The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-04-02
Something about Paper.
HISTORY.

characters written or printed were i'm
pressed were the bricks of Nincveh and
Babylon. Certain letters, used to convey
certain facts, were cut or pressed into the
soft substance Of which the brick was made,
either 10y the finger or some instrument,
and then the brick, burned or left to harden,
perpetuated the history. Wood was occa-
sionaly used, and slender slabs of stone
On which characters were drawn much after
the manner of writing on slate in modern
times.
Next to impressions made on brick wood.
and stone, came parchments. These were
prepared skins Of animals, somewhat re-
sembling the vellum of the present day, or
nearer the material of which drum-heads
are made. This was manufactured princi-
pally Of the skins of sheep, calves, kids,
stil-born lambs, and the heavier kinds of
the skins Of asses, wolves, and goats, and
sometimes of the skins of clean birds.
1t required several months of time, sew
eral processes, and not little manipulation
to change these skins into clean white, and
sometimes almost transparent substances,
ready for the pen Of the writer
Next to parchment came paper. 1t was
of the inner bark of trees, but in it's lar
gest abundance from the Papyrus, genus
of plants belonging to the Sedge family,
which once grew in great luxuriance on the
banks of the Nile and the rivers of Abys-
sinia
This plant has triangular, smooth stem,
grows from five to twenty feet high, and
bears long, grassy leaves that spring from
near the ground. In ancient times it was
one Of the most valuable products of Egypt.
1t was made into ropes, sails, mats, gar
ments. coverlets, shoes. and especially
paper.
HOW THE PAPER WAS FIRST MADE.
The earliest history of the processes of
manufacturing was by removing the inner
coating of the bark innel cuticle) with
sharp knife or pointed needle, taking it
off in strips as long as the stock would al
low. and as wide as possible-perhaps an
eighth or quarter of the whole inside cir
conference. These strips, separated from
all other substances, were exceedingly thin
and nearly transparent.
After a quantity of these had been prop
erly prepared. they were carefully laid
lengthwise on long table, so that the edge
Of each narrow strip would meet the edge
of the next thus forming complete sur
face, which was then saturated with the
water of the Nile, which probably evolved
from the strips kind of gluten then
another layer was placed transversly in the
same way; after which the whole was
treated to another thorough wetting, and
then hung up to dry in the sun. When
the moisture was mainly dried out, the
sheet was subjected to kind of pressure,
producing an effect similar to passing it
between two wooden or iron rolls.
These sheets were then Joined together,
and the whole wound upon wooden Keller,
generally with some ornamentation or the
ends; and in this form it was ready to re-
ceive the history OF story which the pen of
the professional writer, with a wonderful
readiness and clearness, placed thereon.
EXTENT OF THE EARLY MANUFACTURE.
Paper (papyrus) was an article Of trade
during all the early centuries of the Chris
tan era. So great was the demand for it
that the severeigns of some of the coun-
tries where the plant out of which it was
made tlourished monopolized entirely its
culture, and added largely to their personal
incomes by the sale of the manufactured
article.
1t is mentioned as a part of the consider
able commerce Of the countries bordering
the Mediterranean Sea j.; but, of course, as
the world grew in intelligence, ether sub
stances appeared that partially and atlength
wholly took its place, till finally about the
eleventh or twelfth centuries it disappeared
altogether, its place being supplied by a
better article made of cotton and linen.
Hearth and Home.