, 1872-12-09

article II Of tho Constitution inopera!iye. It
cannot be- sustained upon principle OF authority.
4. D. H.
PAPER AND INK.
Ezoxv to Preserve Valuable Documents
Groan Destruction by Fire.
12l CENTRAL STREET, LOWELL, Nov. rs, 1872.
Mn. ED1Ton: It may not be uninteroeting
nor proftless to some Of your readers to haVo
tho result of some Of my observations amongst
the burned account. .booka, ohprred Government
bonds, md other doourlents-sona OF the fruits
of Boston's terrible coutagrat;on. Nor, per-
haps, although outside Of my profession, will
ono or two suggestions may make bo considered
obtrusive by the mercantile community, as they
arc made in good faith, with the view to aid
those who may wish to furnish themselves with
the best paper in their account books, and ink
for permanent documents-particularly with re-
gard to the possibility Of thair integrity being
asEailel by fire.
Account books are better when made Of deep
blue paper than when Of white. White paper, OF
fine quality, is made from pure white rags; when
burned to cinder, it contracts amazingly, and
leaves only black and very tender ash.
Blue paper is made from tho same stock, col
orcd by the addition of blue smalts. This color
ing matter is kind Of blue glass, powdered and
nonconbustible. Paper OF this description,
when burned to q cinder, shows a blush color,
and does not contract in anything like the same
proportion. On burned wl.ite paper the writing
is very obscure, while on tile char1ed it is
usually sufficiently clear to be easily rendered
legble.
Ink is an important article, and that which for
permanencT of color is all that can be desired
for documents not subjected to fire, becomes
under this last condition Of an unsatisfactory
description A blue writing fluid turning black
upon paper may be thus described: 1t is q solu-
ton Of an iron salt in certain degree Of oxida-
ton; when applied to paper 1t at once, on abb
sorption, unites infinitely with the fibre, and
now On exposure to the atmosphere it at once
ebsorbs oxygen gus, and the iron salt is convert
ed tor higher state of oxidation, rendered in
soluble, and on the principle Of fast dyeing, as
sun1cs i permanent black color. These very cir
cun,stanceB initiate against its usefulness, when
md eli contract rregu1arly, and the very inti-
macy Of tho union Between tho iron and fibre
imperils it's after 1egibiity. The old-fashionod
inlt-a mere mechanical suspension Of the higher
oxidized salt of iron in . weak solution OF gum
though SO troublesome in clogsing the pen and
becoming thick in the stand, is Of much more
service under tho Promethean conditions. On
its application to paper tie fluid is absorbed, and
much OF tho inso1ub1o black matter lies
merely on the surface and secured by the drying
black pigment remains on tho surface, and is
almost without trouble perfectly leGible-espo-
CHILLY on the blue material.
Copying ink is not supposed to be ueed in
haps through inattcntion or careleesnoss than
design Its effects would notice: Copying ink
has that property given to it chiefly by the nero
addition OF little sugar. When dry,--not
copied 1T usually has a shining surface. When
two sheets OF papor written upon with ink are
pressed together. and baked black in Eafe, the
sugar melts, and eventually forms O carbonace-
GUS cement between tie two surfaces, complete
" sticking them together, go that there Is no
chance to separate and decspher them.
anynI1npR do than TCnld
be supposed toward preserving their contents,
but Heaven knows it ia little enough to boast OF.
Fancy anilene, carmine, and red inks are ut
terly useless, as also are most OF the so-called
non-corroRiye blac: lnks-dre not allowing a
vostigo to remain for recognition. Vermilion
ink, used in printing some portions Of bonds
that came under my notice, ls also useless, for
the reason that heat volatilizeH it, 1t being BIZ
sulphide Of Mercury. government n bonds, cou, 3
attention devoted to them to make pretty and
| attractive appearance. Tho most important
and distinctive mark On these next to their
denomination, to. be the number,
| These numbers uro printed in q beautiful car
mine ink, particularly easy Of destruction BY
| heat. Fortunately these valuable documents
| could be identified by experts in Washington,
through the aid of tho microscope detecting the
effect of tho pressure OF the typo on the linen
| previously printed on the paper.
Before the authorities in Washington notified
| the public to send all such to headquarters, l
| YVES nppoalcd to by many baake1e and merchants
to apply scmo chemical, In order to develop tho
| extinguished mark. I could not. however, ren-
dor any assistance, US there was nothing to
which any chemical reagent could be applied.
The question then naturally comes, what bril-
liant color mey be employed, .seeing that car
| mine and yermilion arc go easily destroyed! l
would suggest the Basic Chromate of Lead in
briliancy it is almost equal to vernilion, but
under certain circumstances it is somewhat apt
| to become little dull +; but If subjected to the
| action Of fire, there would bo ample material
left on the charred paper to render Identification
| quite easy and reliable. The same coloring mat
| ter would also answer for the seal and numbers
on bank bil1B, DC.
In reference to writing inks, I would mention
| that the non-corrosive inks before referred to
are mostly natural vegetable juices, without any
metallic base at al, instance, the juice Of
Coriaria Thym3foLa Ghe common name OF
| which I don't know, q native OF New Granada,
gives red Juice, which turns to q rich and per-
manent black; the juice also of tho myrtle
| leaYed sumach, that OF elderberrics etc., an in
| Of chromate of potash,-all very good for ordi-
nary use, but after the action Of fire there is
nothing left by which to reveal any previous
mark.
70 sum up the drift of these REMARKS sug-
That account-book paper should be q deep
| blue.
| That black Ink to best stand fire, should be
| quite rich III iron, II NOT hRV1ng some even in
suspension, although at the risk of clogging the
pen and becoming thick in the stand.
That fancy inks for important matters should
not be used at all.
That strong, canzas-Ined envelopes be used
for loose papers.
That crimson printing ink for numbers OF
| bonds, coupons, bank bills, etc, be made with
! Basic Chromate Of Lead, which is at once beau
tiful and cheap.
| That the binding of account books bo mainly
Of thicknesses of strong canvas or sail-cloth, il
! preference to leather. Yours respectfully,
EDWARD H. HosR1N,
Consulting and Anqlyt teal Chemist.
How Englis1, Capitalists Lost by Can-
adam Gil Works.
The Montreal Herald says that the "Canadian
! Coal Oil Works p" is the title Of one Of those
Canadian schemes which, having been put on
tha Enn1isl money 1nnrlzet haze BY tho result