The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-01
TEE BATH PAPER MILLS.
sketch Of their History and Present
Condition.

af;tntionaliet, has been inspecting tnat eAcef
lent and prosperous establishment, the Bath
Paper Mills, and thus dots down his mpre e.
aions of the enterprise and i.s energetic and
capable head
Very few persons, perhaps, have toorousr s naner
knowledge Of the moduS operdndt OF paphea ha
manufacture, which is 30 indispensable 70 the th
fortnnes of the press. A recent visit 70 .ns nS
Roth Mills in South Carolina, has lntroauIre go
Daln ;,,tirnotev TO thus branch OF ART, anu ae
sba1l endeayor. briefly, to eiucida'e soi''o Va
sselil, ~ uel, known to many of our readers, tne
,as as pomer Mills are situated on Horse Creek,
;1sa. seyen miles from Augusta. Ihey were
a.s. ;nstitnteS in 1851, and, after passing
ttronrh MANY yiciss,tudes of finance anu nIe
finally passed, by public auction, into tne
hands Of the present company, prmcapa's. the
ifenis of Geor 10 and South Calonna: DE- .,a-r0
reorganization OF the company, 40 LOU, . veIy
thinS appertainlng to these mills was iu sea!
snn,ss;ns .n,us nps; condition. At this ]uncture,
Ma;or VIM. Craig was elected president, anI.
~ h;s nenal yim. Immediately went 70 Woth
20 evoke order ont OF chaos. The result ot n,s
lsbors is strikingiy manifested m ieio. nhl Mutn
money hae been spent and much caie t"o.Sn an,,,-
ed, but neither vainly nor "'tnou'. sup'e WIZ
We understand that four new turoIn wafer l
wheels. Of the most excellent pattern, naTe
been ont ju operation, insurlnS moliSe pom
ar eonal to ali emergencies. a new paper ma L
chine. with all the modern improvements, has
Skewise been introduced. A pecaharty ol
this machine is its ''speed gear coairisaIoe s
Lv which the movement can De leguia.eu ~
chamosI IA eix different rates, enabling the
o,srator to make thick or thin paper as the
NECESSITY OF the case requires. ~. ,n;no,
EnoI news. Maullla and common WrSpplnS
,snep ara now manufactured. The machinery
for this manufacture may be thus genera!
cIssslfied Two paper machines, eight oeater
-sbd washer engines, two large rotary oohe.s, s.
rae and rope cutters, duste-s, thtasue's' "e'
and dry devils, &c, de; e;,,.:,s so,ou uoo,len
Pays. OF all kinds and. varieties, save Woonen
N re bases of payer manufacture; and SO 1t
nav he sald that the poor vagrants VINO are
5a;ir seen nickipg up odds and ENDS tnlougn
rho streets are very important ad)unGts 70 'ne
nossiblfities of the printing press, eotsors sGu
newsrongers. After the rags are Ra.9elea ~
orsaf Quantities at the naill, they are taken INTO
g. s'ronns set apart for the purpose and CAREFUL
10 sorted. We cannot say that this ls a pleas
ant mart OF the business, and we are lar from
rnaassoppnTneudinp nals the Otlors Of the apartment.
St;l the persors employed at this task seem
al yary well satisfied and we dare cay, nave
no olfactories tc, speak OF, or else such as are
adapted provid antially to thus parteuial 10y,
After being assorted re ags a,e nscss .ssen Inv ma
chinery, and by machinery they are after wafd
sidusted, The stock is then welghed IN
crates and put into two enormous rotary
boilers. which hold from $500 to 5000 POUNDS
each. When filed, a solution OF lime, caustlc
soda, soda ash, &c., is poured upon them;
Then they are cooked with steam 1or seVeral
hours. It is literally q rag soup, NOT very
tempting to the epicure, but aDsoIus?ly nec. as
sary for the design OF finally preadlng INTEL
lieeuce before The public concerning the Fran
co-(iermapic war, &c. Fierce steamlng causes
the naturalization Of grease and sottens the
colors Of the rags. Having been suthclently
cooked, the mass is then emptled and put INTO
the washer" where revolving cyinaers cover
ed with wire are so constructed that the oHty
water is lifted and emptled out as fast as the
clean element comes in. When the Washing
ia done there is an application made OF chloride
of lime. alum or acid. This chemical appllca-
tion bIesches the stock, and, it rags had moth
ers, the mothers, after the bleaching process,
would not recognize their own offspring.
Every particle Of the filth uf the original a. tlce
ist eliminated, and there remains material
very much resembling the finest BAKERS
dough. This bleached material ls then
empted into watts, where 1t is allowed 70 drain
off When drained, it is called "hat stun
and put into beater engines, which. without
exasgeration, "chaw it up" into PUPPY sue-
stance Of the appearance and CONSISTENCY OF
he. best boiled hominy or mush.. When prop
,,rly reduced, it is conducted to aiarge vat or
''stuffchesi," and from thence pamped on to
the paper machine. When running into the
trough which feeds the "lews" paper machine
it has the appearance OF milk. Proceeding
gradually little farther. this milBy deposi. is
Subject 10 considerable agitation which makes
it about as thick as rich cream: This is the
frat formation OF paper, as thick felt revolv-
ING on a large cylinder, receives the impress
ana transmits it, with constantly increasing
fibre, to other cyliaders, which. being heated
by steam. dry the material until it pours out
from the calendar rollers, reels and cutter, i'm
maculate charts ready, when neatly. bundled,
to be put upon the cars Of the South Carolina
Railway for transmission abroad.
Even from this very hurried and imperfect
sketch, the reader Will understand that paper
making involves large outlay of capital, con-
slant vigilance, and much skill and enterprise.
1t is evident that Major Craig has bis forces
gell in hand, and is perfect Won Motke IN his
strategy. since everything is done to insure
Il welfare OF the company and the comfort OF
tho rorenpa ennn1ovel at tbp nollls