The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-03-25

purpose Of taking such steps as may De aoVisa'
BILE for the establishment of manufactures III
this CITY,
Mr.. W. A. Burke, being called to the chair,
the several committees on Blast Furnaces, WaS-
on and carriage manufactures, &C., asked LOT
further time for consdersst ton. Capt. Thos. u.
Ransom, of the committee on paper mill, mace
the following report which was adopted:
On behalf of the committee appointed by the
chairman Of the citizens meeting OF Aarc'i VII
1878. under the End resolution then adopted,
the undersigned submits such Information as
he has been able to collect from reliable sour
ces. in the absence Of the other members OF the
committee. =,
1st. AS to probable cost of q paper mill at
this place. The amount Of capital necessary
chiefly depends upon the proposed quant'm
of production, and the character OF the taoric.
Your committee does not approve OF starting
manufactures particularly those that are new
to the locality, with a rush" ana looking
abroad for help in the matter OF capital' oet
advocates small beginnings among our own
people. studying out local adaptations, aiming
At Gradual and natural development and inn
provement, with judicious and industrious eS-
tension Of agencies, as the surest means OF Sc
curing a market abroad
With this view they would confine the MANU-
facture at first to wrapping papers and paper
boards, thus avoiding the heavier expense OF
machinery adapted to products OF higher
class, and requiring less skilled and expensive
labor.
A mill Of this sort, using straw as fabric,
with capacity to turn out six tons OF paper
per day would cost, for buildings and machin-
ery. about $4,000. Adding to this the proba-
BILE cost of q building site and necessary
grounds would swell the amount to say eighty
thousand dollars or more according to locallty.
For these purposes wooden buildings are by
many preferred to brick, for the reason that
there is less Earring and consequent wear OF
machinery.
Your committee would suggest $780, 900 as the
minimum of necessary capital, independent OF
cost of site, to build and furnish mill for man
ufacture Of paper board and straw wrapper,
with capacity Of two tons per day. And IN re-
gard to the site, it must be borne III mind that
an abundant supply of water is necessary. Wa
ter poaoer is very desirable though not essen
tial.
2. As to the profits Of the enterprise. This
denends on many conditions and circumstan-
ces. In many respects we are favored here
Thus we have an abundance Of wheat straw,
the best material for the making OF the pulp,
better than the rye straw in general use III the
North as having two per cent. less silica. AND
rags, which enter largely into the composition
Of the pulp, can be purchased without comDe-
tition, from all the back country accessible by
our connecting railroads, South and West.
Lime, too, is all essential for the pulp, andis
cheap and abundant here; while at most points
in tie North it commands So per barrel, it can
here be had at say so cents per barrel i'll bulk
While this is a very great advantage, the 1acC
that our water generally contains lime In SOU
ton is u disadvantage. Not so great dlsad-
vantage in the manufacture OF ordinary wrap
I ID oE Noc
papers, though adding somewhat to the cost
Of manufacture. The reason is that unless
collnteracted, the lime in solution kills the dye
stuffs and impairs the glutinous substances US
ed.
Poplar and other soft woods, used for max
ing pulps, particularly Tor printing paper, mix
ed with straw or even with the rags alone, can
be had at small expense along the chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad.
Orr location. with reference to the markets
of the country, is good, owing to our proximity
to the seaboard. and our competing lines OF rail-
way, diminishing frei9lts. The cost OF fuei
ought to be very much less than at most other
points Of manufacture.
Nor would the cost Of labor be greater. On
the other hand it seems that the general profits
of the ordinary paper-lnanufacttlre have OF late
decreased. Formerly, ~4un.ler circumstances
similar in the main to ours, the business P III
an average Of say 20 per cent. AT this time 1t
requires economy and judiciOus management
to make any profit We hear Of mills standing
idle, and others running on half time.
The production Of paper board might be turn
ed to good account by introducing into the
Eastern and Southern market the paper flour
barrel which is extensively used in the West
3, AS to number of operatives. A six ton
mill. such as dc scribed above, wond employ he
tween thirty and forty hands. The tWo-toil
mill might be operated by four men, two run
Mig the mill and two making the pulp. siX
could probably Go the work without dllnculGy,
with couple Of outside hands to sort the ma
tera.
The higher grade OF manufacture, such as
letter papers aud envelopes, would OF course
call for greater numbers and more skill
4. 1t NAV not be amiss to add something as
TO details of machinery, SC. The motive pow
er employed. is either the steam engine, the
water wheel. CT BOTH 1t is thought best to
make use Of the turbine wheel for driving all
machinery except the paper engine. This ma
chine. needing Il perfectly regular motion,
should have power Of its own, aud a small
hioh pressure engine is therefore used for this
alone. and the steam after being used as mo-
tive power for this serves for heating the dry
ing cylinders.
tFhe rags, after being assorted, are run
| through a rag -cestter, a machine arranged with
spiral knives attached to a cylinder, which re-
wolves at velocity OF 81 TO lAo times lilllittte
cutting against fixed blade, solidly mounted
They are then taken to the duster. machine
Of various patterns, but tie Office OF which is the
cleansing Of the rags from dust. They are then
| transferred to a sco,king apparatus, usually a
| large wooden vat, which will clean all the ma
| terial for the mill. The material is next taken
to the boiling apparatus. The steam rotating
| boiler is in general use, having superseded the
| old wooden vat, and better prepares the pulp
| or the asash5ng and beating engine.
| There is il variety Of these engines in use.-
The cisterns OF wood and cement and brick are
| most economical. it seems, and the cast iron
and wooden cylinders are in general use. The
straw pulp which has been prepared in watts,
by subiecting it to q nacelaton OF lime, is here
mixed with the rag pulp, % to 40 per cent. OF
straw pulp to 70 TO O. per cent. OF rag; also
| with resin; gelatine or other sizing material.
| In manufacturing fine papers the 6te0chang
Or drying aaachiae is next in use, but is gener-
ally dispensed with in the manufacture Of COM
mon wrapping paper and boards, and the pnlp
| is at once taken to the paper machine, which
| is the most expensive OF all the apparattfof a
train OF rollers and drying cylinders which rol!
| the pulp into sheets, and at the same time dry
| it and deliver it to the presses; or in the nall-
| facture of fine paper it is first passed through
| finishing machines and then goes to the press
! es The presses are OF three kinds, hand,
scsea, and hy1rau1jc.
Respectfully submitted,
| TIIos. ID. Ransom,
| March 20, 1875. For the Committee.
William J. Nelson, ESQ.,, from the commit