Canadian Forestry Journal, December, 1919 



519 



of flax and some cotton, in Persia, and later 

 in Europe out of rags. 



That which revolutionized the manufacture 

 of paper cheapened it, and put it within the 

 reach of every one, was the mvention of a ma- 

 chine for grinding wood to reduce it to purp 

 fibres. This was patented in Germany by Voel- 

 ter in 1844, and later in the United States in 



1858. 



When paper made largely from wood fibre 

 was introduced, the publishers would not use 

 it. Pearson C. Chenney, who was governor of 

 New Hampshire from 1875 to 1877, testified 

 before the Senate Committee of Education and 

 Labor about fifty years ago that when the pulp 

 mill was built at Franklm, the paper manufac- 

 turers predicted ruin to the owner. As a last 

 resort when no publisher would use it, this 

 wood paper was substituted by the manufacture 

 on a Boston paper order unknown to them. 

 When the Boston paper sent in another order, 

 the old regular paper was sent and immediately 

 the publisher complained and requested the 

 wood paper, though at that time knowing it 

 was wood. This paper was used six months 

 before they knew its constituents. Since the 

 publishers found that wood papers worked 

 bette in the presses, from then on it had estab- 

 lished itself. 



In addition to the grinding of wood, there 

 is another very important and essential process 

 which helped to bring paper within the reach of 

 all. Its principle was discovered by accident. 

 One day a tramp papermaker was crossing the 

 country. The sun was high in the heavens 

 and the day was torrid. The heat became in- 

 tense and so he sat down to rest in the first 

 shady grove he reached. While he was cooling 

 off he noticed a hornet's nest in the tree above, 

 presently a piece of the nest fell down. He 

 picked it up and found it to be composed of 

 very tough fine fibres. His curiosity was aroused 

 and he watched the hornet go to an old fence 

 rail. He then went to investigate. He soon 

 found the hornet was getting the strong fibre 

 from the old rail. His papermaking instinct 

 brought him to the thought that it would be 

 possible to reduce the new green fibre in trees 

 by chemicals in a short time as nature had done 

 by years of oxidation. This, then, gave the 

 world the chemical pulps. 



PRESERVING ROOF TIMBERS. 



Roof timbers in buildings where high hum- 

 idity is the rule have been a source of trouble 



to operators of paper and cotton mills, and 

 other industries, because of their tendency to 

 decay rapidly. In order to determine the best 

 means for preserving such timbers, the Forest 

 Products Laboratory at Madison, Wis., has 

 conducted a series of tests of the various treat- 

 ments. As a result, it was recently announced 

 that the pressure method, with either creosote 

 or a zinc-chloride solution, will give better 

 results than steeping, dipping, or painting. 

 Twenty years may be added to the life of the 

 wood by this treatment, it is declared, though 

 it is admitted to be the most expensive. Each 

 cubic foot of timber should receive 8 to 12 

 pounds of creosote ,or half-pound of zinc chlo- 

 ride, if the latter is used. 



WOODEN SHIP 46 YEARS ON DUTY. 



In view of the discussions that have taken 

 place during the last year or two with regard 

 to thse seaworthiness and durability of wooden 

 ships it is interesting to note the case of the 

 famous old revenue cutter Bear, belonging to 

 the United States coast and Geodetic service, 

 which recently completed its thirty-third annual 

 cruise to the Arctic. This vessel was built on 

 the Clyde, Scotland, in 1874, as a steam 

 whaler, but was soon acquired by the United 

 States Navy Department, and first came into 

 public notice through being used by Comman- 

 der (later Rear Admiral) W. S. Schley on the 

 Greeley relief expedition in 1884, as a steam 

 the name of the old vessel has frequently ap- 

 peared in print in connection with its various 

 voyages to the Arctic and other strenuous ser- 

 vice. It seems almost unnecessary to argue the 

 durability and seaworthiness of properly built 

 wooden vessels in view of the proud record of 

 clipper ships before the days of steel construc- 

 tion and steam navigation. 



They made stout wood ships forty-five years 

 ago and they still make stout wood ships. X^'hen 

 someone pipes in with a slur upon wood ships 

 and their alleged unseaworthiness it might be 

 well to mention the old Be.u .now in its 4bth 

 year and not out of the hale and hearty class, 

 despite her years of bucking Arctic ice and 

 gales. 



