Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-03-30
ISTTTHEPAPER AGE?

AGE2l
SINCE PULP CAME INTO USE THERE
HAVE BEEN MANY CHANGES.
Paper II Taking the Place Of Wood, Stone
and Iron-It Il Now Madc Absolutely
Eireproof-shirt Bosoms That Don,t
Have to BE Washed.
Without steam and railways modern
society would undoubtedly exist. But
what q state of intellectual darkness
would be that Of civilized mankind
without paper and the secret Of its man.
ufacturei For many years the rag met
all demands Of the paper industry. The
increasing diversity Of uses to which
paper and paper pulp have been put in
the last decade have made it necessary
for manufacturers to cast about for more
effective elementary substances. Boots,
money, boats, gas pipes. impermeable
casks, toys, bottles, pipes. floors. doors,
ceilings, architectural ornaments, roof.
ing, chimneys and even complete fire.
proof houses are now made of paper.
Many claim that it will eventually sup
plant wood, for it will neither crack
nor warp. It can be triturated, put I'M.
der great pressure and subjected to GER
tain chemical treatment and will then
take high polish and will resist the eff.
fects Of fire better than any other ma
terial known. Paper is gradually sup
planting metal in certain lines Loco
motive wheels have been made Of it for
several years, and even rails for rail-
roads. The next progressive step will be
to use ft for the manufacture Of ord.
nance, which is not by any means q re-
mote possibility. Paper has largely tax
en- the place of linen. We have paper
collars and cuffs and blankets. An in
genious inventor has devised paper
shirt bosoms, which can be torn Of like
the pages from O calendar, thus enabling
the wearer to have clean shirt front
as often as he desires. It 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 SUBJ
stitute for rags in the manufacture Of
paper. Nearly every species Of wood can
be used. Some kinds yield more than
others. More pulp can be got from will
low and chestnut than from walnut
Different woods give various qualities
and effects. Aspen will yield a very
white paper, but defective in solidity.
and is therefore mixed with fir. This
latter wood is most generally used. II
was first imported from the Black forest,
in Germany. The chief supply is now
| obtained in Norway and Finland. in the
form of planks or poles, never exceeding
8 feet or 8 inches.
For the last half century the worlds
production of paper has increased ten.
fold. In 1850 it was 22l, 900 metric
tons. The latest recent estimate wal
| 2, 900, 600 metric tons. The European
manufacturers are suffering from a glut
in production. The price Of paper ha.
fallen one.third, while wages have dou
bled. The European plants are not &
| progressive as those in this country.
They depend too much upon manual Ia
turers have substituted machinery fol
hand work, and as q result of the de
crease in the number Of their employees
are enabled to pay high wages.
Attention has recently been called Il
the utility Of a little known species o
paper called the boabab, or Ansonia
It is made from the wood Of the boabal
tree, which is q native of west Africa
and is known there as the ''monke,
bread tree" It is found in Abyssinia
Senegal and south of Coyo river. 1t j
Of low growth and has a very thicl
trunk. While it rarely attains heigh
of IS feet, the trunk is usually 90 to Q
, feet in diameter. The branches are pen
dulous and bear an edible fruit. The in
ner bark Of this tree is very ibrous.
is used for making superior wrapper pa
pers. which have great tenacity. Whe
the inner bark is stripped from the tret
!, fresh growth supplants that take
away, and in o couple of years the TIRE
is again in normal condition. The bar
is peeled of but once in four years.
The latest addition to the paper il
dustry is q sanitary note paper whic
is claimed to be germproof. 1t has Ion
been known that letters frequentl
spread infectious diseases by means
the germs that contaminste the pape
An English firm has produced a pap,
! which is impregnated with an antisept
substance which kills all germs th'
may come in contact with the paper.
> this paper proves to be what the propri
tors claim, it is certainly q meritoriol
9 invention and will become general
t used by hospitals and during the rage
: future epidemics.
i Chinese and japanese papers ha'
y Iona besu noted for their quality It b
!. recently been ascertained, however. tn
!. even finer grades are produced in Kore
One eminent anthofity states that ''tI
! Korean paper excels the very best tn
is made in China and Japan. It
\ manufactured entirely By manual labo
J No machinery whatever is employe
For the better grades the bark Of Il