The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-13
ISITTHEPAPER AGE?
SINCE PULP CAME INTO USE THERE
HAVE BEEN MANY CHANGES.

Without steam and railways modern
society would undoubtedly exist But
what state of intellectual darkness
would be that of civilized mankind
without paper and the secret of its man
ufacture! For many years tho rag met
all demands of the paper industry. Tho
increasing diversity of uses to which
paper and paper pulp have been put in
the last decade have mado it necessary
for manufacturers to cast about for moro
effective elementary substances. Boots,
money, boats, gas pipes, impermeablo
casks, toys, bottles, pipes, floors, doors,
ceilings, architectural ornaments, roof
ing, chimneys and even complete fire.
proof houses arc now made of paper
Many claim that it will eventually sup
plant wood, for it will neither crack
nor warp. 1t can be triturated, put I'M
der great pressure and subjected to GER
tain chemical treatment and will then
take "a high polish and will resist the eff
fects of fire better than any other ma
tcrial known. Paper is gradually sup
planting metal i'll certain lines. Loco
motive wheels have been made of it for
several years, and even rails for rail
roads. The next progressive step will he
to use it for the manufacture of ord
nance, which is not by any means Il re-
mote possibility Paper has largely TAX
eli the place of linen. We have paper
collars and cuffs and blankets An in
gcnious Inventor has devised paper
shirt hosoms, which can be torn off like
the pages from Il calendar, thus enabling
the wcarer to have II clean shirt front
as often rs he desires. 1t is only mat
ter OF time before cloths. dressing gowns
and entire suits Of clothes will he made
from paper. The soldiers of the Japanese
army wore paper trousers and jerseys
during their famous winter campaign
Wood pulp is the most effective sub
stitutc for rags III the manufacture of
paper Nearly every species of wood can
be used. Some kinds yield more than
others Moro pulp can he got from will
low and chestnut than from walnut.
Different woods give various qualities
and effects. Aspen will yield Il very
white paper, but defective i'll solidity,
and is therefore mixed with fir. This
latter wood is most generally used. 1t
was first imported from the Black forest,
III Germany. Tho chief supply is now
obtained i'll Norway and Finland in the
form of planks or poles, never exceeding
3 feet or S inches
For the last half century the worlds
production of paper has increased ten
fold. In 1850 it was 221, 600 metric
tons. The latest recent estimate was
1000, 600 metric tons. The European
manufacturers arc suffering from glut
i'll production. The price of paper has
fallen onc.thirt, while wages have dou-
bled. Tho European plants are not sc
progressive as those i'll this country.
They depend too much upon manual la
Dor. III the United States the Inanufac-
turers have substituted machinery for
hand work, and rs II result of the de-
crease i'll tho number of their employees
are enabled to pay high wages.
Attention has recently been called to
the utility of II little known species of
paper called the boabab, or Ansonia.
1t is made from the wood of tho hoabab
tree, which is IL native of west Africa.
and is known there as the monkey
bread tree" 1t is found in Abyssinia,
Senegal and south of Coyo river. 1t is
of low growth and has very thick
trunk. While it rarely attains u height
of % feet, the trunk is usually 20 to 20
feet i'll diameter. The branches are pen
dulous and bear AN edible fruit The in
ner bark Of this tree is very tibrous. 1t
is used for making superior wrapper pa
pers, which have great tenacity. When
the inner bark is stripped from the tree
fresh growth supplants that taken
away, and i'll Il couple of years the tree
is again i'll normal condition. The bark
is peeled off but once in four years
The latest addition to the paper in.
dustry is Il sanitary note paper which
is claimed to be germproof. 1t has long
been known that letters frequently
spread infectious diseases by means of
the germs that contaminatc the paper
AN English firm has produced Il paper
which is imprcgnatcd with an antiseDtic
substance which kills all germs that
may come III contact with the paper. If
this paper proves to be what the propric-
tors claim, 1t IS certainly u mcritornus
invention and will become generally
used by hospitals and during the rage of
future cpide.nics.
Chinese and Japanese papers have
long been noted for their quality. 1t las
recently been asccrtaincd however. Chat
even liner grades are produced iii Korcn.
One eminent authority states that tho
Korean paper eXccls the very best that
is made i'll China and Japan 1t is
manufactured entirely by manual labor.
No machinery whatever is employed
For the better grades the bark of the
Broussonetia papyrifera is used. This is
gathered in the spring of the year. 1t is
placed IN water, mixed with wood ash
es and is then beaten until it is reduced