Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14
Countless unsupported Uses.

paper-making values. while such materials are
OF doubtful value for making fine papers az
present, the bureau says, with the increase az
the, cost Of pulp wood their use VIII no doubt
be seriously considered.
An extensive investigation OF caroe fber from
Brazil resulted in determining that this mate
rial has unusual possibilities Is substitute for
rags in making the highest grades Of paper
This Is Of extreme Importance, since the cost Of
paper-making rags is constantly increasing.
During the World War the Bureau Of stand
ards paper laboratory won It's spurs BY develop
ing number Of papers required by the Army.
These included special inter paper for use
In gas masks and strong, water resistant paper
for Entertainment sand bags. More recently
study Of the manufacture of paper for electric
condensers, the requirements 0f which are very
exacttng, led to doiaestic production Of this
kind Of paper Previously the domestic paper
was Of such poor quality that 1t could hot cdin-
pete with the foreign product. Experiments
have shown also What waste materials such as
old, newspapers and sawdust, can be used In the
manufacture Of roofing felts. !, SO.
One OF the most important activities of the
bureau has to do with the production OF
the paper upon which the currency, bonds and
other securities Of the Government are en-.
graved Recent experiments have evolved q
paper adapted to this use which Is greatly nd
periOr in strength and printing qualities to that
previously employed. This development has,
been largely instrumental l1 increasing the
service life Of paper currency more than 20 per
cent and In effecting q resultant economy 20
the Government estimated at more than
$ly0O0.OO0 s=:4 ~s tts !.
The origin Of paper h lost in the mists OF an.
tiquity. The word Is derived from papyrw, 6
reed growing in Egypt and Asia Minor Tne
ancient Egyptian knew how 10 form o sheet BY
cutting the stems Of this plant into thin slices
and then laying several layers crosswise, one,
upon another. The sheet was then cemented by
. -four paste and subjected TO pressure. A
number Of papyrlis sheets have been found that
are stin In good condition after centuries OF
existence.
The first real paper-that Is, q sheet com.
posed OF fiber "felted" together like our present
paper-is said to have been made By the Chi.
nese about century before the Christian era
and was made from bamboo and rag Users
beaten to pulp and then made into q sheet
This process was introduced into Samarkand by
Chinese prisoners Of war;
In the United States the history of paper IN
the history Of the country. When the Reyo-
lutionary War broke out there was hardly
enough paper available to wad the guns OF the
soldiers or upon which to write the orders az ,
their officers. There was virtually no pater.
BY lelO. however, the use had increased q
about one pound per, capita per year. II had
grown to over eight pounds in 1850. The Civil
War greatly accelerated consumption. which
reached IS pounds in 1859. In 1899 IL was 81
pounds; in 1929. $50 poundk and today the
people Of the Nation annually consume more
than their own weight in paper. :.