Friday, November 27, 2009

Paper politics.




I'm not really sure what happened to Humboldt County's once proud paper industry. But it appears to be gone for the foreseeable future. As I was reading about our paper industry, I wondered where our paper now comes from, and why. We don’t seem to be using any less paper than we ever have. How can other parts of the world manufacture paper cheaper than a county that is totally surrounded by woody plants, with a bay, with a deep water port, and with a bizillion acre feet of fresh water. It would seem like if we were to need paper products, that Humboldt County would be the prime location to make the stuff. So why aren’t we?




If I can buy Chinese toilet paper for ten cents a roll, and America toilet for a dollar a roll, it is my job as the supreme ruler and provider and protector of my loving family to buy the cheap stuff. My responsibility stops at my door step. Once we are past the door step, and into the rest of the world, our elected leaders are supposed to protect us from countries that pollute and practice unfair trade. So, why don’t they?



Would we allow a coal fired paper manufacturing plant that drained directly into the ocean with NO environmental controls? With no thoughts about the health or welfare or the workers? Oh, hell no! You wouldn’t, I wouldn’t. It just would happen in The United States of America, and especially not in our green by the sea, clean rivers, and pristine forested hillsides of Humboldt County. No-By-God! We will not support pollution in Humboldt county! Why should we, when we can by cheap toilet paper from an off-shore Manufacturer, that pollutes somewhere else. At least it’s not in my back yard.



We are all sold down the river by our politicians, who’s campaigns are financed by the major Wall Street corporations. Most of America is made up of common working people, much like you and I. Most of us are out of work, under-employed or have given up trying to find a job and we are either collecting disability, welfare, or living with our families.



So, where do we start to bring jobs back to America? You and I can’t do it alone. We need to depend on wise management by our country’s leaders. I’m not saying which political party or persuasion is at fault, because they all are. How would we band together as American citizens and do something? As soon as any grassroots movement starts we all pick it apart. Of course there are going to be radicals in any movement, so all anyone has to do to stop the momentum is point out the “nuts”, and it is all over. At what point, and when do we form a group of common folks and move ahead with sending this county in new directions, so we can all earn a living and send our kids to school? And, have a future?

Just so you know that I haven't completely lost my sense of humor, I included below a few things that you can do to get by without imported toilet paper. They are all commonly used practices, or once were:

Prior to toilet paper, these civilizations/classes commonly opted for the following:
- Wealth Romans -Wool, rosewater
- Public Restrooms in Ancient Rome- A sponge soaked in salt water, on the end of a stick
- Wealthy French – lace, wool and hemp; bidet
- Middle Ages – hayballs, a scraper/gompf stick kept in a container in the privy
- Early Americans – rags, newsprint, paper from catalogs, corncobs, and leaves
- Viking Age/England- discarded sheep and lambs wool
- Hawaiians – coconut shells
- Eskimos – snow and Tundra moss
- India – your left hand and water
- Commoners – Defecating in the river is very common
- Sailors from Spain/Portugal – frayed end of an old anchor line
- Medieval Europe- Straw, hay, grass, gompf stick
- United States – Corn cobs, Sears Roebuck catalog, mussel shell, newspaper, l eaves, sand
- British Lords – pages from a book
- Elite citizens – Hemp & wool

From "The Toilet Paper Encyclopedia"


E

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Hemp Elite"... organic, loclly grown... c'mon Ernie... connect the dots!

Ernie Branscomb said...

You know, even with all of the "hempsters" around Humboldt county, I don't see many of them giving any thought at all about the process of making paper out of hemp. Hemp paper or fabric still takes some pretty large scale machinery.

I don't see any movement at all to putting their efforts to where their mouths are. You hear volumes of B.S. about what a wonderful product hemp is, but I see no effort whatsoever in Humboldt County to produce hemp products. Other than to be in the face of
“The Man”

Anonymous said...

The operant phrase you spoke is "I don't see". I personally know of several hemp paper makers, but because of the illegality it is all quiet. The number of stalks neccessary doesn't look good to the "Man". It requires George Washingtonian plantations to make any serious amounts of hemp paper manufacturing feasible.

As you may know Ernie, the hemp industry had just discovered new technology (it was written up in Popular Science)to break the hemp fiber down more easily when the timber industry folks got threatened and helped fund the marijuana scare tactics of the 30's.
The money currently is in the recreational and medicinal properties of the plant, but hemp clothing is quite popular despite its price. I think it has been awhile since you have cruised the Hemp Connection across the street from your store? The hemp paper that they have there is probably (but I don't know for sure) grown in countries where it is licensed or legal. I am not up on that. I see the hippies with their hemp products at almost any outdoor craft gathering these days Ernie.
Because of the legalities, there are any number of salves and tinctures but they are distributed "underground".

Anonymous said...

"Bioregionally grown for your
Bioregions"
We need to stay ahead of big corporate TP makers on this one.

Rose said...

Maybe it wasn't the 'corporations' but something equally as large nad influential, but never mentioned, the 'orgs' and 'foundations' - moveon.org, tides foundation, and many more like them... look a bit closer and you may find them every bit as influential as 'big pharma.'

These are the power that have as their expressed agenda things like shutting down the paper companies, any kind of industry really, from timber to fishing to pulp, to ranching and farming...

Not saying 'corporations' aren't powerful donors, just that they are being supplanted. And at least 'corporations' had some aim towards productivity. These guys don't.

Word verification: powers
2nd try: slacoor
seems somehow fitting.

Ben said...

Ernie... I suggest developing a Salmonberry industry. The leaves are great toilet paper. Soft and strong and no processing involved. The heck with hemp, Of course you would have to keep them refrigerated and fresh but they would be local!
The paper mills were a great employment opportunity in Eureka. I had friends working there for years. They could afford good houses and every thing to go with that. They were skilled workers, electricians, milwrights etc...
However, the mills did pump untreated waste into the bay and ocean and made south west Eureka a low rent district from the "baby poo" stench. The product was not paper but pulp which was shipped to paper mills. My friend who computerized the Simpson operation had to carry a gas mask at all time in case of a chlorine leak and this just across the bay from Eureka. So is this the price we pay for good jobs? The old joke "Smells like money." had a lot of reality to it.
Even Humboldt Creamery has problems. I was shocked to hear on KMUD today that our big success local goat cheese company imports its goats milk from Mexico and some of its cheese from Poland. Most of our locally successful companies have had to move due to transportation costs and a tight market. Though the companies still survive, Music for Little People and Alternative Energy no longer are big employers.
The way to make money here is to supply a local market. Potting soil for example. There are several little fertilizer companies around Humboldt who I suspect are doing a growing business.
Even the hope for an influx of retirees is beginning to fade as the fishing disappears and they see the lack of quality health care.
In ther mean time, I'm wearing pants from the Dominican Republic (Carhartt) and my wife's new top (Land's End) was made in Viet Nam.
I have no solutions and really fear for my grandchildren.

PatsyC said...

Ernie- hemp is a distant relation to another common plant that makes people feel good.
So what happened? The 'moral right' insisted it cannot be used of course!
WE could supply the planet with paper, fiber, clothing, oils (hemp), and more.
But some people just dont care, ya know?
They would rather burn than accept hemp. Yes, they are THAT insane.
Perhaps we could start there.

Anonymous said...

I am still stuck on some of the alternatives to toilet paper our ancestors used. Gompf sticks?

Anonymous said...

Aint got no gompfstick in my chicksale. Reckon you know what that is.

Ernie Branscomb said...

Anon,
Sure, there is a boutique Hemp operation. But, if you tried to do something on a large scale it would be shouted down by the same people that purport to support it.

Rose
That was my point. They are ALL trying to shut down American industry, but they do nothing about countries that are major polluters.

Ben
The paper plants on Samoa spent millions of dollars trying to clean up their operation. But just to make my point, again, is the toilet paper you use now non-polluting? Or did we just move the problem out of our back yard?

Patsy
I have no problem with using Hemp for toilet paper, but I see more people fighting for the drug (marijuana) than the hemp. I suspect that any kind of a major industry in Eureka would be shouted down. Just as Rose suggests it would.

Another thing, If marijuana is legalized would the stems work as hemp? I know hemp won't make a good drug, but will Marijuana make fabric?

Anon
I couldn't find a photo of a "Gompf Stick"

Aunt Janet said...

I've had some experience making hemp and other kinds of paper. The first time I tried turned into a comedy of errors. I had my hemp fibers, locally grown, the bast, which is a layer of cellulose fibers. You have to cook off the lignon fibers with an alkaline solution, such as soda ash, or let it rett for a long time before beginning papermaking procedures.

Well, that was back when ED and MA had their Eel River Music Camp. I decided I would make hemp paper and show people how it is done. I had never done this from scratch before. I knew the theory, and had made lots of paper from ready-mix, and other fibers. I started beating the wet fibers with the proper paddles on a chopping block. I had an audience. When I got tired of beating, one of the participants took over. We were making lots of noise. We tried to make rhythmic noises. After all we were at Music Camp. After about an hour of beating, it became clear to me that the hemp fibers were not going to beat down well enough to make paper. Yep, I was embarrassed, but we did manage to make paper with other fibers, and some of that ready-mix.
Since then I learned that you have to rett the hemp for a long time. A year under a building finally worked for me. Rett is a specialty word in the paper making craft that refers to the process of rotting off the unwanted lignon while not going far enough to rot the cellulose. It is a necessary process of paper making when using bast fibers such as hemp or flax.
No, I don't think we grow enough hemp in the local counties to supply a hemp paper mill. There was a small paper mill and book press in Peircy a few years back. The owner was working hard on getting a permit to grow an industrial patch of hemp for his own operation. They gave him an amazing run-around. He jumped through the hoops, putting up a ten foot (or whatever height) chain link fence, and whatever security system they required, and etc, but do you think he got a permit? Nope. I'm not sure why they didn't just tell him that they wouldn't give him a permit no matter what he did.
Well, no big paper mill in Humboldt, and big woolen mill either. There is my little mill in Whitethorn, auntjanetsfibermill.com but there used to be a big one right on Broadway in Eureka where the Walgreens sits today. Do you have any information on the old woolen mill, Earnie?
Aunt Janet

David said...

You need to get a hand held bathroom bidet sprayer and then you won't ever have to worry about running out of toilet paper again or paying too much. With these you can use a towel to just dry off (yes your own personal towel for those with no imagination) and it's much more sanitary. I think Dr. Oz on Oprah said it best: "if you had pee or poop on your hand, you wouldn't wipe it off with paper, would you? You'd wash it off" It makes cleaning the toilet itself a breeze also. For those of us who really like to be clean it is the best invention since the toilet. It is so much better than a stand alone bidet and this is why: 1. It's less expensive (potentially allot less) 2. You can install in yourself = no plumber expense 3. It works better by providing more control of where the water spray goes and a greater volume of water flow. 4. It requires no electricity and there are few things that can go wrong with it. 5. It doesn't take up any more space, many bathrooms don't have room for a stand alone bidet. 6. You don’t have to get up and move from the toilet to the bidet which can be rather awkward at times to say the least. Available at http://www.bathroomsprayers.com

Anonymous said...

Nice advice David for city slickers, but I aint got no running water, nor gompfstick in my chicksale.

Ernie Branscomb said...

I did a quick search of the Internet and found this rather amusing article about the Eureka woolen mill

The article was about a different town and place.

Ernie Branscomb said...

But, the tag appears to be from Eureka.

samoasoftball said...

Ernie: We just moved the problem overseas. NIMBY.

ROSS SHERBURN said...

anyone going to mention,CORN COBBS???

Anonymous said...

I still say use stinging nettle leaves for TP. Use it liberally.

Oregon

Ernie Branscomb said...

Ross
In the list, it was mentioned that early Americans used corn cobs. No Duhh! Early Europeans didn't have corn cobs.

Samoa
Thanks for agreeing with me. I know that discretion is the better part of valor, and you are on the harbor commission now and probably shouldn't say much, but I had you in mind the whole way through this post. I know that you got chewed up and spit out of the paper industry. I'm very happy that you are on the commission. I have faith in you. But, good luck!

Ekovox said...

I just heard J.C. Penney has produced their last catalog and newspapers are on the decline. Is there a way to CyberWipe?

Ernie Branscomb said...

We should be able to make it to Christmas on turkey feathers

Ben said...

Ernie.. The tolet paper I use now is recycled. Probably still a problem in manufacture. It's interesting that when we try to clean up our own manufacturing backyard we put ourselves out of business in the international markets. Possibly a good argument for international regulation. Probably not going to happen. Tomorrow I'm going out to pick a bunch of Salmonberry leaves. Let's see, if I pick one a second, thats 60 a minute. Nah, let's say 30 a minute. OK, that's 1800 an hour, right? So i've picked maybe two rolls of toilet paper worth a few bucks. Now I usually make about $40 an hour... so I'm not doing too well. Of course I'm not making big money fishing either. Since it's all catch and release, I'm losing money. Dang!

Aunt Janet said...

Thanks Ernie, The mill label is interesting. I'd like to find something made by the Eureka Woolen Mill. I'll have to peruse the local antique stores with that in mind. I usually look for textile related stuff when visiting those establishments. On a recent trip I stopped in Gasquet, OR at a fruitstand which was right next to a "junk store". I went in and asked if they had anything relating to spinning or weaving. The first reaction was "no". But then the woman asked her mate, "What about that loom thing". They brought out a loom thing, alright, which I bought for $10. I didn't know what it was, but it was made of redwood and had some interesting interlocking spools with a pall and ratchet device. Internet search told me that it is a "loom" on which rag pile cord is made. The cord is then used to coil and stitch into rugs. The name on the "loom" said "My Lady Rug Loom", which was the clue to my internet search. It is probably about 60 years old or so. I love making these kinds of finds. Too bad I really dislike making coil and stitch rugs.

Back on your topic, DH won't let me get recycled TP. Chaps his a**.

Ernie Branscomb said...

Ben
"It's interesting that when we try to clean up our own manufacturing backyard we put ourselves out of business in the international markets. Possibly a good argument for international regulation." ...and a good reason to not trade with countries that don't meet the same standards that we insist that our manufactures meet. PERIOD!

Aunt Janet
We knew a lady that we used to give our worn-out Levis to. She made braided rugs out of them. She said that it was better than crocheting doilies. She sold them when she was done. She had a great reputation as a rug maker. Every rancher wanted one of her “Levi Rugs” for the front of their fireplace. She used a few strips of other colors in her rugs to break up the pattern and give them character.

Ernie Branscomb said...

Samoa Softball printed the story about the demise of the Eureka Pulp mill. I provided a link below. Read and weep.

Apparently you have to pay our government to consider giving you a grant to save our industries.

Sad pulp mill story



e

ROSS SHERBURN said...

in grammer school we took a field trip to those mills on SAMOA.we had to ride a boat across from EUREKA.pretty big adventure for a 10 year old!!!

Anonymous said...

"On a recent trip I stopped in Gasquet, OR at a fruitstand ..." - Aunt Janet

I've heard of Gasquet, CA but where is Gasquet, OR?? Has the CA budget crisis forced entire towns to relocate now? Or is this an example of outsourcing gone mad? Good Lord!

Anonymous said...

Gasquet is in California.

Oregon

Ernie Branscomb said...

Gasquet is on the way to Orleans. Unless you are going the other way, then it's past Orleans.

Glad to help.

Anonymous said...

Gasquet is on highway 199 between Cresent City and Cave Junction. Happy to help.

Oregon

ROSS SHERBURN said...

which way do i go from HAPPY CAMP???? LOL!

ROSS SHERBURN said...

which way do i go,from HAPPY CAMP??? LOL!

ROSS SHERBURN said...

STUTTER!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Head North from happy Camp and turn left at highway 199, you will come out at O'Brien, OR..and head towards highway 101.

Oregon

spyrock said...

it seems like everything has turned upside down. huckabee has let another willie horton loose to kill four cops. obama is going to send more troops to afghanistan. but the real news is tiger woods and the people who crashed the white house party.
i went to the big game at stanford vs cal two weeks ago. tiger was at the game which stanford lost. he probably hooked up with an old school chum from his stanford days which probably was the last straw for his golf widow wife who trash his car with one of his golf clubs. meanwhile i was outside the stadium at a tailgate with a motorhome, a big screen tv and those gas patio heaters. these two white people crashed this private tailgate party that was hosted by a black electrician. they were wearing cal shirts. one, a pretty blond girl walking right into the motor home to use the bathroom. inside she was confronted by a black grandmother from oakland who had a bald head from chemo for cancer who asked her for the name of anyone at the party who invited her. they wound up letting her use the toilet anyway but not without asking for a donation for the party. after the game, these old cal geezers also crashed the party, sat right in front of me and right by the heaters to watch the arizona oregon game which was still on tv. they asked them for a donation too. which they didn't pay. so i guess its the new thing. all these rich white people crashing the poo black people's party. all of this was embarrassing to me being one of the few invited white people at the party. of course, this is what the foo had to say In seeking leniency from Huckabee, Clemmons wrote the parole board that he was a "misguided fool" when he committed the crimes and "learned through the school of hard knocks to appreciate and respect the rights of others."
what this all means is a good question. the weird thing for me was that there was plenty of costco toilet paper in that bathroom left over and there was a ton of barbeque chicken, ribs, tritip, etc. left over and i left with most of the beer i brought. there was plenty to share. but everyone seems to have their own agenda.

Anonymous said...

Well, Michelle Salahi can crash my party anytime she wants and for free.

Oregon