Paper-Making
an account of paper-making from its earliest
known record down to the present time by
J.W. Butler Paper Company 1901
consists of a little conducting trough, through which flows, from a
receptacle near the machine, a stream of water holding the silk
threads in solution. The trough extends across the machine, and
is provided at intervals with openings, through which the short
pieces of silk thread are automatically released, and sprinkled
continuously onto the web of pulp as it passes beneath. The
paper is thus distinguished, and infringement and possible
counterfeiting are made extremely difficult by the fact that the
government absolutely forbids the making of paper by others
under a similar process, as well as the production of any paper
containing these silk threads. The laws of the United States
pertaining to anything that borders on infringement of our various
money issues, both metal and currency, are most rigid; anything
approaching a similarity of impression is prohibited, and a cut,
stamp, or impression of any character that approaches in its
appearance any money issue of our government is considered a
violation of the law against counterfeiting, and is dealt with
severely. The government takes the same uncompromising
printing its paper-money issues, and it
will be quickly seen that the silk thread
process above described is so great a
variation from anything required in the
mercantile world that it would be
difficult to produce a paper at all similar
without an ulterior purpose being at
once apparent. For this reason, the
silk thread interspersion is in reality a
very effective medium in preventing
counterfeiting, not only on account of
its peculiar appearance, but also
because of the elaborate methods
necessary in its production.
In those mills making the finest
grades of paper, much of the process
of thrashing, beating, dusting, and
cleaning necessary in the ordinary mill
is omitted. The cleanliness and
brightness which are reached only at
the “washer" and “beater" engines in
mills.
One of the first requisite in making good paper, especially the better grades, is an abundance of pure water, and
spring-water, where available, is preferred.
The effort has been made in the description given to cover the process of making paper from the crudest rags. In
enumerating the several kinds of paper, in another chapter, brief reference will be made to the varying methods
required in their manufacture. In this chapter, no attempt has been made to cover more than the principal divisions or
varieties of paper - writing, print, and wrapping papers.
The United States, with characteristic enterprise, leads the world in paper-making, supplying about one-third of all
that is used on the globe. The city of Holyoke, in Massachusetts, is the greatest paper center in the world, turning out
each working-day some two hundred tons of paper, nearly one-half of which is "tub-sized," "loft-dried" writings. The
region in the vicinity of Holyoke is dotted with paper-mills, and within a few miles of the city is made about one-half of
all the "loft-dried" writings produced in the United States. The tiny acorn planted two centuries ago has waxed with
the years, gaining strength and vigor with the increasing strength of the nation, till now it has become a giant oak,
whose branches extend to the lands beyond the seas.