The record-union., 1894-05-31
WHEN PAPER WAS SCARCE.
An Appeal of Century Ago to ''Pleas
Save Your Rags

An Appeal of Century Ago to please
Save Your Rags"
Paper was so scarce when the American
army entered Philadelphia upon the eVac-
uation Of the British troops that there was
a want Of paper fitted for the construction
of cartridges. 1t was advertised for and
but small quantity procured. An order
was then issued demanding its instant
production by all the people in that city
who had it.
This produced but little more, very
probably on account of its scarcity. A
file OF soldiers was then ordered to make
search for it in every place where any was
likely to be found. Among other places
visited in July was garret in the house
in which Benjamin Franklin had pre-
viously had his printing Office.
Here were discovered about 500 copies
of a sermon which Rev. Gilbert Tenant
had written-printed by Franklin-upon
Defensive War;" to arouse the colonists
during the French troubles. They were
all taken and used as cases for musket
cartridges and at once sent to the armory.
Most of them were used at the battle of
Monmouth. The requisites in cartridge
paper were of course thinness, strength,
pliability, and infiammability, and such
paper then was necessarily scarce.
In 1881 paper was SO scarce that in New
York the journal of the second session OF
the Assembly was not printed, the printer
being unable to procure the necessary
paper. Horner, in his 'Biblotheca Amer
nau-17S9-informs US that 'at this
lime the people of North America manu-
iactured their own paper and in sufficient
quantities for home consumption, but the
1rice of labor was so high as to discour-
age pu ublishing beyond their own laws,
pamphlets and newspapers" Some two
years after this date, David Buel, Post
master OF Troy, n. Y, published the fol-
lowing homily, under the head. PLEASE
Save Your Rags:
1.-The press contributes more 10 the diff
fusion of knowledge and information than
any other medium. Rags are the primary
requisite in the manufacture OF paper, and
without paper the newspapers of our
country, those cheap, useful, and agree
able companions of the citizen and
farmer. which in a political and moral
view are of the highest national import
ance, must decline and be extinguished.
The paper mills of the State, would the
poor and the opulent, the farmer and the
mechanic, be persuaded into the laudable
frugality of saving rags. would turn out
ample supplies of American paper to an
swer all demands.
'iThe people of Massachusetts and Con-
necticut. with true American zeal, have
introduced this exemplary saving into
the economy of their houses. The latter.
by fair calculation, makes yearly a saving
of rags to the actual amount of SOC, 600.
The ladies in several large towns display
an elegant work bag as a part of the furni-
ture of their parlors, in which every rag
that is used in the paper mill is carefully
preserved. We're this example initiated
this State would not be drained of its
circulating cash for paper and other man
ufactures which American artists can fur
nish.
"The poor by the mere saving of rags
may be enabled to procure paper and
books for schools and family use and more
agreeable articles of dress and consump-
ton. The rich who regard the interest OF
their country will direct their children
or domestics to place bag or box in
some convenient place as a deposit for
rags, that none may be lost by being
swept into the street or fire, the sales Of
which savings will reward the attention
of the faithful servant and encourage the
prosperous enterprise of prudence and
frugality."
The industries of the country grew sc
fast that in 1910 the number Of paper mills
in the United States wss estimated at 1S5
of which sixty were in Pennsylvania
st. Louis Globe Democrat