Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-05
INTERESTING SKETCH
History Of Paper Misunderstanding I'm
Nashville.

History Oh FAper NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IN
Nashville.
To the Union and American.
In 1885, Melvin, Morrison Il Hays
built paper mill on the bank of the river
where the city worl1house now stands.
InlS36, John NJ. Hill bought MorrisNp's
interest, and under the style Of McEwin,
HAYS & Hill, ran the mill part of 1886
very mlsuccessfully. During the fall Of
1856, visited Nashville and was 1attered
into the purchase of ! interest. came to
Nashville in 1887, and assumed the man
agement of the mill, and soon found that
we had no mill or at least, that much was
lacking, and the balance badly arranged. /
also found a contemptuousness at saving or
buying rags and nearly all the rags we used
we had TO bring from Philadelphia, Evans
vile and elsewhere at considerable cost.
The few rags that were brought to us, were
brought by negroes, under protest, who said
they would not do so, but that they wanted
a few dimes TO buy a little coffee for the
old women. A great deal of electloneering
and tall and buying carryalls and horses
and sending out rag peddlers, oyercame the.
rag degradation idea, and with it, success
commenced and increased until the war
broke out.
During the time the mills remained in
Nashville, l was often greatly troubled with
muddy water. After going to Whites
creek we had plenty of water for LOCO or
1000 lbs. of paper daily, but when in
creased to $500 lbs. daily, we suffered
greatly in dry seasons for wash water. To
wards the last of our operation on Whites
creek, wood for fuel grew scarce and UNI
handy and too expensive, and too far to
haul coal from Nashville, and hence amove
was necessary.
Previous to the burning of the mill at
Manchester, that mill and the Rock City
mill at Nashville, manufacture d about
100000 worth of paper annually, out
of the otherwise worthless rags of the
country.
And by the way of estimation will fur
thcr state that il is estimated in the New
England States, that the yearly rag yield
is ten pounds per capita. At that ratio,
Tennessee would produce over $50 million
Of pounds, which would make 100 million
pounds of paper, which at the low price of
ten cents per pound would be one million
dollars annually.
During the war, and for some time after,
paper and paper machinery became greatly
inflated. Both have been going down and
have reacheda point where IL hurts holders OF
heavy stocks, or the owners Of costly mills,
just as it hurts cotton buyers that buy on
sinking market. In addition 10 this, many
mills have been hastily built, regardless Of
location or advantages, as was the case in
McEwen, Morrison x Hayes building on
the bank of the river, where the Work
house now stands, with no rags in the
country TO Iun il and plenty Of muddy
water.
have thus given my experience and OBJ
servatiOn in paper-making, and the more
think and reflect the more am convinced
that TullahOma is the best place for
paper-mill in my knowledge, and will be
glad to be enabled to go there, and think
the advantages accuing to Nashville there
from fully justify her in bearing portion
of the means necessary for the enterprise.
W. ). WHITMAN.