Not by Bread Alone

Not by Bread Alone Ruth Trimble Whatever the circumstances, from earliest days to the present, man has been compelled to record the fact of his existence and details of his daily life in some fashion. Like the ubiquitous "Kilroy," he has an inborn desire to say, "I am here!" Daniel Boone left his mark on giant beech trees. Throughout both the Old and New Worlds, sometimes deep in subterranean caverns, wondrous records have been found that give insight into their environment. In some civilizations, tablets of soft clay were inscribed with cuneiform characters which reveal fascinating revelations of their times. Although paper, per se, is not essential for physical existence as are food, water, and shelter, the aesthetic satisfaction of knowing how to make it could perhaps outweigh more external survival skills. Hundreds of years before true paper was made, many cultures produced paper-like materials from animal sources. Parchment was first prepared from animal skins around 2000 B.C. Ancient Egyptians created "paper" from the papyrus plant (Cyperus papyrus) over 3000 years ago, so durable that some of it still exists today. To make the papyrus, the Egyptians cut the stalks into short lengths, then removed the rind. The pith was separated into thin strips and laid out on a wet board in vertical strips, side by side, and a second layer started at a right angle to the first. Next, they either pressed the strips or pounded them with a stone mallet until a laminated sheet was formed. When the mat was sun-dried, the surface was polished with a stone or shell. Based on the same principles, a similar paper can be made from the piths of other plants, such as cornstalks, sugarcane, burdock, mullein, dandelion, cattail, and thistle. To make the cornstalk papyrus, cut the stalks into short lengths between the nodes on the stem. Next, slice the stalks lengthwise into strips about five hundredths of an inch thick. Remove the pith from the rind, and soak the pith strips in water for several hours if the pith Ruth Trimble is a lifelong resident of Kingsport, Tennessee. She has been active in the study ofwild plantfoods and herbs on her hillsidefarm, and has shared some recipes. 28 is green or overnight if it is dry. Place the strips on a cutting board and press ten or twelve times with a rolling pin. Re-wet the strips and press several more times. The rolling serves to break down the pith, comparable to the beating step in paper making. Next set the layer of wet pith strips on a blotter or piece of cloth in a horizontal row, overlapping slightly. Press the strips in place with your fingers. Put a second layer of wet strips at a right angle to the first layer to form a cross-laminated mat, then cover with another blotter or cloth. Place the finished mat with the blotters or cloths between two boards and stand on them for several minutes to compress the strips and to force out water. Exchange the wet blotters or cloths for dry ones and repeat the process until the mat is dry. If the mat curls, it is not completely dry, so press it again. A smoother surface for the mat can be obtained by burnishing it with a shell or similar object. In like fashion, using his God-given ingenuity and materials readily at hand, a true survivalist can, with patience and industry, create a way to leave a message for posterity. 29 ...