The sun., 1903-10-18
The PAPER THAT WON'T LAST
WHY FRENCH AUTHORS ARE NOT
PLEASED WITH THEIR BOOKS.
Newspapcrs and Cheap Fictien Endure
In Visible Form Only . Few Years
In = Few Months Deterioration
shows BETTER Books in - bad Way
+" In France-Use Of Adulterated Ink

VI
works, these two copies to be given to the
Ministry Of the Interior This called the
attention Of many folks who didn't know
it, not only to the fact that all books
even valuable ones-are not printed on
good paper, but also that the paper making
business has developed some new features
since the printing press appeared
No better paper is made or can be made,
1t seems. than was turned out say twenty
or thirty years ago. At that time many
Of the inferior grades now in co mmon use
had not been thought Of. 1t came to pass,
and the manufacturers rose to the occa.
sion. Had they not done 10, there would
not be now, nor could there be, any one
cent newspapers, nor dime novels, nor
twenty-five cent bound copies OF the latest
popular fiction. Whether, after all, this
ton. The public wants those things, and
what the public wants it generally gets.
No one objects to that, nor blam e. the
papermakers for catering to the public
But there are a good many persons who
do object seriously to having high class
books printed on cheap and inferior grades
OF paper, as Is being done oftener every
In France the sending Of two copies OF a
book to the Ministry OF the Interior corre-
sponds to the American method OF sending
copy to the Librarian Of Congress, and one
Ia eventually placed In the National Library,
in Paris, which is said to contain q copy
Of every.book ever published in France.
II goes without saying that books In
patriarchial age Of a century or two, ought
to be made OF the very best materials. That
they do not always represent these con-
ditions is made plain by the recent action
of the French art lovers
In the early days Of printing it was hardly
possible to use anything but first class ass
paper in making books, for the reason that
wood fibre paper, much less paper made
from wood pulp or ground wood. had not
then come in At that time good cotton
and linen rags were turned into fine firm,
pure, white paper. well able to Withstand
indefinitely the yellowing and disintegrat-
ing attentions Of time. -,
last forever. Perhaps il, after the dis
covery OF the printing press, the worlds
population had stood still, wood pulp paper
would never have been heard o. As 1t
was, the demand for printing paper grew
tremendously ia st. 1t was soon discovered
that there were not enough rags to go
around. The supply gave out, and then
it was that manufacturers bestirred them
selves to get vegetable fibre from other
sources
The best paper-all the paper which
represents enduring Qualities-is made
of vegetable fibre, and all vegetable fbre
is suitable for paper making, whether It Is
obtained from rags, wood. sparto grass,
straw or other substance. In the original
state. or when these fbres are first torn
apart, they are ologged with gum, which
must be thoroughly dissol?ed and washed
away by chemicals that is, il the best
results would be gained.
Although paper can be made OF the fibre
even if some Of the gum, or all Of 1t. is left
fibres-- cotton, linen, wood, and so on
when they are ready to be used for manu-
featuring paper are called "cellulose," even
though there may be considerable difference
in the quality. Pine wood. for example,
gives a longer, consequently a stronger nf
The fibre Of linen is longer and tougher
than any other, consequently it comes to
the front in making bank notes and writing
paper EEer printing r,,rDoses though, linen
paper ia not in demand, for the very good
reason that it can't easily be printed on
For fine printing there must be soft as
we'll as smooth sheet. Linen paper is
hard. wiry and stiff 1t will have nothing
whatever to do with the newer-fashioned
half-tone illustrations, which demand that
the illust rating shall be done bv the plate
engraving process or not at all.
So the cellulose from the other sub
stances is practically all that is taken into
account nowadays in making book papeS.
and this, if pure. will produce as high quail
ity Of paper as can be made-at any rate
a quality fine enough to meet the demands
of the most fastidous.
Buyers of paper, however, never take
an ything for granted. They test the dif-
ferent grades by applying pale yellow
.,l@ lad <yln1 III
the parer makes no sign when! the test
IS applied. II impure that is. if the gum
ard other foreign substances have not
been thoroughly removed-the paper turns
deep magenta. Touch phloro glucine.
for instance, to newspaper, telephone
book. city directory almost any paper
covered novel and the majority OF the
cheap-bound works OF fiction, and be-
hold, the paper turns red; to magazine
or the high-class books published in this
country, and the paper refuses to blush.
In all probability, had the paper manu-
facturers stopped at the vegetable fibre
productions, varied though they are, and
impure though some of them may be, Paris
authors and artists would not have been
obliged to unite in demanding any law to
protect their works from heng immortalized
on cheap paper But all of them did not
stop there. Some went ahead and began
making paper. practically from sawdust,
az one high class paper maker contempt
uously puts it. And wood pulp paper
began to be manufactured extensively at
about half the cost of the fibre paper.
Wood pulp paper liz made out OF finely
ground wood usually spruce, the grinding
being done With beating engine, run at
high speed. and huge stones between which
the wood is reduced to something like
pulp. After that it is made up into paper
without any preliminary removing of the
gum or other deleterious ingredients.
II is used just as it is, and therefore, az
rule, Eaper Of this class Is covered with tiny
specks and imperfections and will turn
brownish yellow sometimes in few months,
Any ore can see this by getting out news
paper or a newspaper clipping which has
been laid away for a year or so.
French printers, remarked New York
manufacturer, use a lot more wood pulp
paper than do American printers, and they
are much less particular about buying the
best grades of paper, even for works OF
importance.
This statement was. subsequently illus
trated at a bookstore which deals only in
foreign publications, Taking large volume
from Il siiel! the bookseller opened H. The
pages were yellow and turning brown at
the edges
Here" said he. lis French work that
is constantly in Use for reference, and natur
ally is subject TO a good deal Of wear and
tear And yet, as may readily be seen, it
is printed on about the same class OF paper
used for cheap fiction,
NO, ] do not think there is an edition Of
this book printed on any better paper At
least, ! have not seen one. In much less
than century. ] think. q book OF this quail
ity will begin TO crumble