The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-05
Paper Wood.

A tall, elderly man, with round,
pleasant face, took from the marble
mantel-shelf of a room overlooking
Printing House Square yesterday after
noon a section of what appeared to be
walnut board That is paper lum-
ber," he said. you may not be aware
that a process has been invented for
utilizing paper-pulp in the manufacture
of a substitute for natural lumber. A
mill has been erected in q Western town
for the purpose of manufacturing artifi-
cial lumber from paper stock, and a
number Of capitalists have taken hold
Of the matter We are thoroughly CON
WINGED of the perfect practicability of
paper lumber in the manufacture of all
articles at present made from wood. 1t
is only a 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
as durable, and fully as good an article
for fine work"
Attention was directed to several arti-
cles of cabinetware made of the
material Two of these were ordinary
parlor tables, one of which was finished
in the natural grain of the lumber, re-
scmbling somewhat the peculiar mot
tied appearance seen in choice hard
woods. The surface of the table was
vanished and highly polished, present
ing a 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 jewelry
or ladies work boxes made after an ele-
giant pattern and highly finished, were
also produced, showing the adaptability
Of paper lumber in the construction of
ornamentcd articles.
The paper board" continued the
gentleman alluded TO, lis 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
fbers, combined with chemical ingre-
dents end Elements. 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 as durable as time, and
can be sold at good profit for almost
half the price of ordinary pine lumber.
1t will take any finish, and in this re-
spect alone is equal to the finest hard
woods Moreover, it can be marbleized
in imitation of any kind OF marble, both
in respect to a Oh degree of polish and
an exact imitation of grain. 1t will not
warp and can be rendered perfectly
waterproof, if desired, thus making il
suitable for the construction of burial
caskets. 1t makes just as solid sur.
face as any wood. and may be made Of
the hardness of stone. As a substitute
for wood in the construction of build.
ings it possesses qualities of perfec,
adaptation. It will make the finest ma.
terial in the world for roofing, not ex-
ceptinG slate or iron. 1t can be sawed,
split, or planned, and boards made of il
are perfectly smooth and fiat 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 the supply of pa
per stock is sufficient to permit the gen
eral use of paper-lumber as a substitute
| for wood?'
"Why not? THE production OF straw
alone is sufficient. 1t takes 100 years
to grow 10000 feet of natural lumber
on an acre of ground This is accord
ing to official statistics. On the othel
hand an acre of ground will produce
every year straw enough to make 2,00t
feet of artificial lumber; and hence in g
hundred years 1t viii produce 100000
feet, ten times the quantity of natura
lumber.-N. 7. Cor. Chicago Tribstne.