The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-10-22

Unto Light Grade Wrapping -Psper and
Grocers' Paper Bags.

into Light Grade Wrapping-Psper and
Grocers' Paper Bags.
Everything which comes from an
oil we'll has use," was at one time the
boastful remark of petroleum pro-
Queer. The only mistake he made was
that he did not include everything used
about ON oil well. One OF the most
useful. when it seems useless, i, the
manila rope use in the boring of the
we'll. This Is generally a cable three
inches in diameter. It's strength is
great, but on account Of the immense
weight of the bits, bars, and jars used,
the cable is soon worn out and laid
aside. 1t is always full OF water, and
10y lying long exposed it is completely
worthless. At this period Pittsburgh
dealer in old rope puts in an appeal
ance. Although the cable is worthless
to the driller. it has value of from l
to IL cents per pound TO the junk
dealer. This dealer is either an agent
for some firm which has its headquar-
ters in Pittsburgh or one of the oil
towns, or is In business for himself
The rope is hauled away, baled, and
then becomes an article of commerce.
1tS use 10 HOW w III bu0 DuoiS VI VIC
pulp from which is made the heavy
manila paper used in making flour
sacks, or the heavier grades OF wrap
ping-paper. For these uses the cable
must be what the paper men call clean,
which means that the rope must be
clear of oil. The part of the rope which
is down nearest the kit is always more
or less saturated, and when the oil fills
the hole the rope always becomes
greasy. After the reception of the
baled cable ut the paper the first
part OF the Transforming process Is to
clean, as much as possible, the oil away
from the rope. This is done by steam,
although the rope cleaned is never of
such good quality as that which has
never been in the oil. As it has not the
strength necessary the pulp is mixed
with wood, and the paper made from it
is used for lighter grades, of wrapping
paper and the small bags used by gro
GERS. The method of manufacture is
the same as that used In making up"
the straw or wood. The stock is first
softened by means of steam and lime.
1t is then taken to the grinders and
from them to the paper machine. The
clean manila cable is an article much
sought for, and has even become an
article of export.
Not only are the oil-well drillers'
refuse lines used, but trade is carried
on in the manila rope used by river
men. The headquarters of the trade
are in New York, from which place the
baled goods are distributed all over the
world. A well-known dealer was in
terrogated concerning the size of the
trade. "You can get some idea of the
size of the business from the fact that
two tons of the clean rope will make
one ton of heavy paper. In our mill,
when running full, we use six tons of
stock per day. Ordinarily clean rope
is quoted at 50 per 100. Now, how
ever, in sympathy with everything else,
it is down to 1852. The greasy rope is
worth but about one-half as much as
the clean, as it is impossible to ever
make as good paper, even when mixed
with higher priced stock. The princi-
pal supply comes from the deserted
oil towns of Northwestern Pennsyl-
vania. The usefulness of the cable is
passed, and it is bought cheap by the
dealers, who bale it and ship it in
TONS"
And thus it is that thousands of
yards of dirty, greasy rope that smell
so loudly at the petroleum derricks Of
Upper Pennsylvania, and which have
pnloosened the geysers of oil for the
worlds illumination, are at last trans
formed into the neat little paper bag in
which sugar, tea, coffee, and flour are
brought to the breakfast-table, or
wrapped about the packages of dry
goods carried from every store in Pitts
burgh.-PittsJltrgh Commercial Ga
zette