The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-02-03
MANUFACTURE OF LINEN GOODS.

The impulse recently given 10 the manu-.
facture Of linen goods in this country is
ATTRACTING no little attention in Europe, and
will soon be the exciting topic in manuiac-
turing circles all over the world. While
hand labor was necessarily employed in
spinning and weaving linen fabrics, Russia,
Ireland, and Scotland, the first two espec'
tally, had no fear of successful competition
in their peculiar line from the rest OF The
world. But il has now been found iha
fax drawn through hoi wafer can be rs sue
cessfully twisted by machinery as cotton
and the human hand must therefore give
place 10 the machine with its fifty steel fina
ers. The success of labor saving machin'
cry once established: its introduction 10
this country was a matter OF course, and
there are now len or dozen new mills in
process OF erection or actually completed for
The prosecution OF this work. Singular as
lit may appear, with our wide extent Of
coun,ry,we are not producing such supply
of fax as is necessary 10 stock these mills.
One now in operation in Fall River, Mass,
will need twelve or fifteen hundred tons per
annum. A large portion Of the fax is
thrown away, the object being to save the
seed, which !, used for making linseed oil,
and Is also exported.
A new invention to separate the gluten
from The 6bre Of fax (which was formerly
tedious process OF rolling,) has been pa.
tented, and rights have been sold through.
oui The country. This new process is sim.
| ply the alternate application Of steam and
cold water, or the repeated immersion and
drainage in and out OF hot wafer, by which
The gluten is separated in few hours. The
whole plan is very simple and easily un-
ders,ood, and may yet lead 10. large ex.
port trade in this article, England now
obtains large supplies Of flax from Russia,
and our own infant mills are obliged TO
impor, their chief supplies. The crop Of
fax has been considered exhaus,ing for a
| light soil, aud no, well adapted 10 a rich
soil, on account OF its liability 10 grow loo
rank and lodge. II the latter difficulty can
be overcome, and the people taught The
process Of cleansing The fibre for market IN
IA few hours, and at small expense, we
may yet find The FAX trade one OF The most
important in the commerce Of the country.
IN Y. Journalo Of Commerce.
&C. Every day, il we will but open our
eyes 10 what is going on about US, may we
find fresh assurances tina, there lis ye, a
God in Israeli" With the promulga'ion Of
the principles Of universal Liberty at The
time Of our Revolution, our system OF chat.
tel Slavery received blow between The
eyes, that sen, it staggering ground.ward,
Blu, with The development of the Cotton
trade, the evil recovered, aud has lived 10
curse the Republic, now nearly century
But when men can buy Linen Shirts as
cheaply as Cotton ones, they will take the
Linen. All The arsufying and compromiS.
ing in the world can't prevent them. With
the growth of the Linen trade, which is as
inevitable as the DEGREES Of God, the profits
are taken on, OF the Cotton business, and
Cotton declines, and as an unavoidable sc.
quence Slavery goes whit Then, peacea.
bly,, quietly by iheirresis,ibe force ollhe laws
of trade and the pressure Of an advancing
civilization, will these diseased fungi slough
off from the limbs Of our Young Republic,
and she will 60 OIL her glorious way, scat.
iering len thousand blessings along her
luminous path. Then let us all pray Tor
great success TO Flax and Linen.