Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-03-16
Manufacture of Rope. Bagging and
Paper Stock.

Thomas j. Spear in Net0 Orleans Times.
am in possession, by right of caveat
granted to me by the Patent Office of the
United States, the privilege to certain
benefits that may be realized by the dis
covery, improvement and success of
working, making and turning the growth
of certain numerous fibrous plants indi-
genous and belonging to the soil of Lou
isiana, into useful articles of consump-
ton, which will add greatly to the re-
sources and consequently 10 the wealth
and independence of the State.
1t is well known that the refuse por-
tions of our principal staples, sugar and
cotton (bagasse. cotton stalks, banana,
okra). also wild indigo, brood grass,
cocklebur, riz de nete, which covers
most of the uncultivatcd lowlands, to-
gether with more than one hundred
other plants, are all available, and can
be turned into superior articles of hemp,
and material for the manufacture of
rope and paper stock. Iwould beg sim
ply to remind you that our cotton plant
ers send to the East Indies for covering
of their bales when their cotton will
furnish better bagging, with a sufi-
cient surplus of fibre on the stalk for
other purposes, which would pay all the
expenses in planting and gathering the
years crop of cotton; whilst again the
refuse of the sugar plantation, such as
bagasse, could be utilized for paper stock
in sufficient quantity to pay all outlay of
the whole sugar crcp.
The value of cotton is appreciated in
all parts of the world, and especially in
nf nd
ever, to rise still higher in public favor,
for it has now been developed that the
cotton stalks after the crop has been
gathered are available for making rope,
bagging, paper stock and other textile
fabrics. The stalks, if properly utilized,
will yield more in value to the acre than
the cotton that grows upon it.
The cotton stalk will have more of the
characteristics of paper than that made
from rags.
There is again the okra, the cotton
and okra, which belong to the same
botanical order, and the stalks having
very little sIlex in their composition.
Both will make soft and flexible paper.
The newspapers and the book manu-
facturers will find at last that the cotton
stalk, banana, okra, sugar cane, riz de
nete and numerous other fibrous plants
which grow upon the soil of Louisiana,
and without comment, and which is
valuable to be manufactured into any
quality of paper and made cheaper than
it could be imported, and all from a raw
material that has been heretofore waste
product.
The whole of the above named stalks,
without the necessity of any separation
of parts, is available for paper making.
The okra and cotton paper tinted is
adapted for engraving and having the
soft silky feeling of Chinese paper. The
plant can be grown IN any part of the
Union and yield to the acre from two to
five tons of fibre, according to soil and
locality. This new discovery of fibrous
material for paper stock and for other
textile fabrics, will, in my opinion, rank
in importance and value, if properly
taken hold of by capitalists, with many
other valuable patents, which are known
to be worth millions of dollars each.