THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER 



snow-white paper. This is because the foreign sub- 

 stances that have been loosened have not as yet been 

 separated, this task falling to great tubs known as 

 "Hollanders," after the country in which they were 

 invented a little over a century and a half ago. 



The "Hollander" is oval-shaped, usually about 

 twenty feet long, nine feet wide, and three feet high. 

 In these tubs are iron rolls covered with knives which 

 revolve over a set of fixed knives below. When the rags 

 are thrown in and the machinery started, a continuous 

 stream of water is made to circulate about the tub. 

 This carries the rags beneath the iron rolls and knives, 

 which pull the mass to pieces and separate the fibers, 

 which are thrown upon wire cloth where the water is 

 drained off, taking with it the coloring matter, the 

 rags becoming gradually whiter and whiter as the wash- 

 ing process proceeds. Bleaching material is then added, 

 the rags becoming perfectly white in four or five hours. 

 When this stage is reached the water is drained off, 

 and the mass of white fibers is thrown into drainers 

 until most of the water is removed, leaving a tough mass 

 having the appearance of matted cotton. 



When thoroughly drained, the mass of fibers is 

 placed in the "beaters." These are machines with rolls 

 and knives not unlike those in the "Hollanders" 

 which draw out the fibers and separate them, and beat 

 them into the paper pulp proper. If specially fine white 

 paper is to be made, bluing is added to the mass at this 

 stage, just as laundrymen use it for whitening linen. 



The discovery of the use of bluing was the result of an 

 accident some two centuries ago. The wife of an 



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