The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-13
TRTsI1 INDUSTRIES.
Interesting Account Of q Visit to the Kill
lsan Paper Mills.

paper mill which has struggled Oh fol-
over a century against all the dlsadVan-
tages which the majority OF Irish IL
dustrias labor under The influences
of competition, decay and the general
stagnation of trade III tins country
have affected most Of our rnanufactur-
ING Industries. Some have been COM
pietely e1tinguishsd, many are rapidly
diving out, whilst others are stIl en-
gagged in q gallant struggle under thel
most depressing circumstances. LII the
latter category the Irish paper trade |
must be cIassed; aud perhaps no better
example of the difficulties which lrlsh
manufacturers have TO contend with
can be found than in the case or the
mill which [ have mentioned above. |
On the occasion of recent VISIT
learned the following facts concerning
the history of the Killeen paper mills,
which wish TO place before the read
ers Of your paper, preparatory to some
disclosures which ] have to make FUR
tner OF: The mill consists OF al Irreg-
uIar square block Of buildings contain"
ed within a large rectangular enclosure
situate some considerable distance OF
the main road The industry was In
augurated over q century ago, as Is
shown by q large stone slab lot into the
front of the main building. beneath
the dial Of an clock, which bears the
following inscription: "hllleen Paper
Mills. IT'S The founders vera two
brothers, named respectively Derby Me
Donnell and Christopher Mcdonnell,
who came from NaYan, in the county
Meath, and started small mill for the
manufacture of hand-nade--the ma
chine-made article being then quite I'M
| known. The undertaking proved
successful venture and prospered for a
time, when Derby Mcdonnell died at
Navan, leaving the mill III the hands Of
hiH brother Chri stopher or Kit, as
| he was more generally called. The lat
| ter, who had to contend with consid Il
| BILE difficulties, owing to his being in
! want of sufficient capital to Work 1t
| properly, died some years later and the
property thsn fell to his sou Edward,
! who was afterwards knighted by the
| then yicsroy on account Of important
public services which he had rendered III
connection with the opening OF the great
/ Cork railway tunnel. Sir Edward Nc
| Donnell who conducted the enterprise
| in a most successful manner, was sue
ceeded in the ownership after his de-
cease by his son, Richard Mcdonnell.
| The mill was closed for over SIX month
when Richard Mcdonnell placed it IN
the market for sale, and all the hands
were thrown cut of employment until
the place was purchased BY M "a
! Nolan, OF the firm of b. ca g hoiah,
| Nassau street, Dublin. This gentle
man died on the Goth of May, 1882, and
| the mill then became the property Of
| his widow Mrs. Nolan. This lady car
ried on the business for several months,
but, finding that the responsibility was
too muchfo her, she attempted to dis
| pose OF her interest in the property ,bLt
| could not succeed in obtainlng2 pur-
chaser for it. The was about to close
the mill and give up the place to a
landlard, when Mr.. Patrick Doyle
who had been for twenty years con-
nected with the place, and for a consid-
cradle time acting i'll the capacity Of
manager to her husband during the
| latter's lifetime-undertook to carry on
| tue industry, an agreement was entered
| into by which he became the lessee.
! In pursuance of this arrangement he
| obtained short lease of the place from
/ Mrs. Nolan, and has since been keeping
| the mills going. giving large amount
Iof employment. Mi Doyle, who is q,
Ehardworking, energetic man, has an
extensive practical knowledge of all the
details OF paper making, and IL addl-
! ton thoroughly understands the some
what complicated machinery. During
| his time he has introduced a number of
important mechanical improvements,
and has also superintendent aud direct
| ed the alterations and repairs which
many portions of the machinery have
undergone. I had some difficulty In
obtaining from Mr.. Doyle an account
! of the connection Of the uiii with the
| Bank of Ireland, and it was only by
dint of a good deal of judicious cross ex-
animation I ELECTED the following facts
concerning his dealings with that instl-
| tuition from him. The authorities Of
! the Bank Of Ireland have for upwards
| of century been in the habit OF
obtaining the annual supply of paper
which they require for printing
their notes of issue from the
/ KIlleen mills. The paper, which is ali
| carefully manufactured by hand with
special noulds and special water
marks. y is made in sheets of sufficient
size to be cut into six different notes
when printed. Mr.. Doyle regretted be-
ing unable to show me any OF the paper,
as he said that he was most stringent
in the observance Of the law and his In
/ structions from the bank authorities
not to keep any OF the paper about the
mill. After the quantity required by
the bank was made all the residue was
carefully destroyed under his super
vision. He. however, showed me with
an ordinary 81 Bank of Ireland note
! the peealiaTities of the paper, which
with thu water mark rendered it
assxtt to an impossihility for forgers to
/ firlir ferfest the YlfafPs nriTls