Evening journal., 1893-03-29
MAKING LACE PAPER.
MINNEAPOLIS HAS THE ONLY FAC.
TORY OF THE KIND HERE.

Excels Came to Be Established In Thii
Country-As Yet It Is In Its Infancy |
Nice Work For Women.
Minneapolis can claim a monopoly i. |
at least one industry. There is none lila |
it in the country. Germany is the near
est competitor The lace paper factory |
here is the only one in the country. How |
the industry came to be established |
here and the development of certain |
possibilities in regard to it make quite
an original story.
A certain business man tolerably well !
known in Minneapolis once upon time
loaned some money and material to o
Russian immigrant who was trying Il
start a greenhouse in st. Paul. The flo.
rist was very grateful for the help, but at
the end Of six months had not repaid any
of the loan. The business man hunted
him up and inquired wherefore this neg
ligence. The florist explained his Difficult.
ties at some length, and sorrowfully
ayerred that in addition to other bur
dens he had to support his brother.
"Why doesn't your brother go to
work.?
Pardon, sir. He is honest and indus
trious, but can find no work at his trade.
''What trade can that be2"
HE is a lace paper maker and there
are are no factories Of that sort here, and
he has not much chance at other trades
where he has no skill"
An interview with the paper maker re-
vealed some interesting facts, and after
some investigation several Minneapolis
capitalists concluded to start a factory
to evolve the dainty confections that
modern ingenuity says may be made
from paper. The industry is still so new
that its present condition may be re-
garded as only an earnest of the future
The fad for fancy lamp shades makes
a special department which was not at
first contemplated. Grape paper devel-
ops 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 'l1nack" which no man
ever had, and the woman who possesses
it is luckier than if she had beauty
though she never thinks so herself.
Now, this business Of making lamp
shades and flower pots and paper flowers
and dolls is light, clean work and pays
well if a woman has the bent for that
kind 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. 1t is cut in the proper
shape, and delicate wire forms the mid
rib of the leaf and makes the shade sub
stantial enough to stand wear. -Four
long leaves and four shorter ones droop
from a common center and make the
daintiest shade imaginable. / saw tiny
one of this same pattern for an incan.
descent light. The red leaves were lined
with pale yellow, and how the electric
light did glow through the blended col
orsl A sldllful worlwoman can only
construct four or five of these shades a
day. Their price consequently doesn't
exactly bring them within the reach of
all. but they promise to largely take the
place Of silk and illusion. The operative
earns from So to $40 a week in the shade
department
Lace paper for lining the edges Of
boxes really forms the important part
dainty paper and SEQ how faithfully it
reproduces every thread of the lace from
which it is copied. When people are
told that these delicate patterns are
stamped from engraved metal plates,
they are apt to look incredulous. Still
that is the process.
For many years Germany has con-
trolled this industry. The consul at
Berlin in his last annual report states
that 1000, 600 pounds Of lace paper are
exported annually to the United States
One fine day good fortune befell the
industry a man came in and asked for
employment. He was a designer and
engraver Of plates from Germany He
declined to give any information as to
how he knew the factory was in Mime
apolis or why he came. He simply said
they could try his work, and if they were
satisfied he would stay. He has re-
manned ever since. / saw him several
times and didn't wonder that there was
some hesitancy about engaging him. He
weighs about 1926 pounds. The face is
intelligent and refined. but the bushy
beard and long hair, combined with the
muscular frame, give the man the ap-
pearance of one used to vigorous manual
labor. Appearances are deceptive in this
case, for he is an artist as well as an en-
graver, and knows every detail Of the
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 sharp
steel point. Then, with finely graded
chisels, he hammers out every little de
tail so exact that the tiniest thread Of the
finest lace pattern is visible.
To see the workman hammering out
an intricate pattern one would think il
an endless task 1t is not, however
nearly so tedious as it looks. This en-.
graver win make a plate 90 inches long
by . inches wide in four days. All the
edges Of the pattern have to be made in
sharp relief instead Of being cut into the
plate, as III ordinary engraving This
has to be done so that the sharp edges
ILL ,,orfrrnfo tbn nor r,o,. v--l0s +bo ,,-1i-,