The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-03-10
MAKING LACE PAPER.
MINNEAPOLIS HAS THE ONLY FAC
TORY or TIE KIND HERE.

N
Country-as Sc, 1t Is In 1t, Infancy.
Nice Work For Women.
Miunesl polls can claim IA monopoly in
ut Ie:ist one industry There IS none like
1t 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 a TINE
loaned ON money and material to a
Russian Immigrant who was trying to
start a greenhouse in St. Paul. The fo-
rist was very grateful for the help. but at
the end Of six months had not repaid any
of the loan The business MAJ hunted
him mp and inquired wherefore this neg
ligence. The florist explained his difficult
ties at some length. and ~sorrowfully
averred 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 be-"
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 CONNECTIONS that
modern ingenuity say, 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 ''knack" 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 Il delicate wire forms the md
rib of the leaf and makes the shade sui
stantial enough to stand wear. Four
long leaves and -four shorter ones Groop
from a common center and make IL.
daintiest shade imaginable. saw IA tin,
one of this same pattern for III incan
descent light. The red leaves were lined
with pale yellow, and how the electric
light did glow through the blended col
ors! A skillful workwoman can only
construct o 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 tie
place of silk and illusion. The operative
department.
Lace paper for lining the edges of
boxes really forms the important pant
Of this industry. Look at a bit Of this
dainty paper and see how faithfully i,
reproduces every thread of the lace from
which it IL copied. When people are
told that these delicate patterns ar
stamped from engraved metal plates,
they are apt to- look in~credulcus. 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 Z eco 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 h%esitancy about engaging him. He
weighs about 325 pounds. The face il
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
- . oSSSDtANo AL tii8o
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 tie
finest Lace pattern is visible.
To see the workman hammering II
an intricate pattern one would think it
an endless task 1t is not, however.
nearly SO tedious as it looks. This en-
graver will make a plate 20 inches long
by 2 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 in ordinary engraving. This