Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-08-03
PAPER FROM NEW PRODUCT.
Sugar Cane Can Be Utilized in the
Manufacture.

Sugar Cane Can Be Utilized in the
Manufacture.
The discovery of process for the
profitable manufacture of the finer
grades of paper from bagasse opens UP
a field Of wide possibilities, says the
New Orleans Times-Democrat
Paper manufacturers have for some
time been on the lookout for a sub
stance to take the place of spruce
pine. Thanks to the inventive genius
of DR.. Dreusen, of New York, a proc
ess has been discovered that seems to
open the way for the substitution of
bagasse for spruce pine i'll the manu-
facture of superior grades Of paper.
The consequences Of such substitution
must necessarily be far-reaching and
may entirely revolutionize the paper
making industry.
Experiments in this direction are not
of recent origin. AS far back as thir-
ty years ago efforts were made to pro-
duce fair article of paper out of
Dagasse. The scene Of the first Of
these experiments was in France, but
nothing seems to have come of them.
Later manufacturers at Holyoke,
Mass. and Cincinnati Ohio, entered
this field of endeavor, and while they
succeeded in turning out the quality
Of product they desired the cost was
SO great that profitable prosecution
of the enterprise was out of the ques-
ton. The trouble appears to have
been that too much Of the raw mate
rial was wasted and no attempt ever
having been made to save and utilize
the pith.
Dr. Dreusen's invention not only Sc
cures the utilizition of the pith but
converts it's into valuable Ingredient
He made the discovery by accident In
the course Of one Of his experiments
he found himself with a good supply
of pith, which, according to custom,
he was about to throw away. Sudden
" it occurred to him to run it through
the usual process applied to the fiber
and to his surprise and delight he
found that he had stumbled over
great discovery.
Among the specimens exhibited at
the meeting of the Sugar Planters AS
ISOLATION there were four samples of
paper made from the pith of bagasse.
One was fine grade of wrapping pa
per, strong, smooth and difficult to
tear. A second specimen was thin and
transparent enough for tracing but of
firm and unyielding texture. A third
specimen would easily pass for parch-
ment to the unframed eye. The fourth
specimen was like the first, but a
shade darker, having never been ex-
posed to the bleaching process.
The best results, however, appear to
have been obtained by a mixture of
pith and fiber and from the specimens
exhibited there does not appear to be
any limit to the varieties of paper that
may be produced either from the pith
alone or from a happy combination Of
pith and fiber, with occasional admix-
lures of clay. Indeed, one of the
strongest points in favor of bagasse
as a material for paper is its unrival-
ed holding qualities, taking on and alb
sorbing chemicals without detriment
to its strength.
DR.. Dreusen's process though a Sc
cret as to some of it's details, is thus
described in general terms in the pat
ent obtained by him June 16, 1903:
The corn stalks. sugar cane or
analogous pithy stalks either whole or
slit and divided into pieces. are cook
ed in disintegrating solution, such
as one of caustic soda, of sufficient
strength and for sufficient time to
disintegrate the pith only. The pith
Is then separated from the shells