The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-02-28
A Paper and elass Debate.

A correspondent sends US couple Of
interesting questions, which, he informs
US, are to be the subject of debate, re-
lating to the merits of paper and glass.
The first is Providing We had no paper,
what other substances may be mentioned
that would take its place?" and the
second, Provided we had no glass, what
are its possible substitutes?" OF course
the idea il to bring out, in the pres
ent connection, not names Of substances
which may be advantageously used instead
Of the above named almost indispensable
materials, but Of such as we probably
would employ land many Of which in fact
our ancestors did avail themselves) did
glass or paper cease to exist or become un-
attainable. The case is imagin-fy but
leads to much instructive thought.
In lieu Of glass, we can find materials
suitable for window panes, for drinking
vessels, and in some cases even superior to
it for small lenses, but nothing that COM
bines all its properties, or Is capable Of its
ready manipulation into desired sorms.
For windows, perhaps the best substance
other than glass is simple mica, which may
be readily split from the rock in thin trans-
lucent sheets. II is now used for doors
OF stoves, TO protect paper shades around
gas lights, and in other common employ
ments The Romans filed their windows
with Lnpis speeularis, fossil of the class
of mica, which is readily cloyen into thin
smooth lamine. The same substance is
found in the Island Of Cyprus, in masses
foot in breadth and three inches In thick
ness. 1t is used for the construction Of
hot houses, and for the protection Of deli
cate plants Up to the present day it is
also much employed in Russia, in place Of
glass for windows.
Horn cut into sheets is still used for
lanterns, and for drinking vessels, and, II
made sufficiently thin, would answer fol
Illuminating purposes. Oiled linen or 9th
er fabric, similar to that now used by
craftsmen for tracing, would also be avail.
able, and so would very delicate sheets Of
india rubber. Skins prepared like pareh,
ment or vellum, would be translu cent
though not transparent Gelatin, however
might be treated with bichrOmate Of potash
so as to be insoluble, and IL Il would stand
the weather would give quite clear window
lights. Collodion films, we should imag
ine, if made thick enough, could also bt
used for the purpose, as also animal mem.
brane.
In addition of mica, the mineral king
dom offers variety of substances. There
is the Brazilian pebble, species ofquartz
now used in an immense extent for spec
tacles and other lenses. We have seer
perfect spheres of this material three inches
in diameter, without single speck or flaw
to blemish its complete transparency
Rock crystal and other varieties of quart
might also be employed, if means coulG
be devised to cut them properly so could
plates of selenite, Of thin alabaster, or ever
Of rock salt, though the latter would mol
be very durable. Some shells are sufii
ciently thin TO be translucent, and ivory
could be made into plates having the SAINT
property. Amber would be transparent
enough but difficult to obtain, while lik,
ivory it would be rather costly. Large
leaves Of trees, If chemically treated, might
have their texture preserved and serve Il
cover windows if other means failed; OF
if the dwelling we're located in polar lati.
tudes, one might follow the example Of
the Esquimaux and use blocks Of clear ice
In recalling substitutes for paper, many
Of the materials, suggested in place Of
glass owing to their translucency, would,
from their flexible nature, answer even
more suitably for writing purposes Such
is evidently the case with parchment, mem.
branc, cloth, horn, rubber, collodion, or
gelatia sheets. We might go back to gra.
ven tablets, like the Moabite stone, OF
write with the stylus upon wax, as did the
ancients; in fact there are numberless
modes Of inscribiug our thoughts on solid
substances. But paper has a multitude Of
uses, especially in these days Of paper
clothing, paper furniture, paper churches,
and paper money. Hence materials are
needed with more Of its attributes than
simply its uses as vehicle for the dissem-
ination Of our ideas. The same source Of
supply, open thousands Of years ago, is still
at hand, for the papyrus tree hourishes YET
in Egypt and Sicily. The bark of the
common white birch may also be employ
ed or by ingenious machines We can cut
shavings Of fine grained wood to serve in
place of hangings for our walls Sheets Of
metal, rolled to almost infinite attenuation,
would, however, probably form the most
favored substitute. Abont two years age
the Upper Forest Tin Works, in Wales
rolled the most delicate sheet Of iron evel
made. The metal was worked in Gnery
with charcoal and the usual blast, then
forged into bar, and finally passed thro
the tin rolling mills. When finished, the
sheet was 10 inches by 81 inches in di.
mensions or 55 inches in surface, and
weighed but 20 grains. It would require
4,s00 such layers to make up a mass one
inch in thickness. Letters have been sent
across the Atlantic on iron thinner thar
ordinary paper, and nearly aslight, Steel
iron and copper could thus be pressed int
earvica and where fexihilitv zaa necos