Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-08-25
4hs Future Of Wood Pulp

One Of the most interesting factors
connected with the paper making indus
try is the evolution Of wood pulp; not
alone as an ingredient for the manufac-
ture of paper, but In it's constantly wild
eniDg development and application to
diverse uses and purposes. The employ
ment of popier Dsdehs literally s'chewed
paper'') In the manufacture of ornaments
and small wares, for various purposes,
has been known and practiced for some
thing like a century. but 1t remained
for wood fibre to render possible that
wide extension Of this idea, which has
accomplished so much during the past
few years, and the future Of which is
not easy to estimate.
The use Of this material for building
purposes has been demonstrated, and for
certain portions Of structure it has been
shown to possess qualities SURPRISING
any. other known material. This fact
opens the way to endless possibilities.
That they will be developed by American
genius, there is no question And In this
connection we are presented with an i'm
portant economic consideration. Hither
to only the finest and best Of our timber
has been available for building purposes,
and in the slaughter of our forests a
great percentage Of the fallen trees has
gone to waste, being fed to the flames or
left to decay where it fell; while much
of the standing growth has been consid-
cred worthless for any purposes save for
fuel. About the greal sawmills OF the
country, untold tons Of waste have
yearly been burned or swept down the
streams to pollute the waters and choke
their course.
The employment of wood pulp for
paper making utilized a class of trees
which had hitherto been valueless, as
well as a portion Of the waste from the
mills; but in the coarser grades Of fabric
which are now being developed, there
inheres the possibility Of still greater
economic advance, and the employment
Of a lower grade of ''raw material" thus
conserving the national resources, at the
same time that our means and facilities
are being developed and broadened. By
the use Of practically valueless wood,
with the employment OF cheap chemicals
and adequate machinery. it seems en-
tirely probable that the resulting prod.
uct-which is both fireproof and water
proof-may In short time become a
valuable building material, at a very
moderate cost. Already entire struct
ures have been erected, both in this
country and in Germany, where the
development is even more advanced than
here. In Berlin, for instance, the car
rage of fire engine has been made
entirely Of this material. 1t proves to
be lighter than If made Of wood. while
at the same time it is much stronger.
Some notable transformations are al
ready being wrought by the pulp indus
try. 1t was not long ago that the pa
pers of New York called attention to
the fact that lath were very scarce in
that city, az result Of the wood pulp
industry In the State of Maine. For
merly millions upon millions Of lath
were cut from the slabs and other refuse
Of the vast mills located on the Maine
rivers; but as the making Of lath in
volved still a certain residue OF waste,
while the digester devours everything
except knots, bark and blemishes, there
has been quite a curtailing Of the sup.
ply for the lath maker.-The Paper
World