2. Presented by BOB VAN CLEEF of the North River Railway SENDING A LETTER 1776 STYLE

3. LIFE IN COLONIAL TIMES Back in the good ‘ol days you didn’t send a message by just typing in your text and hitting “SEND”. No siree! It just wasn’t that simple. There were no movie theaters and playhouses were rare. News was delivered by gossip, from the pulpit or the town crier in the town square. People made their own entertainment - Prominent citizens provided rooms for small gatherings. People rarely traveled more than about 20 miles from home as that was a good day’s ride by horse. Only the Government and a few wealthy individuals could afford to import goods from Europe and it took up to a year after an order was placed to receive goods.

4. KEY 17 th CENTURY ENGLAND EVENTS England prospered under the Georgian era 1714 to 1830) while the American Colonies were being established. Rural towns declined as unemployed workers emigrated to the North American colonies. Crude pencil-like devices were in existence and from 1422 on printing presses had been busily churning out documents by ream. The first English dictionary was printed in 1604. This was a time for Great change but the Industrial revolution had not yet quite yet arrived.

5. DUCH CONTRIBUTIONS In 1608 Hans Lippershey patented his telescope. This was important to world-wide navigation on the oceans and to the optical telegraph. The Pilgrims fled from England and lived briefly in Leiden before fleeing to America in 1620.

6. HIGH TECHNOLOGY in ENGLAND Robert Hook invented an “optical telegraph” in 1684 that with the use of telescopes could send a messages and receive a reply across the Thames River in minutes. This, however, was a rare and expensive service limited to specific locations and reserved mainly for government use. Even almost a hundred years later the colonies still had nothing like it. Meanwhile, faster and more sophisticated systems were being developed in Europe. This system transmitted encrypted data with and control characters in a format similar to the way modern computer modems use to transmit messages today.

7. PAPERS IN EARLY AMERICA Parchment, the prepared skin of certain animals such as cows, goats or sheep was well known. It was used for the Declaration of Independence as well as many official government documents. Vellum was made exclusively from calf’s skin and even more costly.

8. PARCHMENT and VELLUM Both were scrapped, stretched and dried. Lime and Gum Arabic was used to whiten and glaze the writing surface. The process was very labor- intensive requiring skilled labor. Suitable animals became scarce as the population increasingly learned how to read and write. All this made both well beyond most American’s budget.

9. If you lived in town it was always easy to buy High quality and very expensive paper came from Europe or the orient. A slightly less expensive commercial paper could be purchased from Philadelphia. Most paper however was “homemade” by a local “cottage” industry

10. FIRST COMMERCIAL MILLS If you lived in town it was always easy to buy paper. The best quality of course was from Europe and while it cost less then parchment it was still very expensive. Paper from the developing new mills in Philadelphia was also high quality but was only slightly less costly due to the cost of transportation. The paper mills in Dalton, Mass had yet to be built. By far the most paper was literally “homemade” by small local “cottage” industries

11. PAPER MADE LOCALY A dozen or so workers could make about a dozen reams of paper in a day. Paper was used for wrapping, packets for goods and letters. It was inexpensive and locally available.

12. PAPER MAKING The Vatman shredded rags and mixed them with water. This was pounded to a paste either by hand or by the use of a water- wheel. Paper was actually fairly easy to make. All that was needed were some cotton or silk rags, water, a few molds and a press. Anyone with these could make paper that would satisfy most basic needs. Lime was used to bleach the paper to Yellow and gradually expensive chlorine was used to bleach the paper closer to white. Colored rags were reserved for cardboard and packing materials where color did not matter. Wood was introduced to paper making much later as production increased due to demand and the cost of rags began to increase due to scarsness.

13. MOLDING PAPER The vatman molded the damp pulp in a mode and earned about $9 per month The Coucher, who earned about $6 per month then took the wet paper out of the mold and placed it and on felt. The mold consisted of two parts. The first was a 26” by 33” frame with slats made from oak. The second was a wire mesh. 144 pieces (one ream) of paper alternated with felt were layered in a stack called a “post.” The word “post in some newspaper names such as “the Daily Post” was a reference to this term, NOT the mail.

14. Post Processing Pressing The most critical part of paper making was squeezing the water from the post. All available workmen in a mill would be summoned to move the four foot high post to a press and work the windlass. This then properly compacted the fibers in the paper together as the water was removed. Too much pressure could ruin the press and frames. To little and the paper wouldn’t dry properly.

15. DRYING THE PAPER The poor Layman who was the least skilled mill worker earned a mere 6 cents a month (plus room or board if they were not family). The tittle refers to the job of carefully peeling the paper from the felt, replacing it with new dry felt, and re-building the post. This was repeated three times before laying the individual sheets to dry on a rack.

16. GUM ARABIC Gum Arabic was an important ingredient in a huge array of products during the colonial era. It dated back to the days of antiquity and could be found in any household. In the Colonial period it was used as a binder for making inks and to prepare the surface of skins and paper to absorb ink. It was used in foods as a preservative and stabilizer, an additive to ceramics and in incense cones. Later it is was used for the glue on postage stamps.

17. INK

18. INK STICKS The very best ink (and very costly) came from China. It was used mostly by those who travelled as it was light, compact, and no one wanted liquid ink spilled all over the contents of their saddle bags. It was often labeled as Indian ink. These were made from a compressed mixture of lampblack (vegetable soot) and some sort of binder. It came in the form of sticks that had to be ground with water on a special ink stone to reproduce the liquid ink.

19. USING INK STICKS

20. GRINDING INK STICKS A Suzaro (or Grindstone) was used to make ink. A small amount of water was added to the stone and the ink stick was gently rubbed in the water. The water dissolved the binder releasing a high quality ink. This ink was highly perishable and had to be used immediately. George Washington was known to have used this in the field. Ink sticks remain a living science are still used today for calligraphy and artistic works.

21. EARLY INKS The first domestically made inks in the American colonies were made from berries They were made mostly in the home kitchen from whatever ingredients were locally available at the time. Settlers soon found that blueberries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries or raspberries can all be used to make colorful inks. Preparation was simple and added ingredients such as salt and vinegar were already commonly found around the house. These inks had the unfortunate tendency to fade with time. Most berries used for ink, but not all, were quite edible.

22. VEGETABLE INKS Sometimes salt was added as a preservative or perfume if there was an unpleasant smell. To make berry ink, fill a strainer with a cup of the berries and place over a bowl. Add a bit of water then use the back of a wooden spoon or any blunt rounded object to crush the berries through the strainer. Discard the pulp and save the juice/ink in a glass jar. Add half a teaspoon and vinegar and stir well. Add more water if the mixture is too thick. Make only a small amount of ink at a time and store in a dark closet to prevent mold.

23. IRON GALL INK This ink originating in Europe was known in America Its chemistry was more complex and rarely used in rural areas. The active ingredients were tannic acid and Ferrous Sulfate Galls, bark, leaves and roots of various plants were boiled before use Gum Aribic was added and the mixture reacted chemically to paper to cause black

25. BLACK WALNUT INK

26. Home-owners would usually boil the ingredients down to a dark liquid and Store owners would boil the mixture dry and sell the ink crystals in small paper packets A small quantity of Ink imported from China came in stick form

27. INK A popular way to make ink during colonial times was from walnuts. The green husk surrounding the nut was boiled to produce a dark brown stain or ink.nut This stain could be bottled and used later

28. If the ink was to be used commercially, it could be boiled down to a powder and re- constituted as required. The powder of course was much lighter and would reduce the cost of shipping.

29. s If the ink was made commercially, it could be boiled down to a powder and re-constituted as required. The powder of course was much lighter and would reduce the cost of shipping.

30. SO HOW DID ONE MAKE A PEN? Well, first you find a bird. Yes, Turkey feathers were commonly used and work quite well. Colonialists however considered goose feathers were far superior and sometimes kept geese solely for their feathers although they also made good burglar alarms. Swan, eagle or almost any large bird would also do. Peacock and other exotic feathers, however made poor pens and were rarely used except for decorations and maybe feather dusters.

31. WHERE TO FIND THESE FEATHERS Geese were common in colonial life but if they weren’t around wild turkeys weren’t far away. Unfortunately there aren’t too many Domestic birds running around loose today however there are craft stores. Then again there is always Amazon, eBay and Google. Make sure you buy the full, unclipped quill 9” or longer. Do not buy dyed, imitation or broken feathers. Expect to pay from fifty cents to a dollar per feather for small quantities. 12” turkey feathers are readily available on the internet. Any 3” diameter mailing tubes come in handy for storage.

32. BEST FEATHERS FOR PEN Primary Feathers are numbered from the wing joint (or index) outward. Use one of the first five or six primary feathers from the LEFT wing for best results if you are RIGHT handed. The curve of these feathers will fit in the right hand best. Select feathers from the right wing if you are left handed.

33. OK, WHAT NEXT? Please understand that there is no one absolutely correct or wrong way to make a quill pen. Fashioning a pen in Colonial times varied greatly depending on the materials available, how often the user did writing and how important the letter was. The following is my own personal technique but one should experiment and see what seems to be best. Exacto knives didn’t exist in colonial times so it would be more authentic to use a penknife. One the practical side, an Exacto knife with a #11 blade might prove easier to use. Also, for instance, a Colonial business man might shave the vane from the pen where a home owner might fancy saving that part of the vane that didn’t touch the hand. Please read through the resources listed at the end of this presentation to review the many options to shaping quills.

34. WHAT YOU WILL NEED A flat surface to work on. Feathers (of course) A pan of fine, sifted sand. Cooking thermometer A cup of water A short piece of soft wire. A piece of coat hanger will do nicely An #11 Exacto or pen knife.

35. MAKING A QUILL PEN This, however is closer to what most pens actually looked like in the world of business. The vane was stripped from most if not all of the quill and the nib was sharpened. When most people think of a quill pen during colonial times this was what they picture, a full feather plume ready to dip in ink

36. TRIMING THE PLUME Select a feather that has a long, center quill. Tear off that part of the plume that will not be required. Scrape the quill smooth with a knife in the area where the plume was removed.

37. HOW FAR? Ladies at home did often leave some of the plume as a decoration. Sometimes only a small bit at the tip was left intact. Otherwise the quill was stripped well clear of where the pen would be gripped. Store owners, bank clerks, those who traveled and professionals who spent most of the writing would strip the plume completely off.

38. NEXT, REMOVE MEMBRANE Quills may or may not have a membrane or skin at the nib end. This also should be gently scraped away before tempering.

39. THEN PRE-SOAK Examine the feathers for flaws Soak in water overnight. This loosens any oil, dirt or crud that might be on the feathers. This also softens the quill and prepares it for tempering. Tempering is optional but does increase the useful life of the nib.

40. TEMPERING This hardens the quill to prevent wear. Place a pan of clean, sifted, fine sand in a pan. Heat sand to 350 degrees for at least fifteen minutes in an oven. Do not heat sand in a metal pan if you use a microwave oven. Remove the can from the oven shove the quills as far as possible into sand. Let cool and carefully examine tempering.

41. TEMPERING the QUILL Raw and correctly tempered feathers. The feathers will turn white as shown in the top portion of this picture if done correctly. Lack of color change means too little heat while yellow means the sand was probably too hot. Try again. Once tempering was complete the quill was ready for nibbing.

42. STRIP THE PLUME

43. REMOVE the QUICK The “quick” is the living part of a growing feather that carries blood in a live bird It Shrivels and becomes transparent once the feather matures. This cellular structure must be removed to allow the flowing of ink through the hollow of a quill. One way to remove the quick is to push a short length of soft wire up through the center. This should be done at some point while cutting the nib

44. TWO ALTERNATE METHODS The quick can also be removed with an Exacto knife or a pair of long, thin tweezers. Not all quick has to be removed but the point is to remove enough to allow the ink to wick and be absorbed with enough ink to write a few words.

45. CUTTING the NIB 1. Cut a quarter inch from the back of the quill. 2. cut half an inch off the front. 3. Make a short slit in the center of the back of the quill. 4. Increase the slit. (Support the quill on a surface). 5. & 6. Cut away the front of the quill (cradle piece) to form the scoop. 7. Cut away the sides of the quill to form the point 8. If the slit is too long, the pen tip will be too soft; If too short, the pin tip will be too hard. Cut away more from the side or lengthen the slit to solve these problems.

46. NIBBING the PEN To “nib” the pen, rest the underside of the point on a smooth, hard surface. Thin the top from the top side by scraping the blade forward at a shallow angle. Then make a vertical cut, either at right angles to the slit or obliquely. On a very strong feather the last cut can be repeated to remove a very fine sliver. Avoid a rough underside on the tip of the nib.

47. PEN USE Side view of nib A typical pen could write about two or three pages before requiring a new point if a very light touch was used. A pen could be re-nibbed about four or five times. This would mean keeping a supply of several pens handy.

48. INK WELLS HELD INK

49. QUILL vs PENKNIVES To be historically accurate this is the type quill or penknife that would be readily available in the Colonies. The blades would be sharp but of a slightly inferior grade steel that required some sharpening. High grade Sheffield carbon steel and other advances in technology after 1830 made ‘so-called’ penknives like this available. Stainless Steel knives could never hold an edge and so was reserved for the dinner table. Steel quills began to came into vogue about the same time relegating the penknife to cutting cigars.

50. ERASING MISTEAKS There might not have been any rubber erasers back then but there was a way to correct Mistakes albeit a bit more time-consuming. First, a special sharp knife was used to carefully scrape away the ink. This left the surface rough and “unsized” which made writing on the affected area difficult. This allowed ink to blur on the surface and the roughness caused the quill tip to snag and splatter.

51. CLEANUP Pounce was sprinkled on rough writing surfaces where ink had been “erased” to make them smooth enough for writing. This last was certainly needed if the paper came "unsized", that is lacking the thin gelatinous material used to fill the surface of the paper and make it smooth enough for writing with a quill or a steel nib. This shaker was used to dust the paper with pounce.

52. CUTTLEBONE Cuttlefish, Black Walnuts, Gum Arabic and slaves could be found in any or all of the trade ships between the East coast of Africa, America and England. Cuttlebone is often found in bird cages today. cuttlebones were ground up to make polishing powder. This powder was also added to toothpaste, was used as an antacid or as an absorbent. Because cuttlebone is able to withstand high temperatures and is easily carved, it could serve as mold-making material for small metal jewelry castings and other small sculptural objects.

55. ENVELOPES Delivering a letter for any distance was very expensive. Envelopes were unknown or considered a luxury. In either case they were simply not available at first. Also, the cost of mail delivery was by the sheet, not by weight. The Letter itself was folded and became the envelope itself. The creases that appear here show how the letter was folded. The Red mark on the center bottom was from sealing wax. Look carefully to see the printing on the reverse side The printing on the left would be covered when folded.

56. ENVELOPES Sometimes in big cities and towns the store would cut and pre-fold paper for letters. It was then sealed with wax, sealed to keep it closed and handed to someone who was going to the desired direction. A few of the fancier envelope folds

57. ORIGAMI FOLD SYMBOLS If

58. ONE COMMON FOLD

59. POCKET BOOK

60. DOUBLE LOCK

61. PEPI FOLD

62. TWO BY ONE

67. s P P

68. s P P

69. MAIL in the COLONIES The English Royal Crown originally provided Mail services between towns in the American colonies. A message sent 50 miles by coach averaged a brisk 6 miles an hour and would take only a week to receive the reply. Even today a letter still takes almost this long although there are dozens of newer ways to send and receive a massage faster in seconds.

70. MAIL IN THE COLONIES Local Philadelphia currency printed by Franklin with mica flakes In 1733 Benjamin Franklin published his First edition of Poor Richard’s Almanac. He also bribed the royal mail service couriers to deliver his products through the royal mail. Philadelphia appointed Franklin as city’s postmaster general in 1737 and a bit later he printed the local currency. In 1753 the British appointed Franklin as joint deputy post master for the colonies.

74. Device to Keep You from Forgetting to Mail Your Wife's Letter It starts as you are walking down the street, with your contraption around your waist. As you near the mailbox, the boot from the shoemaker's shop gets caught on your hook. It ends when a sign is pulled down in front of you, with the reminder, "You sap. Mail that letter." Don't leave home without one.

75. For More Information… Once Upon a Time - http://www.paperindustryweb.com/oncetime.htm - A background history of paper making in the colonieshttp://www.paperindustryweb.com/oncetime.htm Home Made Black Ink: http://www.marktablerart.com/5.html - Seven steps to make walnut ink on a home stove

76. RESOURCES Medieval Manuscript Manual - http://web.ceu.hu/medstud/manual/MMM/home.htmlhttp://web.ceu.hu/medstud/manual/MMM/home.html All about medieval period writing. Good background for Colonial writing. The Rittenhouse Mill - https://books.google.com/books?id=dYpZZTzBxz0C&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=early+american+paper +making&source=bl&ots=zzey-JNI1- &sig=fhfjVXZcpuj2a3rTi_rx7lpdiO8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=v6GJVb2vH8HJsAXgoYDACw&ved=0CDAQ6 AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=early%20american%20paper%20making&f=false All about the first American paper mill in Pennsylvania. A complete description of the workings of a paper mill. INK RECIPIES - http://elkinvanaeon.net/Alchemy_II/Herbs/Ink.htmhttp://elkinvanaeon.net/Alchemy_II/Herbs/Ink.htm various ink recipes for colored ink plus a list of hazardous materials you might find INK STICKS - http://www.trueart.info/ink_sticks.htmhttp://www.trueart.info/ink_sticks.htm information about ink sticks Folding Envelope and Letter - http://www.ghh.com/elf/index.htmlhttp://www.ghh.com/elf/index.html A good basic source for folding letters and envelopes Postal History of the United States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postage_stamps_and_postal_history_of_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postage_stamps_and_postal_history_of_the_United_States A short history of the early postal service

77. This presentation has been brought to you by the North River Railway Bob Van Cleef 46 Broadway Coventry, CT 06238 http://www.northriverrailway.net THE END