Paper Towels
Long ago in China, people didn’t have a paper like we do today. They wrote on things like bamboo, silk, and even animal bones! But then, about 2,000 years ago, the Chinese came up with something amazing: they invented paper!
For a long time, people made paper by hand, which was a lot of hard work. But then, in the late 1800s, someone discovered a new way to make paper using wood pulp. This was a big deal because it made paper production much faster and easier.
After this discovery, people started making all sorts of things out of paper! They made clothes, boats, watches, horseshoes, and even outhouses! Yes, you heard that right, people made toilets out of paper!
But that’s not all. People made churches, chimneys, barrels, and even railroad wheels and rails out of paper! Can you believe it? They even made skating rink floors and false noses out of paper!
One company called the Scott Paper Company was really good at making bathroom tissue, which we call toilet paper. In 1907, the company got a shipment of paper that was too wrinkled and heavy for toilet paper. But instead of sending it back, the boss named Arthur Scott had an idea.
He decided to cut the paper into smaller sheets and sell them as disposable towels to places like hotels, schools, and businesses. They were called “Sani Towels.” People loved them because they were easy to use and throw away.
In 1931, Scott Paper Company started selling disposable towels to regular people like you and me. And today, we still use paper towels all the time! They come in all different colors and designs, and some are even really strong and absorbent. So, the next time you use a paper towel, remember that it all started with a mistake!
