The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-15

himelf been in the paper business for
nine years bought an article of this
kind in London recently under the full
conviction that it was leather he was
purchasing.
PAPER LINEN.
Along the line CT recent inventions
is a process for spinning paper into
fine thread which cannot only be
used for sewing but out of which Il
very beautiful fabric can be woven.
Specimens of tablecioths and napkins
made by this process We're exhibited
in this city recently which compared
very well in appearance with fine an
ticles of linen. The process at present
developed is pronounced by paper eX-
perts to be altogether too expensive
for any practical purpose. although
it is easily within the possibilities that
the day is not so very far distant
when we will be using paper table
linen. Still another freak exhibition
of what can be done with paper was
the production of a paper axe with
an edge so hard and fine that it could
be used for cutting. One of the re-
cent and very successful applications
of paper is in a line which at first
thought would seem almost as sur
prising as the manufacture of axes
of paper. This is in its use as an in
sulating cover for electric wires.
Paper is one of the best conductors
of electricity there is. Thus boys in
pressroom often hold one hand OH
roll of paper and with the other
light a gas jet with the electric spark
drawn by touching the end Of the An
ger to the metallic burner. The elec-
tricity Is first developed in the pape.'
by the friction of going through the
calenders in the later milling pro-
cesses. Electric wires are connected
from these calenderS to the earth to
draw off the fluid, but notwithstand-
ing this the paper reels gather and
store charges of electricity that often
are not dissipnted for months II the
| reel stands in storage so long.
Net with all this susceptibility OF
paper to electric excitement it has now
become one of the substances most
used, after going through the neces-
sary process, for insulating electric
wires. One single company In this
city disposes of twenty tons a day OF
paper to be used for this purpose
alone.
ECONOMIES.
The proposition that the waste and
refuse of today Is the raw material
| of tomorrow. which has become In the
nature of an axiom in modern indus
| tries, is as true in connection with
paper manufacture as In everything
else. For instance, the pulpy mass
| called begasse. which Is LETT after the
sugar cane has been crushed ana
squeezed dry of its saccharine mai
ter, and formerly was burned and got
| rid of as a nuisance, is now used for
| the manufacture of paper. The Gun.
| ningham Bros, the great sugar men
| of Texas, have two paper mills which
| make several grades of paper out OF
| begasse, and the business Is so profit
able that they are to open new mills.
One of the most profitable side in
| dustrles growing out of the manu-
| facture of paper came from the dis
covery of the fact that casein was
| vastly better than the glue formerly
| in use for putting the heavy coating
ON the finer grades of paper. The
| discovery was not only a bonanza for
| the ma who made 1t and for those
| who Backed him. but also for the dair-
| les. The skim milk which Is left after
| the cream has been taken of for but
ter and other purposes, and was In the
nature Of mere refuse for the big