in the pencil.
The material variously known as.black lead,
gnphite or plumbago, is almost wholly
composed of carbon. 1t probably owes its
misnomcr to the fact that previous to the
employment Of graphite for making pen
ellis, common lead was used, and this within
the present century. For long tirue the
best ornphite was obtained, not in very
la,ee quantities, OF Borrowdale, in
the English county of Cumberland,
whero It was discovered in 1854, early
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, aud pen
ellis, much like those still in general use.
were produced the year following. As the
supply of the graphite (known In Cumber-
land. while in the mine, by the name OF
ynd) was not large, the British Govern
ment from the 6rst took great pains to
prevent the expectation the article, ard
even to limit its home sale to supply
lust sufficient to meet the estimated de-
mand. Graphite is found in various parts
OF Europe, and even in North America, but
of q very inferior quality, The Cumber-
land mines were worked but few weeks
each year, vet the yield Of wad was estima-
led nj Gl0,O00 d year. While tho graph
ito lasted, England supplied the best
rencilsto the world. Year after year for
= century past the graphite deposit in the
Cumberland became ''fine by degrees and
0raduallyle less" The result was that gra'
,phite powder had TO be compressed into
solid cake from which pencils could bf
supplied. A French variation, said to bs
an Improvement was to mix the powered
and purified graphite with clay, which i!
largely done still, Nearly one hundred apo
fifty years ago the pencil manufacture com
menced in England, and, improved in
Frnnce, was transpanted to the village o.
Stein, noar Nuremberg, in Bavariaj and
little more than century since Caspel
Faber there began to make the pencils
which continue TO be made by his descend
ants and bear the family name through tho
world The present John Lothnir Faber
great grandson Of Casper, has been heac
of tho firm since 1899, and il not only very
wealthy, but has recently been ennoblet
by the King of Bavaria. One Of his broth
ers in associated with him at Stein, in thu
process of manufacture; the youngest o
the three, Ebernard Faber, represents thu
firm for the Western World at New York
Stein is literally a town Of penei
factories, of which Baron ,Faber is tn
rulsE taking care of the health, gaySkn
ment, education, industry, thrift and anuse
ments of the inhabitants, and always living
in their midst. 1t may be asked-how d.
the Fabers make lead pencils without thu
Mmous qraphite from Cumberlandp II ap
pears that twenty years ago John Peter AL
Ibert, Erelehmal, resident IN Asiatl'
Siberia, having heard Of thQ gold discover
iesin California, began to examihebhe sandy
beds Of various rivers flowing into the Arctic
Ocean. He found samples Of pure graphite
evidently brought q great distance by th'
force Of the stream. in one OF the mountain
gofQes near Irkootsk, and pursuing hi
discovery, tracked bach TO o branch Of. tn
Salan Mountain range, on tho summit q
Wonnt Ratougol, 275 miles west Of tn
town Of Irkootsk, near the Chinese from
tier, in the midst Of the rocky desert. Ian'
found pure graphite, After years Of cost
ly labor, Albert found On ayhauslless de
post of graphite, equal TO the best eve
taken from Cumberland. Beside deeorat
ini aud rcwarding him, the Russnpl Coy
eFnmant changed tho name Of Mount Bat
ougol 10 that of Mount Albert. Nearl
every crowned head in Europolias honorc
him. w t' "
with the consent of the Russian Eov
eminent, ALBERT now supplies, Faber
house exclusively with, graphite from th
mine in AsiatiG Siberia. Pencils Of thi
maiarial we're first made by Baron Paberi
1851. aud were not introduced into. tb
american market until 1865, from whic
limo artists and others perceived and az
knowl,dged theirsuperit F.ty. Rthe worl
were to endure q thousand years nior'
there Ia sufficient graphite in Mount Al
bert to supply its population with goo
black lead pencils.
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