Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-11
STICKY FLY PAPER.
Process of It's Manu- fa cturc Jealous
ly Guarded Secret.

Grand Rapids Letter to the New York Sun.
The worlds supply of sticky fly paper
cones from this city. There are three or
the country, but none of them makes
enough to cut much of a figure in the mar
ket. The great producer is the single fac
tory in this city, a big concern employing
900 to coo hands all the year round, and its
product is shipped to every land.
The factory is surrounded by high board
picket fence. and guards are on watch day
and night to keep out intruders The best
friends Of the proprietors meet with as
cold a reception when the matter of going
into the factory Is mentioned any
stranger The sticky preparation with
which it is expected the flies will form en-
tangling alliances is prepared by the pro-
prietors personally, ami they alone know
the exact formula. The preparation is not
patented nor copyrighted, as to gain the
protection of the government ii would be
necessary to reveal the materials that go
into it and make the formula known to the
world and give trade pirates chance to
operate.
The secret is protected by not letting II
out, and it has been kept successfully for
nearly twenty years. The machinery used
in the factory is guarded IN the same man
ner against infringement, instead OF being
patented Most of the machinery was de-
signed for the special purpose 10 which it
was put, and the four brothers engaged in
the business made the designs for il them
selves, and had different parts of it con-
Structed at different machine shops. The
fly paper factory occupies four large two
story brick buildings, and the employees in
one department are not allowed under any
circumstances to visit any other depart
ment. None but Trustworthy men are en-
ployed, and once engaged they have sub
stantally a life job; but even the most
trusted is not allowed 10 know more than
one branch of the business.
The fly paper Is made by spreading GER
tain balsams and gums on a sheet of sized
manila paper. The sheet has narrow
border of wax to prevent the sticky stuff
from oozing out. The border of wax is put
on, the sticky preparation is spread, and
the sheet IS folded ready for inspection and
shipment by one machine and this ma
chine has capacity of about $1,000 sheets
a day. From the machine the sheets pass
to inspectors, who that the stuff is of
the right consistency, and then to the
packers. to be put into boxes for shipment.
The paper goes to Africa, Asia, Europe
Australia and South America, besides all
parts Of this country.
The manufacturers CT the sticky paper
began business about twenty years ago on
a small scale, occupying a lean-:o In con-
nection with a suburban drug store which
the brothers had established as a branch
of their city business. One of the brothers
carried on the fly paper manufacturing al
a side issue, and at first only enough was
manufactured to supply a limited local de-
mand. The demand gradually grew. and
the factory is now one of the big institu-
tions of the city, and the four brothers all
devote to it their entire time.
Some time ago the brothers had occasion
to discharge one of their employees, a man
VINO had been with them several years
and had unusual facilities for learning the
inside of how everything was done. 1t was
suspected that 1t was his intention to sell
the secrets OF the manufacture Of fly
paper, or such of them as he possessed, to
a rival manufacturer doing business on a
small scale In another town. The brothers
Immediately brought suit against him bv
injunction to restrain him from telling
what ne knew, and from himself engaging