Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-06-28
MAKING PAPER BOXES.
A Large and Growing Industry in
Chicago Some Interesting
Particulars.

Prior TO 1860 there were not a dozen
paper box factories in the United
States. and one of them was located
in Chicago, established in 1856. They
were called "shops" in those days, and
they did u comparatively small busi'
ness. 1t was hard to convince the pub.
lie that Il box made OF paper was not
q worthless continuance. But the bust.
ness has grown enormously. says the
Chronicle, and the shop is now a
"factory" and in line With other indus
tries. From the little and lone shop
of 1856 the industry has grown here
TO 20 establishments, with an aggre
gate capital of about 100000 and an
annual output valued at Sl.50O,0OO.
From the handful Of help in 1856 the
roll Of employees has grown to be $500,
at wages ranging from So so to Sis per
week. These employees convert not less
than 70 tons of materials into about
100000 finished boxes every working
day in the week. Of this vast output
100000 are classed as stiff boxes and
100000 as flexible boxes. The former
are used for the various articles OF
merchandise such as hats, shirts, can
dy hosiery and the like. The flexible
are used for grain foods, bakers goods
and thousand other kinds of CONNER.
cial articles, for whose packing fold
ing or collapsible boxes answer every
purposes; besides. they are very much
cheaper.
Broadly speaking, the manufactures
of stiff boxes do not manufacture the
flexible kind nor do the makers of the
flexible quality turn out the stiff boxes
In the manufacture of all kinds $50 va
rieties and qualities of paper for Gov
ering boxes are used, and fully 100 OF
them are of American manufacture
Lace paper, such as seen in candy anC
fine goods boxes. come mostly from Eu
rope. The making of paper laces re
Gllires great skill, and those that are
made to represent the real article are
pretty expensive. They are made by
steel dies, which include enclosing
dies. The enclosing dies are the frs
to play upon the paper as it is fec
from roll, and then the lace dies
complete the pattern.
The principal materials used in the
manufacture of boxes are glue, Irvine
binders cloth. tar. jute, straw, pull
and chip boards, lace and cover paper
OF course, inventive genius has KEEP
tools and machinery.
Until quite recently druggists hat
to go east for round pill boxes, but ont
company here now turns out nearl,
10000 day. Nearly all the stiff boNe
are sold to Chicago consumers. but :
considerable number of the flexible g
to all points in the territory tributar,
to Chicago. 1t is believed that ther
will be no expansion in the capacit.
of box making for some years, mainl.
because flexible boxes are coming int
use at the expense of stiff boxes, whicl
is likely to force the strictly stiff DO.
makers to add the flexible to thei
product, and in that event the genera
output would be enormously swellet
by existing plants. as the flexible kim
do not require nearly the amount o
time: besides, the weight of thin stocl
is very much less. and hence their pro
duction is at very much less cost thai
the stiff boxes.
No doubt many will be surprised t
know that the paper box industry i
on such an extensive scale in Chicago
that 100000 capital is required, tina
the annual product is worth $1.5O0,OO
and that it pays wages to $500 people
exclusive of the clerical, sales depart
ment and supervising department
force. There is what is called tn
> Western Paper Box Makers associa
ton. which is composed of As firms i
rs cities, but it is in no sense a trus
In fact. it's principal business is t
meet once year and talk ''box
around a banquet table.