Paper-Making
an account of paper-making from its earliest
known record down to the present time by
J.W. Butler Paper Company 1901
to certain papers their distinguishing characteristics. In some
molds the wire was woven like cloth, and the product was
therefore known as “wove" paper; in others, the small wires ran
only one way, straight and very close together, and were crossed
by stronger wires an inch or so apart, the paper in this case
being called “laid" paper. At some point in the wire of the mold a
small figure was worked out, also in wire, and as the pulp was
shaken it became a little thinner over the design, leaving the
impress known as the “watermark."
When the pulp had been properly drained, and matted together,
the mold was passed on to another operator, who was known as
the “coucher," from the fact that his work was the turning of the
moist sheet of pulp upon a sheet of felt stretched over a board
termed a “couch." Over this first layer of pulp was placed another
sheet of felt, then another mold full of the pulp, and so on until
there was obtained a pile, or “post," as it was called, several
quires in thickness; The layers were then subjected to heavy
pressure, by which as much of the water as possible was
were removed, and pressure was
applied a second time to the paper that
remained. The sheets of paper on being
taken out were hung over ropes or poles
to dry, in some room or loft.
At this point in the process the paper
would be open and porous, and would
naturally absorb ink, instead of carrying
it in lines or letters upon its surface. To
overcome this defect, the paper was
dipped in a solution made of clippings of
hides, horns, or hoofs, or in the gelatine
prepared from leather and parchment
clippings. The process was, and is still,
termed “sizing," while the material is
known as “size:” and is used to render
the paper non-absorbent, also to fill up
the pores and give an even surface.
After being dipped in this solution, the
sheets were pressed again, and for a
second time hung up to dry; if a
Hand-made paper is now made to a limited extent in America, and to a still greater extent in England. All Bank of
England notes are printed on hand-made paper, two notes to a sheet, so that three edges of every note are rough.
Working under the old method, it took three men a day to mold, press, and hang up to dry, or finish, four thousand
small sheets of paper, while the process from beginning to end required about three months. In these modern days,
as will be seen later, paper can be made in twenty-four hours from a tree standing in the forest, in the glory of its full
strength and vigor; though in actual practice a longer time is taken in covering all the different processes. Truly the
times are changed, and everything is changed with them!