Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-07-08
THE AGE OF PAPER
How Gould Our Present Civilization
Function without Itf
printers Ink Monthly

In a recent editorial on the present con-
dition of the paper market. writer
called this the Age of Paper. because
Of the worlds absolute dependence on IT.
Apt as this name is. few realize the
comparatively short period that paper
mas reigned as medium of expression,
! for. though it has been known about
1000 years. it has been in general use only |
| about 800 years, a very short time when
compared with the many centuries that
papyrus was used or those ages when |
stone and brick tablets carried the writ
ten thoughts of mankind. not to mention
vellum and parchment which still flour |
| ish.
| Like so many things occidental civiliza-
! ton claims as its own. the Chinese
manufactured paper so long ago that the
date is lost in the obscurity Of their his
tory. Certainly they made it in theI
| second century A. D., for in $50 A. D. the
| Chinese Emperor sent 3O0O0 sheets of fine
paper as gift to the Emperor Aurelius.
| Their secret was brought to Western
Asia by the Arbs. who conquered Samar
cand in 751 A. D. and took into captivity
/ chinese paper makers, employing them
! 10 teach this art in Arabia, which be-
came. and remained for a long time. the
centre of the paper industry. 1t proved
| a fortunate capture. Owing To an en-
| barge placed by one of the Ptolemys (he
| feared that Alexandria's library would
be eNcelled elsewhere) on Egyptian pa
| pyrus. which had for ages been the chief
medium for writing. parchment came
| into use, but the demand so far exceeded
the supply that deeds were often execut-
| ed on strips no larger than two inches
| square
| Hence paper was a boon to the whole
world. And since it was a substitute for
| parchment, the size of the early paper
sheets followed the parchment sizes of
those early days when the skin of the
entire animal was cut square and folded
in two. which, Of course varied in length
and breadth. according to the size Of the
animal
notwithstanding the demand for paper
in Western Europe. the quality of that
manufactured in Spain. Italy and Sicily
did not approach that of the Arabian
paper. and consequently it was not high
~ thought of. Even as late as the 18th
and 18th centuries apologies were made
for its use for letters. Indeed it was so
coarse. spongy and dull that it was sub
ject TO damp and worms. and was off,
cially condemned in 1921 by that SUCCESS
full crusader and able administrator,
Emperor Frederick the Second. who is
sued a proclamation declaring void all
documents written on paper and fixing
two years the time limit for the tran
scription of all such records on to parch-
ment.
However, il was due to paper that the
custom of writing on both sides of the
sheet came into use even for parchment
and vellum. The difference in color, as
well as texture. of the two sides Of the
| skin was accountable for this non-use,
and when particularly fine piece of
work was desired, the hair sides were
glued together leaving the under and
smoother sides exposed for the inscrip-
ton. But vellums bukiness only made
paper. however perishable. the more de-
sirable. Writing on both sides of either
, parchment. vellum or paper, did not be-
come general until the middle Of the 18th
century.
Paper making became profitable
trade in France almost at once on its
introduction in the early 18th century,
and the French did a large business with
England where for some reason it was
not produced for trade until the early
years of the nth century. though we
read that Henry VII subsidized a mill
for a rewarde at the paper mylne
to the extent of 16 s. d. And in the
same. year. 1859. an English writer ex
presses his thankfuness for paper r
\ this manner: And John Tate. the
younger ioye mote he brok' Which late
hattie in England. doc make this apel
d thyme. that now in our Englysh. this
I book is printed inne."
I It is rather remarkable that the Eng
" lish should have entered this trade 81
G late. But that astute lady. the goot
!. Queen Bess, was fully alive to its posi-
r bilities and not only distributed Subsidies
S but conferred Knighthood on a number
+ of people who interested themselves ir
paper manufacture. John Spilman. hel
= jeweler, was one of these honoret
d and to him also went the first charter
t to gather rags. fishnets and other like
e materials for the purpose. Charters fol
:, mills in the American colonies were
% given "A little later.
e 1t was in France that the creates
t advance was made in quality Of pro
: duction by hand-sheet by sheet. Their
= a Frenchman, Louis Robert, a youni
r clerk in the Essonne Mills. invented thu
machine that enabled supply to NEE
the demand until now. when the worlc
" again faces an embargo by nature in
:. fintelY more far-reaching than tina
a caused by Ptolemy's selfishness.
o With a history Of but few hundred
e years use against the thousands whel
n papyrus was employed. and with no sub
s sttute, however poor, IN view, VIVA
II does the future hold for the next genera
y ton? Will new embargo breaker arise
is in the form of scientist. and discover
r new medium of expression for the writ
,e ten word, and, like the embargo lifte
, of old, preserve the rhythm OF cfviliza
TONS forward step?
- Paper has never been appreciated az !
IL has deserved 1t has always been treat
n ed in the hight of substitute, thin
= neglected and wasted Now that the da
Ia Of reckoning is at hand, who Will shov
10 how we can conserve this precious com
~ modify or increase production, thereb
lifting old natures embargo?