which hurries them up to the ceiling, there to toss them down a steep incline of iron slats. Through the slats such stray buttons as have passed the sorters are supposed to fall. A vigilant watch is kept for buttons, hooks and eyes, rubber, and other foreign material to the last moment, and there are many little devices for detaining them.

Finally, the rags are pushed down through a convenient opening in the floor and fall into an immense horizontal boiler of iron which holds about four tons. A chemical mixture is put in with the rags, the boiler is sealed up, and the steam is turned on. The boiler slowly revolves for many hours with the rags boiling inside.

When the boiler is opened the rags are pulled out into low-wheeled cars and are trundled by the workmen from the boiler room to the room adjoining, where they are thrown into great oval vats known as "washers." A stream of perfectly pure filtered water is turned on to wash the rags. Each vat is equipped with a heavy revolving iron wheel slatted with knives which convert the rags into their original fibers and brush these fibers into a uniform length and condition. The work of the knives continues for a number of hours, until the contents of the vat are reduced to a clean pulpy mass. Then a solution of chloride of lime is added for a bleach, and afterward the pulp goes to drainers where it stands until required for use. It comes from the drainers of a delicious whiteness, and looks good enough to eat. A paper-pulp pudding, if it tasted as good as it looks, would be a dish for an epicure.

The pulp is ground for another period in beating engines to further improve the fibers. Rosin size is added, and, several hours later, when it has been thoroughly mixed with the pulp, alum is put in. This causes the rosin to adhere to the fibers, closes the pores and makes the finished paper ink-resistant. Later color is added. The