The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-24
Paper Wood.

A tall, elderly man, with a round.
pleasant. face, took from the marble
mantel-shelf of room overlooking
Prlnting-House Square Yesterday after,
noon a section of what appeared TO be
walnut board. ''That is paper linn
Der, " he said. You may not be aware
that a process has been invented for
utilizing paper-pulpin the manufacture
OF substitute for natural lumber. A
mill has been erected in Western town
for the purpose of manufacturing artifi-
clal lumber from paper stock, and q
number OF capitalists have taken hold
OF the matter. We are thoroughly con
WINGED Of the perfect practicabilty of
paper lumber in the manufacture OF all
articles at present made from wood. 1t
is only question Of very short time
when paper lumber will come into gen
eral use. | feel confident that it will
prove much cheaper than wood, equally
rs durable, and fully as good an article
for fine work"
Attention was directed to several artt-
cles of cab,nctware made of the
material. Two of these were ordinary
parlor tables, one of which was finished
in the natural grain of the lumber, re-
sembling somewhat the peculiar mot
tied appearance seen in choice hard
woods. The surface of the table was
vanished and highly polished, present.
ing smoothness equal to fine plate
glass The other table was finished in
exact imitation of rosewood. A Panel
door was also shown, the finish resem-
bling mahogany. A couple of iewelry
or ladies work boxes made after an ele-
giant pattern and highly finished, were
also produced, showing the adaptabilitv
of paper lumber in the construction OF
ornamented articles.
1.-The paper board" continued the
gentleman alluded to, sis susceptible OF
taking the finest polish as well as any
tint, shade or color The lumber is
made principally of the pulp of wheat,
rye, oat straw and other vegetable
tbers, combined with chemical ingre-
dents and scement-. 1t is formed OF
layers about one quarter of an inch in
thickness, and these layers are pressed
together by powerful machinery, and
thus rendered as hard as the hardest
wood, besides much more dense The
boards are also rendered waterproof in
varying degrees, according to the pur-
poses for which they are to be used.
The material is rs durable as time, and
can be sold at good profit for almost
half the price of ordinary pine lumber
1t viii take any finish, and in this re-
spect alone is equal to the finest hard
woods Moreover, it can De marbleized
in imitation OF any kind of marble, boil
in respect to high degree Of polish and
an exact imitation Of grain. 1t will not
warp and can be rendered perfectly
waterproof if desired. thus making i
suitable for the construction of buria
baskets. It makes Just as solid q sur
face as any wood, and may be made o
| the hardness of stone. As a substitute
| for wood in the construction Of build
ings it possesses qualities of perfec
adaptation. 1t will make the finest ma
terial in the world for roofing, not ex
ceptinG slate or iron. 1t can he sawed
split, or planned and boards made of i
are perfectly smooth and fat from enc
to end on both sides without any knots
cracks, or blemishes OF any kind com
| monty met with in wood. "
do you think that tin supply of pa
per stock is sufficient to permit the gen
cral use Of papcr-lamh'r rs substitute
for wo3d?'
why not? The production of stray
alone is sufficient. 1t takes 100 year
to grow 10000 Feet of natural lumbe
on an mere of rrcituG. This is accord