THE REPUBLICAN

May 12, 1882

 

The Paper We Use.

 

            Paper car wheels are composed entirely of paper rings pressed together under a weight of six tons, and then fastened by means of bolts, and steel tires put upon them, when they are ready for use.  Laid loosely these rings stack as high as the shoulders of an ordinary man.  Under treatment they sink to the thickness required. If the tire should wear or fall off the wheel, or the train run from the track, there would be no danger of their breaking, as they are very flexible and would spring.

            A paper ball can be rendered so solid that nothing but a diamond tool can cause an indentation into it. At the mill is a square block of compressed paper fastened on a turning lathe and so hard that if a fine steel chisel is held against it when it is moving, instead of cutting the paper it will break the chisel into a hundred pieces.  The strength is astonishing. You can take a five-pound note of the Bank of England, twist it into a kind of rope, suspend 339 pounds upon one end of it, and not injure it in the slightest degree.

            Bathtubs and pots are formed by compressing the paper made out of linen fibers and annealed – that is, painted with a composition which becomes a part thereof and is fireproof.  The tubs last indefinitely, never leak, and, put in the fire, will not burn up.  You can beat on them with a hammer and not injure them.

            Plates compressed and annealed are very durable.  You can not only wash them, but drop them upon the floor and stand upon them.  The fork can be used for any practical purpose, and the knife can always be kept sharp.

            Paper can be substituted for wood, converted into picture frames and colored like walnut, cherry, and the like.  Bedsteads are fashioned the same as car wheels, only in long strips instead of rings. They are very beautiful and lasting.  Cooking or heating stoves are also annealed, and it is impossible to burn them out.  They are less costly than iron.  A house can literally be constructed of and furnished with every convenience in paper. -  Printers Circular.