The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-26
HOW RAGS ARE
MADE INTO PAPER
AfulI Description Of the Interesting
Process,
THE MANY DIFFERENT STAGES,
From Dirty Rags To Pulp. Then Co Ii
auid; Back Again To- Pulp, and
Then at Last into
Creamy Paper.
THE MANY DIFFERENT STAGES,

Among he many industries which are
now In operation in Richmond, few are as
Interesting 10 the general public as 'he
manufacture Of the paper which is useu
daily throughout the city I'm so many
ways
1t would hardly be supposed that the
dirty old rags picked up by the he7'o
urchins from the city dump and from 'Ie
ash barrels and sold for a few cents 10
the Junk dealers could be turned into the
pure white paper used 30 every Dran,h Oh
business.
These old rags are brought TO the
paper mills In bales and are seheIa"!
placed first in store house. Mheh 'heS
arc brought forth TO be made INTO l"p'',
they are FIRST thoroughly beaten TO remove
as much of the dirt and dust as possip'e
and assorted into piles according 10 '"o
grade of cloth. and not AS TO Color, ~9
this Is a matter OF Indifference i",S
work Of cleaning and asserting is gener1I-
ly done by women.
SECOND STAGE.
After this. the RAGS are passed into an
other apartment where another sen OF N'-
men take them and again the RAGS arc
submitted TO thorough beating and du~'-
Ing. after which they are cut into stiIps
and these Slips into small pieces.
Now begins the real work OF making
them into paper. The rags are now out
into a large revolving boiler in which me
bleaching chemicals have been 2lt had
the machine is set In motion. For Twelve
or eighteen hours, as the grade 81 com
requires. the boiler IS kept going. ana
the rags are being cleansed of their ltI-
mer coloring and dirt. when this process
& finished and the contents of the boiler
dumped out. the goods are all Of a dnl-
form brown and The strong odor of scid
and other chemicals which arise fiCm
them show that the rags have been tr,r-
oughly saturated with the contents OF
the boiler.
The rags are now put into large tanks
called washers and cutters.
These tanks are filed with water and
the material IS now kept in swift motion
around the tank and under a cylinder
which operates on blade by mans of "a
large paddle wheel and the rags are rap
idly being washed clean of the chemical
which has beaChcd them. and al the
same time being cut into finest particles
A continual stream Of fresh water IS run
into tree tanks i'm order that the mate
rial may be thoroughly cleansed.
After the rags have been cut 90 suf-
fcent fneness and have become pure
white, they are put into another tank of
similar shape which is called a beater
This tank is also filled with water and
the chopped-up rags are beaten into the
finest pulp. They are then taken from
the machine and put into a strainer. the
water Is drawn of and the pulp dried.
~ D.
were most repulsivc would not be re-
cognized now in their new form. The
pulp ~ Of a snowy whiteness and greatly
resembles cotton.
INTO A LIQUID.
HE pulp is once more put into a tank,
but this time in sufficient -quanty 10
form a liquid Of the whole. and the pulp
Is no longer seen. This liquid, which Is
OF dull gray color. but very clear. Is
now carried through pipes to an open
tank. from which 10 runs into another
tank IN The bottom Of which is eauze
belt the fun width Of the tank, and slow
~ moving towards a large roller. This
belt is made Of copper-wire gauze, very
closely woven. and as the water grad
ually strains through IT,. the particles Of
pulp accumulate until at the end of the
tank the mixture is Of the consistency
Of thick paste At rhs point the pulp
passes between two heavy rollers and on
10 a cloth bel. which carries the wet
sheet toward other rollers that press out
all the water possible.
The paper has now reached a COM
paratiyelv substantial shape but Is stiu
damp. To rid 1t Of this 81 is passed over
long series Of cylinders which are
heated by steam, and the remaining par
ticles Of moisture are evaporatcd.
PRACTICALLY DONE.
rs tho paper leaves these heated rollers
II Is finished. with the exception ~ be
ing put into shape for packing. At the
end Of the machine either a roller on
which the paper is rolled. or a knife. IS
fixed. which az one stroke cuts the large
sheet. several feet across. into the size
and shape desired. il IS then packed by
hand and the dirty rags have been
turned into creamy white paper.
Rags are used principally 20 make blot
ting and writing paper and the finest
grades OF newspaper The cheaper grades
are made Of wood while the lowest grade.
known as butcher paper, is made Of old
pgpeTg