Evening journal., 1897-01-27
.SITTHEPAPER AGE?
SINCE PULP CAME INTO USE THERE
HAVE BEEN MANY CHANGES.

Fireproof shirt Bosoms That Don't
Have to BE washed.
without steam and railways modern
society would undoubtedly exist. But
what a state Of intellectual darkness
would be that Of civilized mankind
without paper and the secret of its man
ufaoturel 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 IL will neither crack
nor warp. 1t can be triturated, put un-
der great pressure and subjected to Ger
tain chemical treatment and will then
take high polish and will resist the ef-
fects cf fire better than any other ma
teral 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. Tie next progressive step will be
TO use it for the manufacture of ord
nance, which is not by any means a 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 off like
the pages from calendar, thus enabling
the woarer to have a clean shirt front
as often as he desires 1t is only a 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 elective sub
stitute for rags in the manufacture of
paper Nearly every species Cf wood can
be used Some kinds yield more than
others More pulp can be Eot from will
J low and chestnut than frcri walnut.
Different woods give various qualities
and effects. Aspen will yield a very
white paper, but defective IL solidity.
aud is therefore mixed with fir This
latter wood is most generally used. 1t
was first imported from the Blackf rest,
in Germany. The chief supply is now
obtained in Norway and Finland. in the
form of planks or poles, never exceeding
/ 3 feet or inches
For the last half century the world s
production of paper has increased ten
fold. IN 1850 il was 22l. 000 metric
tons. The latest recent estimate VI as
?. OO0,O ,OO0 metric tons The European
manufacturers are suffering from o glui
in production. The price of paper has
fallen one.third, while wages have dou-
bled The European plants are not SO
4 progressive as those in this country.
They depend too much upon manual la
Dor. In the United States the manufac-
I turers have substituted machinery for
hand work, aud as a result of the de-
crease in the number of their employees
are enabled to pay high wages
Attention has recently been called &c
the utility of a little known species Of
paper called the boabab, or Ansonia-
1t is made from the wood of the boabat
tree, which is a native of west Africa
and is known there as the monkey
bread tree " It is found in Abyssinia
Senegal and south of Coyo river. 1t il
/ of low growth and has very thicl
trunk. While it rarely attains a heigh
, Of 20 feet, the trunk is usually 90 to 2i
b feet in diameter. The branches are pen
dulous and bear an edible fruit. The in
ner bark of this tree is very fibrous. l
, is used for making superior wrapper pa
I pers, which have great tenaoity. Whei
S the inner bark is stripped from the tree
E fresh growth supplants that takel
D away, and in a 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 in
= dustry is n sanitary note paper whic
is claimed to be gcrmproof. II has Ion
been known that letters froquentl
spread infectious diseases by means c
the germs that contaminste the paper
An English firm has produced pape
which is impregnated with All antisepti
substance which kills all germs tha
may come in contact with the paper.
this paper proves to be what the propri'
tors claim, it is certainly a meritorior
invention and Will become general
used by hospitals and during the rage {
future epidemics.
Chinese and Japanese papers hay
: long been noted for their quality. 1t hi
recently been ascertained, however thi
even finer grades are produced in Korel
{ One eminent authority states that 'tl
Korean paper excels the very best tn;
is made in China and Japan. 1t
manufactured entirely by manual labo
No machinery whatever is employed
For the better grades the bark of Il
Broussonetia papyrifera is used. This
d gathered in the spring of the year. 1t
= placed in water. mixed with wood asl
{, es and is then beaten until it is reduce
: TO a thick pnlp. which is dipped ont
n good sized ladies and spread out in thi
: sheets upon bamboo frames A differei
\ grade of paper is made from f-agmen
n 4