The times., 1899-12-10
DETERIORATION OF PAPER
\ Matter That is Worrying the Ii
bralian Of Congress.
Cheap Material Endangers the Per
mauenc9 of Books and Public Rec
ordS-Hany Way he in Ruins in
Century The Government May
Adopt Pru>~ia's Rigorous Test.

One Of the grave questions confronting
librarians and all other persons interested
in the preservation of books and docu-
ments. is that of the durability of paper.
More than one OF the Librarians of Con
gress has called attention to what is
believed to be fact that within 100 years
many CT the books and periodicals in the
great Library. viii be in ruins. due to the
deterioration Of the paper ON which they
are printed.
Tne matter has been called to the atten-
tion q Congress and Will again be brought
TO the notice of that body at the current
session. 1t viii be urged that the United
States Government provide regulations
similar to those recently adopted by Prus-
STA. for the purpose of insuring the per-
manence of its official papers.
The Prussian regulations reject all pa
per containing any percentage of wood
pulp, except fer the ordinary daily use
and fer temporary purposes. both in writ
ing and printing. The Prussian rules gov
erning the supply and tests Of paper in
tended for official uses went into effect
tion for official paper tests of July .. 1885.
Paper-lInIsinp Material.
Paper manufactured from rags is ac-
counted the most durable. but the most
costly Many substitutes for rags have
been sought after and found. Joel Munsell,
in his Chronology OF Paper and Paper
making" states that Jacob Christian
schoefer, of Ratisbon, Germany, in 1865
published a work in octave upon the diff
ferent plants which he could transform into
paper without the use of rags, giving speci-
mems from large number Of materia 5,
among them being the cotton du peup ier,
hornets nests. sawdust moss, beech, vii
low, aspen, mulberry, clematite, and pine;
also from hop-vines. the peeungs from
grape vines hemp, the leaves of aloes. and
lilies Of the valley from arroche, mo,h-
wort, masse q 'evu, barley straw, cabbage
stumps. thistle stalks, burdOck, conferera,
wheat straw, broom corn. and Bavarian
peat
1t is also said that in 1772 there were
two mills in operation in Italy for the
manufacture of paper from maize or Turk
ish wheat.
There is a book in the library of tie
Smithsonian Institution which was printed
by Christian Schoeffer in 1772, containing
upwards Of sixty specimens of paper made
OF different materials, the result of his
experiments. Some of these specimens are
well preserved, while others have under
gone serious deterioration.
Matthias Hoops caused to be printed at
London in 1901 a book entitled Historical
Account of the Substances Which Have
Been Used to Describe Events and to Con-
vey Ideas from the Earliest Date to the
Invention of Paper. This rare old book
is in the Library Of Congress. 1t begins
with the following address to King George
III:
Nest Gracious Sovereign:
Sir: Your Majesty having been most graciousiF
pleased TO grant me patent for extracting print
ing and writing ink from waste paper by reduc-
ing ii to pulp and converting il into white
paper fit for writing, printing, and for other pur-
poses; and also for manufacturing paper from
straw hay. thiStles, and refuse Of hemp ana fax
and different kids OF wood and bark fit for print
ing and almost all other purpos5s for which paper
Is used
With most ardent wishes for your Najesty's
health, and longevity. and with all possible
Difference and humility, | beg leave, most gra-
coUs sovereign TO subscribe myself your Majesty 5