The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-16
PAPER-MAKING LORE.
From Cassell's Saturday Journal.

| From Cassells Saturday Journal
In all ages people have been compelled
to communicate with each other. AT
a very early period of the worlds exist
| ence some material on which to in
scribe any information which they
wished to convey to others was found
necessary. Verbal messages, though
often employed by ancient nations, as
means of communication, were not
always possible to use. Secrets had
often to be transmitted, and it was a
severe trial of bearers fidelity to in
trust him with private affairs. Many
tales are related in history and in le-
gends of trusty messengers who WELD
ed up their lives rather than make
known the secret, which no torture
could drag from their lips. Still fail
ures were not uncommon, and human
ingenuity set to work to invent some
material on which to inscribe signs
which could be understood at dis
tance.
As people grew more civilized, de-
mand arose for some material on which
records and histories might be written
and handed down to posterity. Stones
were probably the earliest form of
writing material Even at the present
day N many parts of the world stones
are found bearing inscriptions. 1t
would seem that among the earlier
races of mankind any records of great
Importance was generally engraved
upon stone, as being the more likely
to be permanent. The same feeling
may be traced in the present genera
ton, the inscriptions on tombs, foun-
dation stones OF public buildings and
monuments
Stones not being convenient for the
transmission of long messages, though
admirably adapted for receiving in
scriptions intended to outlast dvnas-
tics, other materials were tried. Lead,
brass and bricks were all found to re-
semble stone too much in its property
OF not being portable. Lead was found
TO be the best, as it could be
beaten out into thin sheets and
written upon with iron or steel
instruments. It's weight, however,
was against it. Tablets of wood,
wax and ivory. skins of fishes.
intestines of serpents, were all en-
ployed as substitutes, and were found
TO combine the requirements of porta-
bility, dura biity and facility of re-
ceivinr writing.
The bark OF trees when once tried
was found TO be superior 20 most of the
other materials, and it was employed
largely til the introduction of paper.
There are but few kinds of plants or
trees which have not been used IN the
manufacture OF books and paper, and
the various terms employed by the
classic authors denote the several parts
which were written on. such as biblOs,
codex. leber. abula and others
OF paper proper itself. it i perhaps
needless to remind our readers that
the name Is derived from the papvrus.
q reed growing on the banks OF the
Nile Though Egypt : naturally sup
posed TO be the sour &C whence came
the idea Of making paper, evidence i
not wanting IN favor OF the theory
that the Chinese were acquainted with
the arr 81 = very early period. The
Chinese process = more ingenious than
that OF the ancient Egyptians. being
more % a manufacture. properly SPEAK
ing. thau the Other
The Egyptian paper made from ;he
p2pyrus was made bv LAYING thin
plates Of tissue, taken from the middle
OF the paperrush, side bv side. bat
close together. on hard. smooth "A be:
other pieces were then laid across the /,