Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-11-22
cHEApNEss AND DURABILITY
Old Time Productions Superior IN Mo-
efn ArticleS--Chaar

ern Articles-Cheap Paper.
The application of science to the useful
arts has not been an unmixed BLESSING
1t has rendered many things cheap that
were once very costly. 1t has made
numerous things common that were
formerly scarce. 1t has shortened he
time required TO produce various articles
needed for the common wants of life II
has been chiefly employed for PRODUCING
Things quickly and cheaply. 1t has sut.
stltuted very common and sometimes
waste materials for those that were raro
ana possessed of considerable value for
variety OF purposes. 1t has explained
many old processes, like that of MAKING
steel, leather and mortar, but has NOT
improved them. In truth. these and
many more articles made before the ara
OF scientific invention were much
superior to any produced now.
NO steel of modern manufacture eouaIs
That made at Damascus, centuries before
there was a science of chemistry No
leather compares with that made nv tho
Saracens. specimens of which are Dre-
served IN many public museums and nri-
Vate collections i'll Europe The mortar
ana cement used i'll the construction of
buildings i'll the old cities of Italy was
much superior to any produced in anv
part OF the world today. What is true
OF mortar is substantially true of brick
The brick made by Nebuchadnezzar ac-
cordlng to report of traveller, having
outlasted their original purpose, are now
employed for paving the streets of mod
ern Bagdad. The temples built bv The
shepherd kings of Egypt are still in a
good state Of preservation, having been
used IN turn by the believers in three or
four forms of religion.
Science has greatly cheapened the pro-
duction OF paper, but it has given us an
artlcle that Is very perishable The gov
eminent of Prussia lately commissioned
some chemists and expert manufacturers
TO examine the paper used for official
records OF the greatest importance to the
nation, the registers of marriages. births
and deaths, and that employed for print
ing books, magazines and newspapers at
nome and abroad. They have Just sub
united report that is as alarming as it
Is interesting. They state that the paner
on which many public records are written
or printed will not last fifty years Some
used twenty years ago is already exhibit
ing signs of decay Of ninetv-seven
German and foreign magazines and
other periodicals of the better class
examined the commissioners renort
that only three of them can 90 down
to posterity, the paper on which the
others were printed being SO poor that it
will lose all its strength in from twenty
to fifty years. Some of the paper on
which magazines are printed is decaying
SO rapidly that a near approach to the
date of the issue can be determined with
out referring to the year of publication.
The three magazines that seem destined
to immortality are printed on paper made
from cotton and linen rags. while the
others are printed on paper made from
substitutes like straw and wood pulp. In
the preparation of all the cheaper kinds
OF paper scientific methods have been
employed and many chemicals used. The
paper on which many of the very old
books and magazines We're printed is
pronounced to be in perfect state of
preservation. Such is the case with
most of the paper used in books printed
from forty to hundred years ago.
Paper made from straw, wood pulp
and other similar materials by the en-
plOyment of chlorine and caustic alkalies
may answer for printing newspapers and
cheap novels, but something better should
be t1eed for printing els-.-I l,eelr~
| cio4 reports and magazines. The people
who. live during the next century may be
grateful to the manufacturers who sub
Jected Oat straw to the action of caustic
soda and produced the paper on which
our sensational novels and tariff speeches
were printed. They WILL however, want
the deeds to the property they hold and
the books in which they are recorded
The report made by the experts in Prus-
Sia should claim the immediate attention
of our national, state, county and NUM-
cipal officials. At should also interest the
publishers of library editions of standard
works.-Chicago Times.