Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-10-01
ChildrenS
Rag-Bax Friends.

Dear me, what dusty place this
is" exclaimed dainty French rag to
her neighbors, who were huddied to-
gether in a pile on the floor.
'1t is worse than any place I was
ever in," answered Russian rag. as
he glanced about the room.
You astonish me with your good
English" cried the American rag; "but
then the language of my country is
taught all over the world"
well, wait" said the Russian. 81
heard some people talking the other
day, and they said that fifty years
hence the Russian language would pre-
vail. pity you American scholars.
with such language as ours!"
Just then a sharp knife interrupted
their conversation. They were cut into
strips and thrown into the duster, and
my! what beating they We're given.
Afterward they were boiled in lime
water, then washed and ground into
tiny pieces, and finally bleached white.
After going through all this, you
wouldn't have known the French from
the Russian cloth or the Russian from
the American. But the rag pile friends
recognized each other through it all
and while they We're draining for a
week they had fine time.
II never Travelled abroad" said the
American rag. Tell me, is it very
beautiful in France?"
Its the grandest place in the world, ii
sighed the French rag.
THE scenery can't compare with that
of Russia" said the loyal citizen, with
longing tone in his voice.
1t looked very much as though a
quarrel would soon follow, but. fortu
nately, they were again separated. The
poor little pieces of cloth were put in
to another beating engine, and there
colored; then they were placed in q
cistern and kept continually in motion
Once the French and Russian passed
each other.
81 don't see why my kind mistress
ever sent me here" said the Russian.
''Never mind; here in the United
States we shall be made into the fines
paper in the world, and perhaps WI
shall be sent to carry message of glat
tidings," said his French acquaintance
consolingly.
There was not time even to bid eacl
other good-by before they were put int
box, where they were melted into {
liquid state. Then they were poured
in a waterfall over cloth and the nam.
of the firm was stamped upon them.
The sad little American rag wal
heard to say:
81 believe life is great big wheel A
any rate I've spent most of my time IL
a machine. Once was worn by fin,
lady. It's all
The rest Of his thoughts were KEEP
to himself. He and his companions
were dried through wet felt and DIR.
felt. They were all too tired to talk
and even while going through pres
| rollers and heated cylinders, they dozet
off to sleep.
Upon awaking the Russian looked a
the Englishman. and both exclaimed:
'Blotting paperv' -
Yes, that is exactly what they locke,
like. They were soon dipped into gela
tine, and this gave them glossy finish
Then they were allowed to rest fron
their labors for time, before havin
the wrinkles s'ncothed away. At las
they were cut, assorted, and put int
boxes and sent to various cities in tn
United States and Europe; but befor
they parted, they agreed that It take
all kinds of rags to make paper, JUS
as it takes all kinds of people to max
. a world.-Waverley.