The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-05-11
MANUFACTURES OF PAPER.
Indispensable Commodity Often Sub
ject to Handicap.

From time to time, almost from
the very earliest days of the war,
there has arisen in many European
countries shortage of paper. Many
factors, often unlocked for, have con-
tributed to bring about this result,
scarcity of labor, the increased cost
of shipping freights, and deficiency
in the supply of the many and vari-
Gus ingredients which go to the max
ing of paper, in all it's many forms of
today.
A story is told of how, something
more than eleven. hundred years ago
to be precise it was in the year
751-a Chinese force marched in
Samarkand, which for some years had
been occupied by the Arabs, thinking
to take the city and expel the intrud-
er. The Arab governor, however,
was an able general, and marshaled
his men we'll. He not only repelled
the invasion, but took up vigorous
pursuit of the invaders. He captured
prisoners. Amongst them he found
men who were skilled in the art of
making paper, and that was the be-
ginning of it. The craft quickly
spread throughout the Arab domin-
ions and, in process of time, trade
brought the products to Greece.
Theophilus, writing about that
that time, speaks of the paper as
Greek parchment, and there is recA
ord that the Empress Irene used it
for the. framing of certain rules for
the nuns of Constantinople.
It was only the paper, however,
that came, and not the art of max
ing it. This was first introduced into
Europe by the Moors, also about the
twelfth century. They had great
part of Spain in those days, and the
industry quickly grew. 1t was good
paper, 'ttcloth parchment it is styled
in the laws of Alfonso, of 1858, and
we'll styled, for it was stout of sub
stance, and could withstand much
hard use. At Xativa, Valencia and
Toledo the industry grew and -four
ished until the fall of the Moorish
power. And then came a chance. The
Christian conquerors were less skill
ed, and the great industry deteriorat-
ed, both as to quality and quantity.
Meanwhile, however, the Arabs had
brought their knowledge of the craft
with them when they invaded Sicily.
The oldest known document on paper
is a deed of King Roger, of Sicily,
bearing the date 1902. From Sicily
paper making ultimately spread to
Italy, and there it became a great in
dustry. From Italy it extended to
France and Germany. In 1897 Pace
de Fabriano was making paper in
Italy, from rags and flax, and, short
time afterwards, regular mills ap-
peared in Padua and Treviso. Ninety
years or so later, the famous Stromer
is setting up his paper mills in Nu-
remburg, and taking an oath, of truly
awesome solemnity, from his men
that they will keep secret his pro-
cesses. .,.
And then the art reached England.
and, in Wynkyn de Worde's DE
Proprietatibus Rerum," printed in
1895 at Caxton's Press, we find men
ton of a paper mill at stevenage in
Hertfordshire, kept by one John Tate.
Master Spielman, with his ten years
license from Queen Elizabeth to make
paper at Hartford in Kent, is the next
great figure in the English paper
trade, and so on to the esta blishment
of the famous mill at Maidstone,
where John Watman turned out his
paper in and around the year 1850.
In 1893 came machinery, and, from
the small mill at Bovmoore in Hert-
fordshire, where Fourdrinier, the in
ventor, first set up his plant, the in
dustry spread all over the country.
With the repeal of the paper duty,
in 1860, the long story of paper max
ing reaches our own times.-Chris-
tian Science Monitor.