Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-11-24
RImIE inIIN

EniroR SATURDAY. Pass Sir |
notice that in the last number OF the
Press you call the attention ot your
readers to the question of famie cult
vation in these islands very few people
know what ramic is or what use is
made of 1t for the reason that neither
ramic nor its product have been in
common use, and the article has moi,
come within the scope OF their inquiries
or studies, They know what naN,
hemp and cotton are, for they see their
products in every store and, more or
less, they enter into the wardrobe OF
every man and woman.
Ramie like hemp, lax and cotton
Is plant or shrub, producing n fibre
stronger than any. OF the three from
which cloth of fine texture and most
beautiful Fabric is manufactured, not
inferior, in beauty, to any of the finer
Fabrics of alpaca, goats hair, camlcts,
cottons or linens, and only cNcelled by
silk itself, and which can be worked
with other fbrcs. II is not new ar
ticle but the difficulty of preparing the
fibre for manufacture has hitherto pre-
vented its coming into general use,
like the Fabrics before mentioned, for
the only known method of preparing
it, 10y hand, has rendered the prepared
| fibre both too scanty and too costly for
common use. The beautiful and deli
cate article known as grass cloth, made
in China, is manufactured from the
ramie /; but heavier articles, resembling
alpaca and goats hair in lustrc and
beauty, are from the same fibre.
Ii was first brought into Great Brit
ain in 1903 and experiments in its
preparation, have been unsuccesstully
made or with very partial success up to
the present time. The British Gov
ernment, solicitious for the welfare OF
its subjects, and as an additional source
of national wealth, has sought the solu-
ton of the problem for long years
and, in 1860, the Indian Government
offered reward of IS 900, and a roy
atty to any person who should invent a
machine doing the desired work within
certain obviously proper conditions the
trial to be. made at Saharunpore, India.
In order to facilitate the experiment,
the authorities had planted ramie in
the locality where the trial was to be
made in sufficient quantity for the
trial to take place in 1872. Several me.
chanical inventors gave notice OF inten-
ton to compete, but at the trial one
only appeared on the ground and his
machine proved only partial success,
but the government in view of its
earnest effort and the real merit of his
machine and the expenses incurred by
him gave him I,I,5oo.
Mr.. G. c. Coleman of this place
claims that he has invented machine
that accomplishes the object sought by
the Indian Government in preparing
the ramie fibre, though not fulfilling
every condition of the programme re
quired in the Indian competing trial.
He believes that as the ramie plant
grows in these islands luxuriantly, it
may be made both desirable industry
and an additional source of national
prosperity but, like most inventors, he
has more genius than money and can
not carry his views to successful issue
without pecuniary help. If the success
ful prosecution of his plans can be re-
allied, it will no doubt be valuable
acquisition to Hawaiian industry and
wealth.
Small samples which have been
cleaned by his machine have been sent
to the manufacturers of the article in
England who have pronounced favor
able verdict and that if it could be pro
duced in that state there would be no
want of market at paying prices, but
they wished a shipment of a few tons
for thorough trial.
Samples Of both fibre and cloth can
be seen on application to Mr. Coleman
1t is not supposed that this will evel
supersede the sugar production, but il
it can be made success, it will be q
valuable addition to the industries
and resources of the country. Hoping
that something profitable to both the
countrya the inventor mayresult from
the discussion of this subject | beg to
subscribe myself.
A FRIEND OF HAWAII.
| Honolulu November % ISS1