Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-11-07
MAKING LACE PAPER.
MINNEAPOLIS HAS THE ONLY FAC
TORY OF THE KIND HERE.

How a New Industry In which Germany
ExceIs Came to BE Established ~ This
Country-As Yet II T. In Its Infancy.
Nice Work For womon.
Minneapolis a claim a monopoly in
At least one industry. There is none like
It 10 tho country. Germany is the near
est competitor. The lace paper factory
mere is the only one in the country. How
the industry came TO DO established
here and the development Of certain
possibilities In regard to 1t make quite
an original story.
A certain business man tolerably well
known In Minneapolis once upon q time
loaned some money and material TO q
Russian immigrant who was trying to
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
averred that in addition to other bur
deus he had to support his brother.
Why doesn't your brother go to
work."
Pardon, sir. Ho is honest and indus
%trious, but can find no work at his trade"
What trade can that be?'
He is a lace paper Inaker and there
are are no factories g that sort here. and
he has not mach 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 CONNECTIONS 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 IN 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 "knack" which no man
ever had, and the woman who possesses
1t 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 tho bent for that
kind Of work.
The prettiest lamp shades | yer 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 a 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 q common center and make tbs
daintiest shade imaginable. saw a tiny
one of this same pattern for al incan
descent light. The red leaves were lined
with pale yellow, and how the electric
light did glow through the blended col
orsl 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
all. but they promise to largely take the
place of silk and illusion. The operative
earns from IS to $40 a week in the shade
department.
Lace paper for lining tho edges oI
boxes really forms the important par
Of this industry. Look at a bit Of thil
dainty paper and see how faithfully i
r~eproduces every thread of the lace from
which it is copied. When people ar,
told that these delicate patterns ar,
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 a
Berlin in his last annual report state
that 1000, 600 pounds of lace paper ar
exported annually to the United States
One fine day good fortune befell til,
industry. man came in and asked TO-
employment. He was a designer an,
engraver Of plates from Germany. H
declined to give any information as t
how be knew the factory was in Mime
apolis or why he came. He simply salt
they could try his work, and if they wer
satisfied he would stay. He has re
manned ever since. l saw him severa
times and didn't wonder that there wa
some hesitancy about engaging him. II
weighs about 325 pounds. The face
intelligent and refined. but the bush
beard and long hair, combined with tn
muscular frame, give the man the az
pearance of one used to vigorous manua
labor, Appearances are deceptive in thi
case. for he is an artist as well as an Ell
graver, 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 cut
and draws the exact pattern with a shar
steel point. Then, with finely grade
chisels, he hammers out every little d,
tail SO exact that the tiniest thread of tn
finest lace pattern is visible.
To sec the workman hammering OF
an intricate pattern n would think
an endless task. 1t is not, howevet
nearly 80 tedious as it looks. This Ell
graver viii make a plate 30 inches Ion
by 9 inches wide in four days. All u
edges of the pattern have to he made
sharp relief instead Of being cut into I'll
plate. as ia ordinary engraving. Tn
has to be done so that the sharp edgl
will perforate the paper when the cylh
der passes over the plate.
Lace paper has its styles just the sam
as the real article The young lady WI
gets her daily box of bonbons from IL
confectioner wants the lace edged holde
to be in the latest mode. She ais
select tOrchon, valenciennes, spanisl
guipure, breton or any other style /
the paper just rs she can in the thread.
Among the pretty imported notions
that Of a cornucopia with a deep laC
edge and closed with dainty bows
satin ribbons, This is to hold matin'