Produced by Susan Skinner, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Transcriber’s Notes Sidenotes were printed in italics, but in the Plain Text format of this eBook, they are indicated by diamonds: ♦text♦, either preceding their paragraphs or within them. Other italic text is indicated by _underscores_. THE STORY OF PAPER-MAKING [Illustration: A MODERN PAPER-MILL] THE STORY OF PAPER-MAKING AN ACCOUNT OF PAPER-MAKING FROM ITS EARLIEST KNOWN RECORD DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME _ILLUSTRATED_ J. W. BUTLER PAPER COMPANY CHICAGO :: :: :: MDCCCCI COPYRIGHTED BY J. W. BUTLER PAPER COMPANY JANUARY, 1901 THE ABSENCE OF NON-TECHNICAL WORKS UPON THIS INTERESTING SUBJECT PROMPTS THE AUTHORS TO PRESENT A TREATISE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE LAYMAN, AND FOR HIS USE CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. ARTICLES SUPPLANTED BY PAPER 1 II. PAPYRUS AND PARCHMENT 12 III. ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY OF PAPER 20 IV. EARLY METHODS OF PAPER-MAKING 49 V. MODERN PAPER-MAKING 55 VI. WATER-MARKS AND VARIETIES OF PAPER 95 VII. EXTENT OF THE BUSINESS IN THE UNITED STATES 123 PREFACE It is a rare privilege to stand as we do at the meeting-point of the centuries, bidding a reluctant farewell to the old, while simultaneously we cry “All hail!” to the new; first looking back over the open book of the past, then straining eager eyes for a glimpse of the mysteries that the future holds hidden, and which are to be revealed only moment by moment, hour by hour, and day by day. The nineteenth century, so preëminently one of progress in almost every line of mental and material activity, has witnessed a marvelous growth in the paper industry. It was in the early years of the century that crude old methods, with their meager machinery, began yielding to the pressure of advanced thought, and the development since has kept full pace with the flying years. The hundred years that have written the modern history of paper-making mark also the period during which the J. W. BUTLER PAPER COMPANY, or its immediate predecessors, have been associated with the industry in this country. It has therefore seemed to the present representatives of the company that the closing year of the century was an especially fitting time to put into story form the history of the wonderful and valuable product evolved almost wholly from seemingly useless materials, and they consider it their privilege, as well as the fulfillment of a pleasant obligation, to present this account to their friends and associates in the paper, printing, and auxiliary trades. We “Know not what the future hath Of marvel and surprise,”