THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER 



of the stately forest monarch used only for the making 

 of plebeian papers, while the despised rag eventually 

 carries the watermark of royal stationery. 



The rags used in the paper factories are literally col- 

 lected from all over the world, and practically without 

 any regard to condition. They arrive at the paper- 

 mills in steam-compressed bales, frequently reeking 

 with disease-bearing odors. The bales are sent at once 

 to the machines called "openers," which tear them 

 open and then pass them on to the "thrashers," which 

 are huge cylindrical receptacles, revolving rapidly, sup- 

 plied with long wooden arms or beaters. Here the rags 

 are pounded and thrashed about, the dust and, in part, 

 the odors, being carried off by suction air-tubes. Later 

 they are sent to the sorting room where they are sorted 

 as to size and condition, and all buttons, hooks and eyes, 

 and ornaments or foreign substances removed. Here, 

 also, machines with scythe-like blades, called "shred- 

 ders," mangle and shred the larger pieces of cloth. 



In the ordinary paper factory the work in this room 

 is most unwholesome as well as disagreeable. In fac- 

 tories where only the highest grade of paper is made, 

 however, this is not the case. For in such factories only 

 the cleanest rags are used, and frequently only new rags, 

 such as come from the clippings of shirt factories, and 

 high-class tailoring and dressmaking establishments. 

 Yet despite the fact that the subsequent treatment of all 

 rags with steam, hot water, and chemicals renders them 

 quite as "aseptic" as the new rags, most persons will 

 find some satisfaction in the thought that the best papers 

 on their desks are the remnants of new, rather than old, 



