The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-03-11
MAKING LACE PAPER.
MINNEAPOLIS HAS THE ONLY FAC
TORY OF THE KIND HERE.


Nice work For Women.
Minneapolis can claim a monopoly In
Al least one industry. There is none like
Il m the country. Germany is the near
at competitor. The lace paper factory
hero Is the only one In the country. How .
iho industry came to be established |
hero and the development of certain .
possibilities in regard to it make quit
- original story
A certain business man tolerably wei |
hnown In Minneapolis once upon a timt
loaned some money and material to 4
Russian immigrant who was trying 4
start a greenhouse in st. Paul The flo
riut was very grateful for the help, but al
no end Of six months had not repaid any
q the loan. The business man hunted
him mp and inquired wherefore this neg
Hgence. The florist explained his dificul
aes ct some length, and sorrowfullJ
averred that in addition to other bur
aens he had to support his brother.
why doesn't your brother 60 t
work.
''Pardon. sir. He is honest and indus
tsious, but can find no work at his trade
'What trade can that be?'
.'He is a lace paper maker and there
ere are no factories Of that sort here, anc
he has not much chance at other trades
where he has no skill"
An interview with the paper maker re.
voaled some interesting facts, and after
some investigation several Minneapolis
capitalists concluded TO start a factory
70 evolve the dainty CONNECTIONS that
modern ingenuity says may be made
from paper The industry is still so new
that it's present condition may be re
narded as only an earnest of the future
The fad for fancy lamp shades makes
. special department which was not at
arst contemplated Grape paper devel
cps in all the soft, dainty sheen of silk
Women are specially good at this branch
Of the industry, as it requires patience
and that peculiar "knack" which no man
sver had, and the woman who possesses
II is luckier than If she had beauty
slough she never thinks 80 herself.
Now, this business Of making lamI
shades and flower pots and paper flowert
nAd dolls is light, clean work and pays
well II woman has the bent for that
hnd of work
The prettiest lamp shades | ever saw
were being made at the factory. The
tobacco leaf forms the latest model
Two contrasting shades of Grape paper
form the leaf II is cut IN the proper
shape. and delicate wire forms the mic
rib Of the leaf aud makes the shade sub
stantial enough to stand wear Foui
long leaves and four shorter ones drooI
from a common center and make tht
daintiest shade imaginable. | Jaw tiny
enc Of this same pattern for an incan
aascent light. The red leaves were lined
with pale yellow, and how the electric
lght did glow through the blended col
sral A skillful workwoman can only
construct four or five of these shades a
day. Their price consequently doesn't
exactly bring them within the reach Of
au, but they promise to largely take the
place of silk and illusion, The operative
earns from s. to $40 Il week in the shad,
department
Lace paper for lining the edges o
boxes really forms the important par
of this industry. Look at bit of thi
dainty paper and see how faithfully i
rsproduces every thread Of the lace from
which it is copied When people ar
tsld that these delicate patterns ar
stamped from engraved metal plates
thsy are apt TO look incredulous. Still
that is the process
For many years Germany has con
troned this industry. The consul a
Berlin in his last annual report state
that 7,Q00.OO0 pounds Of lace paper ar
exported annually to the United States
One fine day good fortune befell tn
Industry a man came in and asked 70
employment. He was designer an,
sngrsver of plates from Germany. II
declined to give any information us +
how he knew the factory was in Mime
apois or why he came He simply sail
thsy could try his work, and if they wer
satisfied he would stay. He has re
manned ever since. | saw him severa
hmes and didn't wonder that there wa
some hesitancy about engaging him. ii
weighs about 1926 pounds. The face i
Intelligent and refined, but the bush,
beard and long hair. combined with tn
nuscular frame, give the man the aI
Pssrance of one used to vigorous manua
labor Appearances are deceptive in thi
ease, for he is an artist as well as an en-
Draver. and knows every detail of tn
business.
he first sketches the design on paper
then takes a block of lead composition
similar to that used for newspaper cuts
and draws the exact pattern with a shar
steel point, Then, with finely grade
shisels, he hammers out every little dc
tail 80 exact that the tiniest thread of tn
knsst lace pattern is visible.
To see the workman hammering on
An intricate pattern one would think
~ endless task 1t is not, however
nearly so tedious as it looks. This Ell
graver will make plate 90 inches lon
BY inches wide in four days. All tn
edges of the pattern have to be made i
sharp relief instead of being cut into tn
plate, as in ordinary engraving, Thi
has TO be done so that the sharp edge
will perforate the paper when the cylir
asr passes over the plate.
Lace paper has its styles just the sam
a. the real article The young lady VIII
gets her daily box Of bonhons from tn
sonfectioner wants the lace edged holde
70 be In the latest mode She can ais
select torchon. yalencieunes. spanisl
gnipure, breton or any other style /
As paper just as she can IN the thread.
Among the pretty imported notions
that Of cOrnucopia with a deep lac
edge and closed with dainty bows {
satin ribbons. This is 70 hold matinc
er theater allowance of candy and wi
probably be very popular Eva No
aonald-Valesh in Minneapolis Tribune.
General sherman's individuality.
In one Of Lawrence Huttons article