Uriel Orlow

Soundscape by Mikhail Karikis

The wish to establish the exact time that a tree standing in the forest needs in order to be converted into a newspaper has given the owner of a Harz paper mill the occasion to conduct an interesting experiment. At 7:35am he had three trees felled in the forest neighbouring the factory, which, after their bark was scaled off, were hauled into the pulp mill. The transformation of the tree trunks into liquid wood pulp proceeded so quickly that as early as 9:39am the first roll of newsprint left the machine. This roll was immediately taken by car to the printing plant of the daily newspaper four kilometres away; and no later than 11:00 am the newspaper was being sold on the street. Accordingly, a time span of only three hours and twenty-five minutes was required in order that the public could read the latest news report on the material that stemmed from trees on whose branches the birds had sung their songs that very morning.

[Karl Kraus]

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