Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-01-04
HANDMADE PAPER.
Only One Man in This Country Said to
Be Skilled in It's Manufacture.

Ninety per cent. OF the writing papers
made III the United States are produced
IN Massachusetts. 1t is said that at
Adams Berkshire county, Mass, is The
only mill in the whole country where
handmade paper is product.
The reason why paper is not made by
hand IS simple. 4 modern paper making
machine will produce 4 sheet of ordinary
newspaper from go to 100 inches wide at
the rate Of from $50 10 400 feet minute.
CT sheet mora than forty miles long il
a working day Of ten hours. It requires
the services Of five persons to make three
re ;i;I OF handmade paper in a day.
l. mere is large demand for these hand
made papers for drawing, water-color
painting, correspondence and special
book editions. The difference between
hand and machine made papers lies in
Inc manipulatiOns of the sheets.
III making Il sheet Of paper by hand
tile pulp made from rags by the usual
process OF washing and beating is
ennptled into an open vat along with a
considerable quantity of water. Into
TINS vat the workman dips a mould or
framed piece of wire cloth at an inclina-
ton Of about 65 degrees, and taking up
u snfhclent quantity Of pulp raises it
n!Iorlzontally, the frame or deckle holding
1t upon the wire cloth.
\ double oscillating motion or log IS
impaired to it and distributes the pulp
With beautiful uniformity over the entire
surface sur OF the mould, INTERVIEWING the
nbers. Gradually the water drains
through and the pulp solidi6es and as
sunles peculiar shiny look, which isidi-
cafes TO the experienced eye the compile
ton Of the first process.
Ihe frame or deckle is then removed
ana the mould laid upon WOODEN felt
or blanket to which the wet sheet ad-
heres as the mould is lifted from it. An
other felt is spread over this, upon which
me next sheet, made by repetition Of
the same process, is laid
ms is continued with alternating lay
ers OF felt and paper until sufficient
number have been laid down to form a
post, after which the whole is carried
to press and subjected to varying DE-
erees OF pressure suitable to the purpose
and hnlsh of the sheet made After this
come the sizing, drying, etc, to com
plete the product.
Prlor to 1916 the manufacture Of pa
per III the United States was confined en-
tlrely TO making by hand. BY this slow,
iaborlous process was each sheet Of pa
per produced, only few reams day
pelng the output Of the mill.
With the Introduction of machinery for
forming rag pulp into sheets, making By
hand was practically abandoned, and the
deckle-edsed paper disappeared from the
market and skilled artisans who could
give the old time shake to the mould,
thereby forming sheet of paper. passed
away. In 1870 an Adams manufactur>
er Of paper resolved to re-establisn that
branch OF paper making in this country,
and a representative was sent to Eng
land for machinery and help. The year
following the mill, which is the only one
OF its kind, was producing paper after
the earlier method.
William Norman, an English paper
maker, and his wife and family were
the paper makers secured to 90 to
Adams. The elder Norman was a skilled
hand at the mould. Only one of his sons
has been able to acquire the art. The
elder Norman died few years ago and
his son William is the only man in
Massachusetts who is able to turn out
paper by the method of 100 years ago
New York Sun