Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-04
THE Uses OF PAPER.
The Various Ways In which 1t Is
Utilized.

From the Chicago Record.
When the man drew his kn!fe-blade over
the new pencil he noticed that the chip
chung to the steel. The second cut showed
him that he was not whiting wood, and
he turned to the clerk for information.
That's paper lead pencil, answered
the clerk They have been on the market
but a short time. Sharpens easily, doesn
It?''
II Is only recently that papermakers have
been able to overcome one of the chief diff
tculties In the way of the substitution of
paper pulp for wood in the making of lead
pencils. This difficulty was the hardness
and toughnsss of the paper covering. 1t
was comparatively easy to make solid
paper stick with hole in it for the lead,
but the paper stick resisted the knife-blade,
and unless a pencil can be pointed and re-
pointed 1t is of no use. Now. however, the
papermakers can make a paper tube for
lead pencils which can be cut easily. The
paper is pressed into tubes, and these tubes
are placed In frame in the bottom OF
hollow cylinder, which Is filled with plastic
graphite. When pressure Is put on the
graphite is forced into the paper tubes, and
fills them with the lead. The paper pencils
are dried for several days, and then put In
a bath of melted parafn, which gives the
paper the proper texture.
to which the accommodating paper a.aS
ceen put. The scope of paper pulp, wood
pulp, straw board and papier-mache seems
TO be Iimtless. Hollow telegraph poles
made of paper pulp are recent invention,
and paper Is taking the place OF gutta
percha in the insulation of electric wires.
Cigar boxes are made from thin paper
boards, and are then scented with oil or
cedar. and CoIored and grained to initiate
Spanish cedar. Straws for lemonade and
other iced drinks are made of paper, which
is coated with paraftin to make the straws
water-tight.
Rims for bicycle wheels are made of paper
pulp which has been subjected to a ire
mendous hydraulic pressure. The recent fad
for wooden rims of bicycle wheels turned
the attention of papermakers to this new
use for their product, for il is the paper
makers boast that anything made of wood
can be made Of paper&Hnd better made, too.
The prepared paper is wrapped about a
mold several layers thick, the paper being
somewhat wider than the rim of the wheel
should be. Narrow strips are then laid
down the center OF the outside sheets until
the paper body is built up to the required
thickness. Next the extra width of the
outside sheets is turned In over the narrow
strips. and the whole Is placed under
hydraulic press, and there kept until Ii is
pressed into solid. rim-shaped piece. The
ragged edges are trimmed, and the rim is
ready TO have the spoke holes bored in.
Not content with making bicycle rims the
papermakers are after the rubber men, for
they are improving a process for making
paper tires for bicycles. An elastic paper
is something new, but this is what the new
tires are made of. Tho chemical manipula-
ton which results In this novel material Is
Kept profound secret. but mec hanically
the process is simple. The paper is drawn
into tube OF the proper size. then one
end IS shaved off on the outside of the tube
for distance of several inches, and the
other end has the inside surface treated In
the same way. This gives telescope
joint. which Is made tight with q strong
adhesive. Hair is packed inside the tube,
and the tube is kept rounded while the
ends are being Joined by compressed air.
The property men of the theater have
long used paper in making stage furniture,
armOr, Statues and other accessories to
scenic productions. There is little that IS
real on a stage, and the most solid
bronze or marble statue. "oah" table
"steef' armor, engines. locomotives, saw
mills, bank safes and carved mantelpfeces
are but hollow papier-mache. The school
Roy who shoots sptball at his teacher
uses papier-maChe missile-for papier-
mache. the bulwark of the scenic artist
The hope OF the property man and the wou-