The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-09-08
HENRY l. BI0SSAT, Business Manage
the general design to be produced, and
each of these portions of the design is
printed in distint color.

printed in distint color.
The colors are applied to the printing
blocks or rolls by an endless band OF
muslin passing through "a tank filled
with the color for that particular block.
AS the band covered with the color
passes from the tank it travels over or
beneath piece of metal having a
toothed edge, technically known as a
''doctor," and all superf1uous paint
is removed, running back into the tank.
The printing rolls are so adjusted that
each portion of the design is closely
Joined together, producing a har-
monious effect. These printing ma
chimes print from two to twelve
colors at the same time. The colors
are prepared by special process, so
that they do not ''run'' or blend. The
heavier shades are applied last, as a
general thing, though the arrangement
OF the colors and the printing blocks
depends in great measure upon the de-
sign which is to be produced.
After passing over the cylinder the
printed paper is carried to the dryer on
an endless chain. This dryer extends
the whole length of the factory, and by
an ingenious arrangement the endless
chain carrying the paper passes around
a pillar and returns to the other end of
the room. AS the paper passes off from
the cylinder, it is caught up at intervals
OF about eight feet on wooden sticks
called carriers These sticks are
moved along by little projections on the
endless chain, the paper hanging in
loose loops or folds between the Gear
riers.' The paper is carried along for
distance of two or three hundred
feet over coils of steam-pipe, and thus
is quickly dried. After hanging for a
length of time varying from six to
twenty-four hours, the paper is taken
from the carriers and laid in dry room,
where it remains until the drying pro-
cess is thoroughly complete. 1t is then
taken to another room, where, by
ingenious machinery, it is rolled in
lengths ofmarketable size. If tits desired
to apply a coat of bronze powder to make
a figure, the figure which is to be thus
treated is stamped on the paper as it
passes through the printing machine
with a heavy coat of varnish. Then,
after passing once over the coil of
steam-pipe in order that the other colors
may be dried, the paper is sent through
long alright box in which this bronze
dust is sifted over the surface from a
perforated tray. and the paper then
passes around the end of the traveller
and back over the hot-air or steam
pipes.
The finest and most elaborate designs,
however, are printed by hand. Each
color must be stamped separately, and
any one can at once distinguish paper
that is printed by hand from that printed
by machine. In the former at one of
of the margins will be found. at dis
tances of about eighteen inches, fine
lines or dots containing the colors FORM
ing the design. These are the marks
guiding the men in their work of stamp
ing the pattern. The block or die for
each separate portion of the pattern
which is to be printed in certain color
is about eighteen inches in length. The
workman presses the die upon pad
covered with the color, and then
places it upon the paper as it
| es on the table in front of him, tax
ing care that the guide at the edge of
the die joins the mark left on the
margin of the paper. Placing swivel
over the block, he presses a lever with
his foot, thus stamping the form of the
die on the paper. A boy attendant
spreads the paper on rack, where it is
permitted to dry, and it is then taken to
another machine, where the same pro-
cess is gone through in printing another
portion of the design in another color,
and this process is repeated in some in
stances dozen or more times, until the
entire design in all its more or less har-
monious blending of colors is produced.
With hand work the process of applying
, velvet coat to any figure is much DIFF
'erent from that used in producing a
''bronze" effect in papers painted by
The figure which is to be thus
produced in velvet is stamped with a
leavy glue; the paper is then passed
through long trough having the bot
om and sides of stout canvas. In this
rough the floss or material which is
,sed to produce the velvet effect is
placed. A boy scatters this material |
'ver the surface of the paper, and then,
aking a couple of sticks in his hand, he
,eats tattoo on the pliable bottom of
he trough, thoroughly distributing the
loss over the figure. In fact, the boys
aise such dust that it is almost impos-
ible to breathe.
Many of the finer qualities of paper
re now made with fine lines pressed in
he paper. This is done by passing be-
ween two rollers, one of which is brass,
IN which is engraved the design to be
tamped on the paper, the other roller
icing of wood covered with paper,
which by constant pressure has become
llmost as hard as metal. Between these
oils the paper is subjected to . tremen-
lous pressure, and it is impossible to
face the lines thus created. These
'rass rollers. as well as all of the wood
n dies used in stamping the designs by
and, and also the cylinder dies used in
he machines, are engraved on the
premises. Many of
hese dies, especially for work where it
) required to produce fine lines, are
made by setting pieces of brass into
locks of wood. These pieces of brass
re moulded or bent into all sorts of
urves and figures, and vary in thick
ess from an eighth of an inch to a line
,hich is scarcely visible to the eye. On
1any of these hand-dies, which are not
lore than two inches long by eighteen
lches wide, as many as one hundred to
NO hundred pieces of brass are thus in
lid.
Within the last few years the demand