Huntsville gazette., 1894-12-29
QUEER USES OF PAPER.
Wool Pulp May Yet Furnish Arnor Tor
War ships and Telegraph Poles.

War Ships and Telegraph Poles.
Nothing OF resent years mas given a
greater incentive to the exercise of the
forester's art than the discovery of the
method of making paper out OF wood
pulp. Wood pulp to-day supplies
twenty thousand weekly and daily
periodicals with paper, and each
wear the number increases from
ten to twenty per cent, making
the demand upon the spruce forests SO
great as to threaten their extinction
unless intelligent efforts are made to
preserve them. In Germany, where the
manufacture of wood pulp is even
greater than in this conntry, the forest
er's art is exercised SO that the forests
steadily keep up the supply. 1t is to
initiate this method of using, but not
abusing, the natural spruce forests here
that paper makers are trying to buy up
the large areas of woodland covered
by these trees.
In the arts and trades new uses arc
found for paper every year, SO that the
demand increases as fast as the pro-
duction The records at the patent of
ing number of uses to which paper i2
put, and applications are made for pat
ents for other queer inventions that
never see the light of day.
Cigar boxes are made of paper and
favored with cedar oil to give the i'm.
preston that they are manufactured OF
cedar. Medals are pressed out of paper
and then coated with a preparation to
make them resemble either silver or
bronze. Similarly cornices, panels and
frezes are nodded out Of paper pulp,
and both interior and exterior archi-
tectural effects are obtained at rcla-
lively low cost by this method.
The manufacture OF car wheels out
of paper is an old story. 1t is proba.
bly, the good results obtained with
them that suggested the idea of coat
ing iron-clad men-of-war with paper.
Inventors are now working on the prob
lem of finding a preparation either OF
compressed paper or compressed ramie
that will form bullet-proof coating
for war vessels. The car wheels and
steam pipes made of paper admit Of be-
ing nodded and formed to suit any pur-
pose. and it is suggested that by using
paper for coating armor plate the sur.
face could be formed like fish scales
with tiny overlapping plates. The sur
face could be made rough or smooth,
and besides giving more strength to
the steel armor the paper coating
would protect the metal from corrO-
sion.
Another queer use to which papes
promises to be put is in the manufac-
ture of telegraph poles. The paper
poles are hollow, and are made from
paper pulp, and then coated with sill
cate of potash to preserve them. Elec-
trio conduits in successful use are made
out of paper pnlp, and also steam and
water pipes of great strength and dur
ability. Paper roofing material is 50
common that it is unnecessary to men,
tion it, and also paper nails, basins and
pans.
Undertaker5 are using cheap cofflns
pressed out of paper pulp. When pol
ished and stained such coffins are al
most as handsome as those of wood.
They last longer in the ground than
cotfins of wood or metal. and they can
be Theoretically sealed better than tho
heavy metal collins.
Paper boats are generally looked
upon as playthings for very small chill
dren, but large, commodious, stanch
boats are now manufactured ont of pa
per pulp. They can resist the water,
and are lighter than wooden or metal
boats. Lead pencils and cigar holders
made of paper are in daily use, and
even carpets and mattresses are manu-
factured in limited way out of paper.
The mattresses are made of paper pulp
and ordinary sponge, with springs en-
bedded in the composition. Artificial
straws for drinking iced beverages,
which are superior TO the natural
straws, are being placed on the mar
ket, and SO is a peculiar cloth paper for
printing bank notes on.-N. Y. Sun.