Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-08-16

inner tiberS were separated lroiH ehe
blade Of the grass, and spread upon the
table in such a manner that they over
Tapped one another. The table was
sprinkled with water from the ME,
which had, no doubt, the effect OF
moistening the natural gum OF the
plant so as to make the fbers adhere.
When the first layer of papyrus hoer
was complete, successive layers were
placed upon one another until the pa
per was thick enough. These layers
were then pressed together, and the
sheet of paper was dried in the sun
The best quality was preserved Tor re-
ligious uses, and not allowed 10 De eA-
ported.
The Romans, however, discovered n
process of cleansing this kind of paper
from the marks of writing; and AFTER
this discovery they imported from
Egypt sacred books written on TINS
material which they used for their own
purposes after the original writing mad
| been erased.
Besides the papyrus ancient paper
was made of the inner bark OF trees.
Egyptian paper was in general use III
Europe until the eighth or ninth CEN
turv. IT then slowly began to give
place to paper manufactured from cot
| ton and other materials, which art was
apparently learned by the Arabs IN
| Asia and introduced by them into Eu-
rome This manufacture had appar-
emily snread to western Asia from
China where it is known to have eX-
| listed at a very early period. Paper was
made by the Chinese from some ma
| terial or other as early as the begin
ming of the first century, and accosd-
ing to their own account, the making
| of paper from cotton appears to have
| been invented by them about 200 A. ID.
The materials that have at various
| times and in various places been used
| for the making of paper are very nu-
merous. Hemp and linen rags are now
used in one part of China, the inner
| bark of the mulberry tree in another,
| while the bark of the elm, straw and
| bamboo find favor for this purpose
| elsewhere.
| The japanese show a marked pref
erence for the mulberry tree, and the
paper made by them is not to be
euualed anywhere for strength and
| softness-qualities which enable it to
be used for many purposes for which
here in England we use. leather such,
for instance, as in the manufacture of
purses, ladies' bags, etc. After the
introduction into Europe Of cotton and
| linen rags as material for paper-mak-
ing, the use of other vegetable fibres
was for many centuries almost entire
ly given up-chiefly because rags
proved as cheap as they were suitable.
| A method of treating straw so as to
make it capable of being made into
paper was invented comparatively
recently as the beginning of last CEN
tury. Various improvements have
since been affected. and there are now
many mills which turn out nothing else
| than paper made mostly from straw
ard wood pulp, but the best and most
important feature of these materials
is the stiffness they impart to the
paper.
Esparto. or Spanish grass, has been
applied to paper-making only within
the last few years. The use of rushes
for this purpose belongs to our country
and dates from 1866. The paper made
from this material is white, firm and
of good quality, and considerably
cheaper. than that made from wood.
| Nothing is more remarkable than the
great number and diversity of new
uses that have been lately found fol
paper. Besides being largely employed
for making collars, cuffs and othe,
articles of dress, it is somestimes used
for making small houses in the back
| woods of the western states of Amer
lea, which are found to be warmer
than those made of wood and sheet
iron It is used also for making boats
pipes, tanks and pals for water, armor
firm enough to resist musket balls
wheels for railway carriages, and even
bells and cannons have been made
of it.