The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-16
FIBER OF THE FUTURE.
TIE SAW PALMETTO TO REIGN IN
TIE PLANT KINGDOM.


The New Fiber to be a Lion in the
Path of the Jute-Rich Tannic Acid
Properties of Long Neglected
Plant-Discoveries That VIII Revo-
lutionize the Jute Syndicate.
OF substitutes for jute bagging for COW
ering the cotton crop of the United States
there is no end, but Mr.. c. B. Warrand, for
many years a resident Of this city, appears
20 have at last succeeded in the discovery Of
a substitute for jute which promises to
drive the latter from the market, tariff or
no tariff. This new substitute is a distinct
lively southern product, and known as the
saw palmetto, or palm, which grows luxu-
riantly in South Carolina, Alabama,
Georgia and Florida.
THE INVENTIONS PATENTED.
Mr.. Warrand has received letters patent
on palmetto fiber for bagging and the
products of the fiber. He has also been
granted letters patent on palmetto bedding,
manufactured from the leaf Of the saw pal
metto in imitation Of horse hair, and
patents are pending for making extract
of tannio acid from palmetto. He
has also applied for a patent for
tanning leather direct with palmet-
TO ana III.
has Just returned from five weeks trip
in the north, during which time he visited
the patent Office at Washington, and be
says the general patent examiner. DR.. Nc
Lean, informs him that there is no doubt
but that letters patent will be granted
him on his last two applications.
To MORNING NEWS reporter MIR. War
rand exhibited specimens Of the different
fibrous products Of the palmetto and also
rrar,la If tina tannio mid avfraatad from
the leaf and stem He also exhibited
sample Of wrapping paper of excellent quail
1ty, manufactured from the palmetto fiber,
and piece of leather tanned with the ex-
tract of tannic acid from the palmetto Leaf,
the tanning process having been completed
In twenty eight days, whereas by the use Of
oak bark the process requires from two to
three months This leather, Mr.. Warrand
SAYS, was exhibited TO leather experts in
Boston, and while they said it had been
tanned by one who knew little Of the
process, yet they pronounced it an excellent
quality OF leather, equal to that tanned
with oak bark, and requested
him on his return to Savannah
TO send on bale of the palmetto leaves that
they might give the palmetto fannie acid
better test. This he will do at once. MeSsrs.
Stillwell & Gladdfhg. New York chemists,
analysed the leaf extract, and gave Mr..
Warrand certificate that it contains 1872
per cent of pure tannic acid.
THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE.
Mr.. Warrand experimental with the saw
palmetto for nearly year before he APP
piled for patents. He thus described the
process to a MORNING News reporter:
The leaves, in any state, are STEPPED in
water at a low temperature, not over 1867
and the extract is then evaporated In a
vacuum pan below the boiling point of
water. the extract thus reduced to a
weight of ten pounds, and is then a
merchantable article like quercitriu
or oak extract, and is used for tanning or @
mordaunt for dyeing. 1t contains 12.2 per
cent. OF pure tannic acid, besides quantity
of gallo and gallo-tannic acid not yet ascer-
tained. The average OAK bark only contains
II to is Der cent of taBnic acid. The leaves
then are steamed with chemicals, which
loosens the shiny shield around the fibre,
and which isremoved by mechanical means,
namely, rubbing and beating process, not
expensive, and yielding q fore the same
color as jute but coarser and stronger, free
from all coloring matter, and not nearly as
1nhammable as jute, and can be produced
at one half the cost Of jute.
The leaves, properly prepared, after the
tannin is distracted, can also be made into
a serviceabie paper, equal to MANILA paper.
The refuse from the bagging fiber can also
Dc uSc1 AOA tAle StAllS pose.
After the tannin is extracted the leaves
by different process, can be made into an
excellent bedding material, which is clean,
healthy and very elastic, making a soft and
durable mattress, as it will not pack.
JUTE TwINE BINDERS MUST GO.
Dir. Warrand says that there is enough
OF the saw palmetto in Georgia. allowing
one ton Of the fiber 10 ten acres Of ground,
to cover the cotton OF four cotton crops in
this country, and that the saw palmetto
being an evergreen and growing in rank
profusion new crop can be cut
every eight months, and he saws that
the hbrous productions and tannic acid
which can be extracted from it will Justify
the establishment of large factory for
manufacturing binding Irvine for the west
ern and northwestern wheat fields. which
will take the place of iute Irvine, now held
by the great trust at Is cents per pound,
while the jute fiber costs the Irvine manu-
facturers but 81 cents per pound Jute,
he says, has heretofore been the perfection
of covering for cotton, but, he
exceeds it in strength, as it
will excel it in cheapness. must necessarily
drive Jute from the field Jute butts in
New York, he says, are now worth $50 per
ton, and if the Mckinley tariff bill becomes
law it will still command S27 per ton,
whereas the palmetto fiber can be manufact-
ured at from S12 to SIS per ton.
Said Mr.. Warrand: There is hardly a
plant which has heretofore been more
despised and looked upon, not alone as
worthless, but even as nuisance, as the
the saw palmetto. Growing over an i'm
mense area OF Georgia, Florida, Alabama
and South Carolina, covering the ground in
parts very densely, thriving on the forests
and most worthless white sand, equally
unaffected by drought or floods.
Even forest fires, its only enemy, only
check its growth temporarily, as it soon
grows out more luxurious than before
Nothing short of uprooting, grubbing and
burning the roots will destroy it, and as in
ali the processes the leaves and their stems
only are used, which do not injure the
plant in the least, the supply
will be inexhaustible. 1t is
evident that il is as abundant as it is cheap.
being indigenous, a vigorous grower, re-
curing no care nor cultivation. yielding
sure and abundant crop every year, and, as
it is an evergreen, it can be cut every
month in the year, affording an endless
harvest.
THE PALMETTO LANDS OF GEORGIA.
"The area covered by saw palmetto ex-
tends over fifteen counties in this state.
namely: Appling, 1000 square miles;
Bryan, 400 square miles: Charlton 900
square miles; Chatham, 400 square miles
Clinch, 800 square miles; Coffee, $50 square
miles; Camden, $40 square miles; Echols.
400 square miles; bingham, 420 square