Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-08-25
J. E. LAPPEN
GETS new PATENT
Will Manufacture Paper at WinOna
by Process Through Which it
Can be Made From
Straw.
THE PROCESS MAKES
BIG PLANT POSSIBLE
Mr.. Lappen, Now Affiliated With
Union Fibre Company,
Holds Many Valu-
able Patents.

From the Winona Independent
We take the following concerning d
former we'll known Decorahian,
James E. Lappen, who operated the
Freeport fibre mills a few years
ago. Mr.. Lappen has new patent
for making paper that promises to
be one of the biggest things eve-
invented:
"a large plant, wherein paper
will be manufactured, was assured
for Winona last week, when an op-
ton was closed on $4,000 worth
of property adjoining the Union FL
bre company on the west A patent
by ]. E. Lappen-a process thru
which paper can be made from
straw-has made the new industry
possible for Winona. 1t is said there
is ample financial backing for the
new project.
Within the next ten days work
will be started on the first units for
this new plant. Three of them will
be constructed this fall, it is declar-
ed, and the main plant will go up in
the spring if the present plans car
ry. The details have not been made
public but on good authority it is
said the plant when complete will
represent an outlay of approximate
ly half million dollars.
j. A. Porter of St. Cloud, and
former general manager of the ex-
tensive Watab Paper Milling COM
pany's interests, is in Winona and is
the principal promoter of the new
industry. He will remain here un-
til tomorrow it is said, and will
leave for st. Cloud to make ar
rangements for coming to this city.
He was formerly engaged in the
lumber business.
The deal for the bringing of the
new industry to Winona has been
hanging fire for several weeks. 1t
has been carried on without public
ity although for several days there
were rumors that an option on eight
and two-thirds acres of ground had
been given by Rochester owner.
Yesterday it was announced that
the option had been closed. Five
thousand dollars was paid for the
land.
Mr.. Lappen, now affiliated with
the Union Fibre company, holds
many valuable patents, many of
them on insulating products. The
new paper process, it is declared,
holds great possibilities. At pres
ent there is assurance that finest
quality print paper can be made
from straw through this process.
What the development may mean Is
matter of speculation although it
is probable that linen bond eventu-
ally will be made by the proposed
Winona manufacturing plant.
A warehouse, power plant and
break room will be erected this fall
in order that the crude material
may be secured with the least possi-
BILE delay. Between ten and twelve
thousand tons of this crop of straw
will be bought, according to the
plan outlined. A small percentage
of flax also will be secured. The lat
ter will be used as a binder in the
new-process pulp.
Mr.. Lappen interested the pro-
moters in the project, it is said.
The samples turned out were suffi-
cient to give assurance that paper
can be made Of material other than
wood pulp and the hackers were not
slow in recognizing the possibilities.
The main plant likely will be
constructed of brick. The property
purchased yesterday extends from
Third street to the river front and
there will be excellent railway fa-
cilities.
The new company will be incor-
porated, it is understood. The back
ers, however, are eager now to get
in raw material to permit the
of the industry next year.
1t is said the new process will re-
volutionize the paper milling irdus-
try and may have a direct effect up
on the price"
The only kind of popularity that
is worth while comes from doing