The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-02-20
WHEN PAPER WAS SCARCE.



Save Your Rage"
Paper was SO scarce when the American
army entered Philadelphia upon the cvac.
uation Of the British troops that there was
want OF paper fitted Tor the construction
Of cartridges. 10 was advertised for aud
but a small quantity procured. A order
was then issued demanding its instant
production by all the people in that city
who had it.
This produced but little more, very prob
ably on account OF its scarcity. A tile OF
soldiers was then ordered 90 make search
for it in every place where any was likely
90 DO found. Among other places visited
I'm July was a garnet I'm the house in which
Benjamin Franklin had previously had his
printing o1ioe.
Here were discovered about 500 copies
Of a sermon which the Rev Gilbert Tenant
had written--printed by Franklin-upon
defensive War TO arouse the colonists
during the French troubles. The were all
taken ana used as cases for musket car
tridges and at oncc sent 60 the armory.
Most Of them were used ~ the battle n
Monmouth. The requisites In cartridge
paper were. of course. thinness, strength,
plinhility and inhammability. and such
paper then was necessarily scarce.
Tn 1881 paper was 80 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 pa
per. Homer. ia his "Bibliotheca Amer
icana '-l7se informs us that lat this
time the people of North America manu-
featured their own paper and in sufficient
quantities. for homo consumption, but the
price OF labor was so high as to discourage
publishing beyond their own laws. pam
phlets and Newspapers Some two years
after this date David Bull, postmaster Of
Troy. y. y. published the following
homily under the head "please Save Your
Rags"
The press contributes more 60 the diffu-
sion OF knowledge and information than
any other medium. Rags are the primary
requisite ia the manufacture of paper aud Z
without paper the newspapers Of our coun- I
try, those cheap, useful and agreeable com 1
pauious Of the citizen and farmer. which in I
q political and moral view are of the highest I
national Importance. must decline and he /
extinguished Thcpaper millsof the state.
would the poor and the opulent. the farm
er and the mechanic. he persuaded into the
laudable frugality OF saving rags, would
turn out ample supplies of American paper
20 answer all demands.
1.-THE people az 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 $50. 600. The
ladies in several large towns display an
elegant work bag rs part of the furniture of
their parlors, in which every rag that is
used i'm she paper mill is carefully pre-
served. Were this example initiated this {
state would not be drained of its circulat-
ing cash for paper and other manufactures
which American artists can furnish. /
1.-The poor by the mere saving Of rags |
may be enabled 90 procure paper and books
Tor schools and family use and more agree
able articles of dress and consumption. |
The rich who regard the interest Of their
country will direct their children or do I
nestics 20 place a bag or box in some con
-enient place as a deposit for rags. that
lone may be lost by being swept into the J
street or fire. the sales Of which savings
will reward the attention of the faithful
servant and encourage the prosperous en-
erprise of prudence and frugality"
The industries Of the country grew 50 :
last that in 1910 the number Of paper mills
N the United States was estimated at 1856.
II which go were in Pennsylvania st.
Louis Globe Democrat