Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-10-04
THE RAG INDUSTRY.
Many Millions Of Capital Invested
in the Business.
A Chat With an Old Rag Picker-Rags as a
Medium for the Spreading Of Con-
tagiOus Diseases How Pa
per Mills are Sup
piled.
MiInm.kse Esenina HTsconsin.

One of the oldest and most expert
enced rag and paper stock dealers In
the West was asked about his business
and the possibility of its being a medium
of bringing Asiatic diseases into this
country. He said: Large quantities
of rags from Egypt and Turkey pass
through Milwaukee on their way to the
paper mills at Neenah and Menasha.
mean actually large quantities-not
relatively large-fOr the greater pro-
portion of the receipts of foreign rags in
this country are
Consumed I'm the East.
/ don't think, however, there is any
danger of disease originating in Mil
waukee by reason OF the rag trade. The
foreign rags are not picked over here.
Labor at the points OF shipment is so
much cheaper than here that it pays 10
10 all the necessary asserting before the
rags are baled and sent of. In support
of my belief that no danger OF the
spread of cOntagion in Milwaukee by
the bales of foreign rags which pass
through here is too be apprehended, |
can say that l have been in the rag
business for twenty years-twelve of
them in this city-aud have never had
a sick day. l have employed from
twelve TO fifty hands in sorting rags dur
ing all that time, and have never known
sickness to break out among them from
the handling Of rags / don't think
there is any danger to be apprehended
from the
Rags at the Paper Mills
either, for the strong bleaching mater
ials used would be likely to act a. dis
inlectant."
He went on to give some facts to
prove the rag business Is one or the
staple industries of the country. THE
business in rags and paper stock done
in Milwaukee alone amounts" he said,
Ito ST5O,OOO annually, and furnishes
employment TO upward Of 800 persons.
Careful estimates of the present annual
consumption OF rag stock in the United
States place the amount at 3,OJJ,UOJ
bales valued at SO, uDO,ODJ. The ar
rivals of foreign rag stock at New
York City are estimated at 800 900 bales
annually, and those of domestic rags
stock at l,sUO,OOO bales. Twenty-Five
thousand bales Of rags were shipped out
of Milwaukee during the year lSS2.
Most Of
The Domestic PAPER stock
IT crived here comes from Iowa, Mime.
sofa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Dakota and
Michigan. Missouri and Illinois also
contribute large amounts. \ consider
able quantity of foreign rags also pass
through this city during the course OF
year. These come from all parts OF
Europe, England, France, Germany,
and Turkey contributing most freely.
Egyptian rags, as have said, often
pass through this city. The destination
of the rags which are shipped from Mil
waukee is dependent upon their quality.
All the wooden rags and the better
grades of cotton rags go to the East
mostly to supply the fine paper mills
and shOddy mills Of Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island and
Pennsylvania. The cheaper grades Of
stock are used in the West in the man
ufacture OF printing and wrapping pa
pers. The foreign rags received in
Milwaukee, which
Are Inferior In Quality
to those made in this country, are used
by paper mills at various points in this
State. The foreign rags, a. L have said,
reach this market assorted and really
for the mills. The domestic rags, on
the contrary, invariably require to he
assorted here.
at would astOnish the uninitiated TO
see the number Of distinct grades into
which the rags are Disseminated. Here
is q list Of most Of the important classes
ofrags and paper stock recognized in
Milwaukee,: Whites-\Os. l and .,
thirds and blues, prints, manila rope,
mixed bagging, wrapping stock, seam
ed cloth, wool seams, new clips, soft
woods, print papers, tea papers, white
shsyings, mixed shavings, No. l book,
No. = book, straw-board clippings,
skirted delaines.
Ii must not be supposed that
The Differentiation Ends Bere,
Soft woods, for instance, are made in
Milwaukee into one grade. In Cincin-
natl, Philadelphia, and other cities east
of Milwaukee there are a number Of
establishments which Duy up suitable
Western stock and assert il for the
wooden manufacturers. In these estab-
lishments what are known in Milwau-
kee by the one title OF soft woods are
sorted into fifteen different grades. All
the wooden rags shipped from here go
to Eastern manufacturers, by whom
they are converted into shOddy. The
better grades Of cotton rags go to the
East, where they are made into writing
paper. Print rags and bsgging are used
in the manufacture of print paper,
which is carried on in the West. Ma
nills rope is
Principally Used In Ohio,
where it enters into the manufacture of
paper -four bags. Wrapping stock,
which is the mere refuse Of the rag bin
the cheapest grade of rags made is
used principally in the manufacture OF
roofing felt. The western mills where
this is made are mostly in Ohio, but
there i one in this State st BeloiL. Ali
grades of wooden rags 60, as heretofore,
stated, to the shOddy manufacturers.
The remaining grades ofstock mention
ed in the above lists are converted into
wrapping papers in the West, princi-
| pally in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin