The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-06-20
MADE OF PAPER MACHE.
In Its Raw State and Manufactured
Forms \ Ia Japanese-Where Made.

III IS NVW state anu NnHutaCtureu-
Forms \ Ia Japanese-Where Made.
OF paper mache the most familiar
object and that oftencst in use is the
ordinary shoe button. or these little
articles something like three and a
half million gross como into the coun-
try every year, or 500, 900 worth.
The manufacturer OF p~apier-mache
goods is confined almost entirely to
Germany and France. The French
have a special numo for them-"Ar-
ticles on carton ~lacquo." There are
manufactures in the United States,
but here are only made the coarser
and more serviceable goods, rs pals
for instance, and for the finely var
nished novelties, fancy goods and odd
tiles the foreign manufacturer must be
depended upon. The rate of wages is
so comparatively low IN the continent
that after manufacturing. paying
freight and the thirty per cent.
papier-mache import duty he can sell
at a price too low for the American to
enter into competition. But the pail
class of goods he does not send over.
Papier-mache, in its raw state, is
simply pulp, a cohering mass, worked
up.into that condition by a fiery tenn
perature OF from 200 to 800. At Il
certain stage, known only to the man.
ufacturers. for much of the process is
secret, it is stamped into its design
and set aside to cool and harden. The
original process. the method of 100
years ago, when snuff boxes were
about the only things made of it, was
that Of molding. Within the last forty
years, however. since when all these
fancy articles have commenced to be
made, this has been discarded for the
stamping method. The papier-mache
dolls heads one sees, however, are
still nodded.
The varnish or lacquer which is
overlaid upon the article. now hard
and tough and rather OF a dirty color,
is another trade secret. 1t has a high
polish, and neither fire, water nor acid
has any effect upon it. For this reason
a pan or vessel OF papier mache is OF
the greatest value in the laboratory
and to the chemist and physician. 1t
is about the only material upon which
nc acid whatever has any effect. In
less very thin, indeed, an article of
papier mache is unbeatable. With a
vase or piece Of bric-a-brac, and these
are susceptible of and frequently seen
with the painting and elaborate decora-
ton. this has its advantages.
These goods, in the polish and tint
Of their surfaCe-those of the black
surface for varnishes OF a duller brown
are also in use-seem wonderfully like
Japanese lacquer work. And in the
small tinely-fnished boxes, with their
covers carefully painted in Japanese
picture designs, the resemblance is
complete. 1t is quite an important
part OF the trade Of the papier-mache
manufacturer to sell such articles, o.
these to the dealer in Japanese goods,
by whom, it is to be supposed, they are
passed off upon the public us genuine
old japanese lacquer
OF the innumerable objects which
find their way here from the CONT
mental factories there are tiremen's
helmets, used extensively in Germany.
and very much lighter than those
Americans wear; canteen TASKS, re-
placing the old glass and wicker ones
OF the German army 1000, 900 OF them
are said to be in use in the ranks);
tables, stands, with an elaborate top
swinging downward on a hinge; fancy
articles, CALENDARS, picture frames,
trays, flower pots of every imaginable
style and description.
Another manufacture closely identi-
fed with papier mache is that OF com
pressed paper. The process here con-
sists Of tightly rolling and compress
ing. an adhesive chemical preparation
Of albumen being added. As COM
pleted, the manufactured article has the
wearing qualities and the hardness OF
steel and an additional elasticity. It
becomes valuable and is much needed
for such things as axle washers, dust
guards and portions Of railroad wheels,
formerly manufactured of steel. 1t has
advantage over the latter that it does
not cause so much friction. The duty
here on manufactures Of compressed
paper is so high as to be prohibitive.
Thus the foreign manufacturers OF
papier mache, who also make articles
OF compressed paper, do not send the
latter products over here. There are
American manufacturers to look out
for this industry N. Y. Mail and Ex-
press.
In New York City freak museums
a double headed woman gets $3.50 a
week, the Smallest woman in the
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